1218

About the 1218

The Dual 1218 is a classic vintage turntable manufactured by Dual in Germany between 1971 and 1975. It is a fully automatic disk changer capable of playing 6 records with speeds of 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm. The drive system uses a 4-pole synchronous motor with a vertically adjustable friction wheel (idler wheel) drive. The platter is a 270 mm diameter, 1.9 kg non-magnetic die-cast steel plate, dynamically balanced to reduce vibration. The tonearm is a straight tubular aluminum arm with a 4-point gimbal suspension, statically balanced, with an effective length of 203.4 mm and equipped originally with a Shure M-91 MG-D MM cartridge. It features adjustable tracking force (1.5 - 5 g), anti-skating, and a tonearm touchdown automatic coupled with the speed switch. The turntable includes pitch control with ±6% adjustment, a speed fine adjustment of ±3%, and a wow and flutter of less than 0.09%. Rumble noise ratio is rated at better than 59 dB weighted. The unit weighs approximately 4.9 kg and measures 329 x 80 x 274 mm (WxHxD). It was originally sold for about 410 DM (approx. in early 1970s). The chassis is mounted in a wooden case with a simple, minimalist design, often finished in teak wood with natural oils. The Dual 1218 is noted for its solid build quality, synchronous motor providing stable speed, and a well-engineered tonearm assembly suitable for high fidelity playback including 78 rpm records.