The world rejoiced when Panasonic unveiled the new Technics SL-1200 turntable at the CES convention in Las Vegas earlier this week. Spirits might not be so high at the price revelation of the Grand Class version however.

What Hi-FI? is reporting that the Grand Class SL-1200G will cost $4000 a pop, meaning that if the pricing is consistent in UK currency then buying a pair will set you back close to £3000. It looks like Technics are making an entry into the luxury sector of the turntable market.

There's no denying Technics are premium pieces of gear and the very top of the range, but this required outlay is more than double the retail price of the previous Technics turntable. We're expecting a significant jump in performance to justify that expenditure.

Panasonic claim it will be worth it, with new features including a coreless motor that eliminates vibrations that troubled the older version and high-precision rotary positioning sensors that reduce interference. We'll find out when they are released this coming summer.

Bargain hunters will also be gutted as it looks like the old models now won't decrease in price either.

[Via: What Hi-Fi?]

Patick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Twitter here