Upgrading my Turntable — Technics SL-50C Initial Review

Aug 7
2 min read

I can hear clearly now

A few weeks back, I was trying to swap out the cartridge on my trusty UTurn Audio Orbit Turntable, which I've had for a decade. I should've done a bit more homework on how to put it all together instead of diving in head-first...

Seriously, these tasks need either a magnifying glass or superhuman vision, and I have neither. In a fit of frustration, I ended up destroying the new cartridge and the platter. Oops! But hey, silver lining: time to get a new setup! I headed over to Sweetwater and picked up the Technics SL-50C turntable—here's my initial review:

Spinning vinyl record on a Technics turntable, with tonearm and cartridge in foreground on a black deck.

Since I already had great powered speakers, I just had to find the right match for everything. I wanted the option to use an external pre-amp but didn’t want to deal with a spaghetti mess of cables. Technics has a solid rep for quality, and the SL-50C caught my eye because of its direct-drive feature and the ability to switch between record speeds (33, 45, and 78 rpm) with just a flick of a switch. One of the headaches I had with the Orbit was the external belt that had to be carefully adjusted to change speeds. It often slipped off the platter, turning the whole setup into a frustrating game of alignment.

My favorite thing about the Technics turntable? The tonearm comes with a pre-assembled Ortofon cartridge, plus it has this handy anti-skating dial that a lot of people overlook when playing vinyl.

What's the sound quality like?

Black turntable spinning a vinyl record on a wood table, with Start-Stop and 33/45/78 speed buttons visible.

Honestly, I couldn't be happier with the sound quality. The Technics comes with a built-in pre-amp, so I can easily hook it up to my powered speakers using a line connection. I had the Orbit connected to a Vincent Audio Phono Stage preamp, which then went to my powered speakers (also from UTurn). You can definitely hear the difference compared to the stock pre-amp from UTurn. The audio quality really shines when you go straight from the turntable to the speakers. It sounds crisper and brighter, picking up every little detail in the grooves.

Just the other day, I was jamming to "Disraeli Gears" by Cream, and there was this crunchiness that I hadn't noticed before. It was way louder but still super clear. Then I switched it up with some Freddie Hubbard, and I was really happy with how that sounded too. Overall, the build quality, sound, and versatility are all excellent – but I might just bring back the old preamp soon.

Technics turntable with vinyl record beside a white speaker and Jackson Heights coaster on a wooden table in a sunny room.