The One I Miss: Technics SL-J33 Turntable

Introduction There’s one piece of audio gear I miss, it is my Technics SL-J33 turntable. I guess technically now it is considered vintage audio gear since it was produced in the 1980s. And, I would hazard a guess, that if you are used to seeing typical turntables, the above photograph1 is not what you would think of as a turntable. The SL-J33 was most definitely not your typical phonograph. Let’s take a look at its main features, and point out a few that are unique. Automatic, Quartz Locking, and Direct Drive There has always been a division among audio people when it comes to belt drive versus direct drive turntables. The fact of the matter is that direct drive turntables tend to have more “rumble” - a low noise due to the gears used to connect the motor to the platter. Belt drive turntables do not have as much “rumble” as the motor is more isolated from the platter by using a rubber belt to drive the platter. There were siblings in the SL line from Technics that were belt driven…

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