Michell TecnoDec
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We offer free 2-day shipping on most products within the continental US.
Weekdays - Orders placed by 2pm EST ship same day. Orders placed after 2pm EST will ship the following business day.
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Orders requiring motor freight delivery may take more than two business days. Once your order has shipped, you'll receive a shipping confirmation email with a tracking number for easy tracking.
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At this time, we do not ship internationally and orders to Hawaii and Alaska may incur an additional shipping charge. Please contact us at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com to confirm.
Rerouting and Address Changes
We cannot make ANY address changes once an order is placed. If you are unable to accept delivery of your package as ordered, we will need to cancel your order, return the package to sender and have you replace your order through our website.
Keep the Box
We suggest you keep the shipping box or boxes for at least 30 days. It is actually a great idea to keep boxes for audio products for the life of the product. Having the box and all packing will increase the trade-in value should you decide to move up and they are handy to have should you ever need to send the unit in for repair.
How To Receive a Motor Freight Order
The trucking company will contact you to schedule a convenient time to deliver the order. Please note that you must be present for delivery.
Visually inspect the box to make sure you see no signs of damage. If you notice any damage at all, take some pictures with your phone and make a note of them on the delivery receipt the driver will ask you to sign. If it is obvious that the product is damaged, please refuse the order and contact us immediately at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com.
Open your box as soon as possible and inspect the product for damage and contact us if you find anything wrong.
uShip In-Home Delivery
Due to current concerns surrounding COVID-19, uShip is able to offer THRESHOLD SERVICE ONLY at this time. To ensure everyone’s safety, uShip is advising carriers to refrain from making room-of-choice deliveries. Threshold service consists of the shipment being brought into the first door of the address or the lobby of an apartment/condo, and does not include set-up, installation, assembly or debris removal.
What to Expect: Most oversized items will be delivered within 2-3 weeks. Your carrier will place your item inside the first door of the address or the lobby of an apartment/condo.
Appointment Scheduling: Your delivery partner will call 24-48 hours prior to delivery to arrange an appointment window.
How to prepare for in-home delivery:
- Determine the clearest path from the street to your home
- Measure entrances and hallways to ensure your item will fit
- Remove any wall hangings or clutter to ensure a clear path and to prevent damages
- Remove old furnishings to allow placement for your new piece
Check your furniture for damages: We rarely expect damaged furniture, but in the instance it does happen, we have you covered. Once your item’s packaging is removed, check for any damages that may have occurred in transit. Take pictures of any damages and notate appropriately on the delivery receipt. Keep possession of the damaged piece and contact us via phone or email and we’ll start the process to repair/replace your new piece of furniture. For uShip customer support, please call 800-698-7447.
At Audio Advice, we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction. We'll bend over backward to make sure you're 100% satisfied and we won't accept anything less. We offer 30-day hassle-free returns and personalized service from real, live people.
If an item doesn't meet your expectations, you may return or exchange it in its original condition and packaging within 30 days for a full refund, minus shipping fees. Items shipped back in like new condition through standard shipping carriers will only incur a flat fee of $15 to return. If the items were initially shipped through free scheduled delivery via motor freight (commonly referred to as LTL), returning them will result in return shipping fees starting at $150. These items include but are not limited to, oversized items such as TVs, certain subwoofers, floorstanding speakers, furniture, and most items weighing over 75 pounds. Return fees will also apply for exchanges. We want to treat your system as if it is our own and want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase.
Please see the instructions below. We only accept returns for any product purchased directly from our website. If merchandise is not returned in its original condition or is missing packaging, manuals, accessories or other parts, or the resale value of the product has been impaired, a partial refund will be given and calculated on a case-by-case basis.
Non-Returnable Items
The following items cannot be returned or cancelled:
- Special/Custom Order Items
- Open Box Products
- Gift Cards
- In-ear headphones cannot be returned once the packaging has been opened due to personal hygiene reasons. Please contact our customer care team if you'd like help choosing.
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Turntables With a Broken Stylus: All turntables ship out with the stylus intact. If you return a turntable or phono cartridge with a broken or missing stylus you will be subject to a return fee. Please be careful when setting up your turntable and contact us with any questions.
Is It Easy To Return An Item?
Yes, simply give us a call at 888.899.8776 or you can email our support team at support@audioadvice.com. Many times our team of experts can help figure out why the product might not be working like you expected and get things fixed over the phone, so don’t be surprised if we ask a few questions, we love troubleshooting!
If our tech help can not make you happy, we will email over a return shipping label with a Return Number.
Hopefully, you saved all of the original item’s box and packaging inserts. You will want to pack back up your return or exchange in the same way it came out of the original box. Once you have everything packaged correctly, tape the box on the top and bottom to assure it stays together. If Audio Advice shipped the item to you inside a second box, it's a good idea to use that same extra box to help prevent damage on its way back to us. To avoid it accidentally coming back to you, use a magic marker to cross out the old shipping label or just tear it off.
The return shipping label we send you will have our address on it, just make sure you take the box to the right shipper (UPS, FEDEX, or USPS) as per the label.
If you are close to one of our stores, please let us know if it is more convenient for you to return it to us directly. You will still need to get a return number by contacting us and shipping and/or restocking charges may apply.
When Will I See My Refund?
It usually takes around 7-14 days for the refund to show up on the payment method you used. We do inspect all returns for damage and accuracy of the item inside the box before issuing a refund. Some items may be subject to shipping and restocking fees.
Can I Exchange My Purchase For Something Different?
Sometimes those big speakers just don’t fit in the room or you might have bought a small subwoofer and later found out you’d love a bigger one. If you would like to make an exchange within 30 days of receiving your item, just give us a call at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com and we will help work out the details. Additional shipping charges and return costs may apply.
How Do I Cancel An Order?
If the item has already shipped out or is a special order item, it is not possible to cancel the order. Please contact us at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com to start the return process.
What If I Find Shipping Damage?
We need to know right away about any shipping damage. Please contact us at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com within 48 hours of your delivery so we can get the ball rolling on making things right. It’s very helpful to take some pictures and email them to us if possible.
Can I Refuse A Shipment?
You can, but unless the item is damaged, shipping and restocking fees will be deducted from your refund. If your item arrives damaged and you are lucky enough to be there, snap some quick pics and refuse the order. Then contact us so we can get a replacement on the way.
What Happens If My Order Is Defective?
This is actually pretty rare, most consumer electronics work fine out of the box 99.9% of the time. We’d like for you to contact us first by calling 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com so we can help get to the bottom of things. If your item is indeed defective during the first 30 days, we can usually exchange it for a new, replacement unit.
What About Service After 30 Days?
Audio Advice has a great relationship with all of our brands and can help you with warranty service by the brand after our 30-day guarantee period. Even after the warranty expires, we can arrange for service by the brand on products purchased from Audio Advice. Just call 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com.
How Do You Determine A Restocking Fee?
You may not believe it, but sometimes we receive items back that were put in the box with zero packaging and are completely destroyed or are missing many of the pieces that came with the item. We also track serial numbers and will get back different serial numbers. We’ve even seen different items than what we shipped out be returned. However, it’s very important to package your return properly so that nothing goes missing or gets damaged in shipping, which will result in a restocking fee or even no refund at all. If a product is opened and the market value of the product is reduced, then a restocking fee may be applied to the cost of restocking and the reduced market value of the product. The bottom line is if you treat us fairly, we will do the same.
Audio Advice strives to provide industry-leading support and service while also maintaining the lowest prices available on products for our customers. We work hard with our vendors to bring our customers the best products at each price point. As a part of that process, we work with our vendors to provide the lowest pricing in our stores and on our website.
Our prices should always be the same as any other authorized dealer, including big-box retailers and major online retailers.
If you believe that you have found a lower advertised price from a legitimate authorized seller, call us and let us know so we can make sure we can correct any inadvertent error on our side. As a matter of policy, we update our prices automatically if a vendor changes its authorized pricing policies, so we generally have the best prices all the time. Increasingly, there are knock-off copies of products online, usually sold by non-authorized dealers.
Please be sure that the item meets the following conditions:
- The item is brand new, in stock, and available for purchase
- The item has the identical model number, color, etc as the item on our site.
- The seller is an authorized dealer
As always, our goal is to provide a terrific customer experience, including industry low prices. We appreciate your support.
Overview
The TecnoDec is Michell's entry-level turntable, and shares many features developed for its bigger sibling, the GyroDec, such as the vibration dampening, impedance-matched platter, inverted oil circulating main bearing and a free-standing motor unit. TecnoDec is an unsuspended turntable that utilises materials and technologies not normally found in entry level turntables, allowing you hear much more from your music.
*Includes UniCover & Upgrade T2
The High Notes
Affordable Reference
Innovative Main Bearing
Free-Standing Motor
As a follow-up to the excellent review of the Michell Gyro SE turntable here, we have decided to take their entry-level TecnoDec for a spin to see if it still has the Michell magic!
Company History
In 1977, John Michell produced his first turntable under his own name, called the Michell Reference Electronic. Michell also invented the record clamp technology that is still used today in many of the finest turntables. In 1982, John Michell introduced the Gyrodec and made turntable history. The Gyrodec has been improved over the years and is still offered by Michell Engineering to this day. While John Michell passed away in 2003 after a long illness, his family has kept Michell Engineering going and has even made improvements and released some new models.
Features and Technology
Being entry-level from a company like Michell is like saying you are a beginner boxer but was trained by Mike Tyson. Michell takes a large portion of the core technologies that make Michell’s higher-end tables great and filters it down into a more affordable package. The TecnoDec is for someone looking to enter the high-end turntable world but isn’t ready to invest in an end-game turntable yet.
Pure Sorbothane Feet Inserts
Designed to keep structural vibration from your room or equipment rack from reaching the delicate parts of the turntable.
Impedance-matched Platter
The platter dampening material was formulated to be much like vinyl itself, giving a neutral sound characteristic.
Free-standing Motor Unit
The one-piece billet aluminum motor unit is a free-standing member of the mechanics of the turntable. Having only the drive belt make contact with the rest of the table ensures no motor vibration reaches the very sensitive components of the TecnoDec.
Inverted Oil Circulating Main Bearing
Taking the bearing from their more expensive tables, the TecnoDec has an inverted main bearing. This bearing has a modified Archimedean screw oil lubrication system that provides fresh oil to the inverted bearing at all times for lower noise and a much longer bearing life. Having this technology at this price level shows Michell's dedication to allowing all budget levels to enjoy the Michell sound.
Based on the Rega tonearm, which is a classic, the Michell T2 improves on this design, giving the TecnoDec a solid foundation for whatever MM or MC cartridge you choose to use with it. While this tonearm doesn’t have the surgical level of modifications that the Gyro or Orbe models enjoy, the T2 is a great tonearm. Having this level of tonearm on a table at this price is something we love seeing and is a rarity.
While a cover is not included, there are two covers available for Michell for the TecnoDec. The Secure Cover is a full turntable cover that is great if you want to cover the table to protect it fully. Or you can choose the Unicover, which covers the top of the table from dust but allows easier access and viewing with the cover on.
Performance
Unboxing and setup were much like the Michell Gyro SE; the packaging was very well put together, ensuring the TecnoDec was well-protected for shipping. Taking the parts out of the box was very straightforward, and assembly was easy using the included setup guide that Michell includes with all of their turntables.
Once we set up our cartridge, we were set to do some listening!
Johns Coltrane’s Blue Train Tone Poet series album from Bluesound is an excellent album, which is why we also used this album to test the Michell Gyro SE. This album features an excellent live sound and was recorded very well for its time. On the Gyro SE, this album had great tone and texture, giving the instruments the ability to shine. This house sound was carried over into the TecnoDec as it also had these attributes. Musicality is where Michell turntables shine, and the TecnoDec is no exception. Imaging and soundstage were excellent, only being beaten by Michell's own more pricey siblings.
Greenleaf’s 2021 album Echos From A Mass is a great album to test a turntable's ability to handle hard-driving rock tracks without showing signs of harshness or dynamic compression. TecnoDec showed us that it means business, giving us much of the dynamic ability and drive of the Gyro SE, only losing out on the last bit of bass extension to its much more expensive sibling. Also, the noise floor was exceptionally low for a table at this price point, only being beaten by the fully suspended Gyro SE in that regard. This is an extremely impressive performance from a table at this price point, showing that you don’t have to buy the most expensive model to enjoy the sound Michell is known for.
Overall Recommendation
We enjoyed our time with TecnoDec and think that Michell has again brought something to the market that offers much of the performance that their pricier tables are known for at a much more reasonable price. The sound has the warmth and musicality that are hallmarks of Michell's designs, with a build quality to last a lifetime. If you are new to vinyl or are looking to step up from a mid-fi deck into the world of high-end turntables, the TecnoDec will get you much of the high-level performance of flagship turntables at a price many people will find reasonable.
If you’re planning your home theater or media room, check out our Home Theater Design page, where we have everything Home Theater related, including our FREE Home Theater Design Tool.
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