Sheet 05 · Head to head
MK2 vs GAE
8 of the 8 figures in the comparison table differ. The MK2 is from the classic line (1972 to 2010), the GAE from the revival (2016 on).
MK2
Quartz lock and the pitch slider, then 31 years with barely a change. The one hip-hop and house were built on.
1979–2010
GAE
The comeback: 1,200 numbered units for the brand's 50th, gone in about 30 minutes.
2016
05.1Where they differ
- Years
- 1979–2010
- 2016
- Motor
- Quartz-locked DC direct drive
- Coreless twin-rotor direct drive
- Starting torque
- 1.5 kg·cm
- 3.3 kg·cm
- Wow & flutter
- 0.025% WRMS
- 0.025%
- Pitch
- ±8% slider
- ±8% / ±16%
- Speeds
- 33⅓ / 45
- 33⅓ / 45 / 78
- Weight
- 12.5 kg
- ~18 kg
- At launch
- $299 (1979)
- ~$4,000
05.3What each one changed
MK2
vs MK1: quartz lock, rotary pitch → ±8% slider, electronic braking with symmetric response, better isolation.
Used market: US askings (Aug 2026): singles $700–1,200 in Good, $900–1,650 in Excellent; LA local listings cluster $800–850; working pairs $1,200–1,600
Full model sheet →GAE
First new 1200 since 2010. A ground-up audiophile re-engineering, shared with the G.
Used market: Numbered units trade above launch price
Full model sheet →Figures from the same sources as each model sheet. A dash means the figure is not published in our sources; we do not invent specs.[1] Technics operating instructions[2] Wikipedia[3] Stereophile[4] audio-database