Sheet 05 · Head to head
MK2 vs M7L
7 of the 8 figures in the comparison table differ. The MK2 is from the classic line (1972 to 2010), the M7L 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
M7L
50 years of the 1200: 12,000 units, seven colors, gold tonearms.
2022
05.1Where they differ
- Years
- 1979–2010
- 2022
- Motor
- Quartz-locked DC direct drive
- Coreless direct drive
- Starting torque
- 1.5 kg·cm
- 1.8 kg·cm
- Pitch
- ±8% slider
- Digital ±8% / ±16%
- Speeds
- 33⅓ / 45
- 33⅓ / 45 / 78
- Weight
- 12.5 kg
- 9.6 kg
- At launch
- $299 (1979)
- $1,099.99
05.2Identical on both
- Wow & flutter
- 0.025% WRMS
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 →M7L
vs MK7: colorways, gold tonearm, serial badge, slipmat.
Used market: Well above launch (Aug 2026): $2,500+ single asks in LA, ~$4,500 for a pair, ~$3,000 ask for a white one on Reverb
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