Sheet 05 · Head to head
MK2 vs GLD
Same platform, real differences. 3 of 8 published figures differ. Both are classic-line decks, so the shared figures below are shared mechanicals rather than coincidence.
MK2
The legend. Quartz lock, the pitch slider, 31 years of production; the deck that built hip-hop and house.
1979–2010
GLD
Three million sold, in black gloss and gold; 3,000 units on an M5G heart.
2004
05.1Where they differ
- Years
- 1979–2010
- 2004
- Pitch
- ±8% slider
- Digital ±8% / ±16%
- At launch
- $299 (1979)
- Limited edition
05.2Identical on both
- Motor
- Quartz-locked DC direct drive
- Starting torque
- 1.5 kg·cm
- Wow & flutter
- 0.025% WRMS
- Speeds
- 33⅓ / 45
- Weight
- 12.5 kg
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 →GLD
vs M5G: commemorative gold-hardware finish; otherwise an M5G.
Used market: Collector piece; trades well above M5G money
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