Technics SL-D303 turntable

The Slimline Look Comes to Technics Direct Drive Turntables

Soft-Touch Electronic Front Controls

All the controls for the SL-D303 are lockated on the front panel for simplicity and convenience. Cueing, start, stop, speed, repeat, pitch control and on/off functions can be operated with the dustcover closed. Thus, no harmful particles can reach the surface of your records while you operate the turntable. Note that cueing is of the slide-bar type and the pitch control is styled in a rotational fashion. And the soft-control buttons are designed to require a moderate amount of pressure from your fingertips for activation.

 

High Performance Flat Direct Drive Motor

Like all technics direct drive turntables, the Sl-D303 have platters which are part of the direct drive motor itself. They are fashioned with a superior rumble rate of -78 dB (DIN-B) and minimal wow and flutter of 0,025% WRMS

 

TNRC - Helps Quiet Vibration and feedback

Vibration and feedback can be a problem with some turntable designs, but not with the SL-D303. technics has engineered them to be extremely stable against external vibrations and, at the same time, exhibit fine acoustical characteristics. With precision molded "TNRC" (Technics non-resonant compound), feedback is one of the last things you'll need to worry about even while listening at high volume levels. TNRC is actually an anti-resonant material developed by Technics to keep vibration and feedback to a minimum. There are upper and lower sections of TNRC which are strategically employed in the base construction of both turntables.

 

Gimbal Suspension

SL-D303 turntable is equipped with a four-point gimbal suspension system that's ideally designed for tonearm support. Precision engineering and for pivot-ball bearings lead to a minimal friction reading of 0,007 gram for both horizontal and vertical movement.

The support arms themselves are crafted of strong aluminum to assure rigidity and keep vibration to a minimum.

What's more, low friction plus the low mass of the tonearm itself make the SL-D303 compatible with most of the finest cartridges available today.

 

Sleek Tonearm Design

Along with their slimline styling, Technics has redesigned the tonearm assembly of the SL-D303. the arm itself has been lowered so it is closer to the chassis of the turntable. This is not found in most conventional turntables. Engineered with a single-molded headshell, the tonearm has a total mass of just 11 grams to ensure excellent sensitivity and low friction.

 

Full Automatic Tonearm and Disc Size Selector

A turntable should help prserve your expensive record collection. And one of the ways to ensure this is through automation. Technics SL-D303 does just that. With the disc size selector, all yo have to do is put on a record and press the start button. The turntable itself decides whether it is an Ep or LP and guides the tonearm to the correct lead-in groove.

Technics achieved such sophisticated automation through a fine synchronization between the tonearm control and a mechanical sensor built into the platter. It precisely notes the size of the record to be played and signals the tonearm accordingly. Thus, the tonearm moves to the correct position. And, even if you inadvertantly press the start button, the tonearm will not move unless the sensor detects the presence of a record. What's more, if there is no record on the platter, the tonearm will not leave the armrest, thus avoiding damage to the stylus itself. So, even if you make a mistake the SL-D303 doesn't.

 

Pitch Control with Illuminated Stroboscope

In the event you wish to slightly alter the speed of the turntable platter, Technics has included a front panel pitch control. This is especially useful if you want your music to match the pitch of an accompanying instrument. And, the illuminated stroboscope is provided to aid you in adjusting the SL-D303 with accuracy. You'll be certain that the platter speed is rotating at exactly 33-⅓ or 45 rpm when the markings on the rim of the platter appear to stand still to the eye.

 

Specifications

Turntable Section

Type:  Direct-drive fully automatic turntable

Motor:  Ultra-low-speed brushless DC motor

Turntable Speeds:  33-⅓ and 45 rpm

Turntable Platter:  Aluminum diecast

Platter Diameter:  312 mm (12-9/32")

Speed Change Method:  Electronic change

Variable Pitch Control:  10% adjustment range

Wow and Flutter (IEC 98 A weighted):  0,012 WRMS; (0,025% WRMS JIS C5521) ±0,035% peak

Rumble (IEC 98 A Weighted)

DIN B :  -78 dB

DiN A :  -56 dB

Tonearm Section

Type:  Universal S-shaped tubular arm, static-balanced type, direct-reading tracking force adjustment, with anti-skating force control device, oil damped cueing device

Effective Length:  230 mm (9-1/16")

Overhang:  15 mm (19/32")

Friction:  7 mg (horizontally and vertically)

Effective Mass:  11 g (including only headshell)

Tracking Error Angle:

+0°32' at the inner groove of record

+2°32' at the outer groove of record

Offset Angle:  22°

Adjustable Tracking Force:  0 - 2,5 g (direct- reading)

Cartridge Range:  5 - 7,5 g

Headshell Weight:  7,5 g

General

Power Requirements:  AC 110 - 120 V, 220 - 240 V 50/60 Hz

Power Consumption:  6 W

Dimensions (W x H x D):  430 x 105 x 375 mm (16-15/16" x x4-3/16" x 14-3/4")

Weight:  6 kg (13,2 lb)