Panasonic RD-3100 turntable, any good?

Looking for opinions and value for this turntable?

Thanks
Keith

Comments

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,929
    edited April 2018
    If google images are to be believed :p it's a rebadged BSR. On the bright side, it will take a 1/2 inch mount cartridge (i.e., you could put a heavish-tracking MM cartridge in it) and it appears to have a metal, rather than plastic, platter.

    On the not-so-bright side, it is, to a first approximation, junk. :|
    Not complete and utter junk -- but it's on the spectrum.

    tqaem9wk1mro.png
  • Msabot1
    Msabot1 Posts: 2,098
    Looks like one of those old Radio Shack LAB tables from the early 70's.....
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,929
    edited April 2018
    Msabot1 wrote: »
    Looks like one of those old Radio Shack LAB tables from the early 70's.....

    Many of theirs were BSR OEM.
    The better ones were Miracords (in those days), but they were labeled as such.
    ... and "better" is relative ;)

    all three of these, e.g., are BSR-made.

    n5d77k0otbg7.png
    source: www.radioshackcatalogs.com (1977)


  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,929
    The Miracords (and some lesser BSRs) from 1977 :)

    d2zgh4dvqha4.png
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    If google images are to be believed :p it's a rebadged BSR. On the bright side, it will take a 1/2 inch mount cartridge (i.e., you could put a heavish-tracking MM cartridge in it) and it appears to have a metal, rather than plastic, platter.

    On the not-so-bright side, it is, to a first approximation, junk. :|
    Not complete and utter junk -- but it's on the spectrum.

    tqaem9wk1mro.png

    Way to let a guy down easy professor! :smiley:
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,929
    I think I was very balanced and fair. ;)

    It should work and, equipped with an appropriate cartridge at appropriate tracking force, and aligned with reasonable care -- it could provide satisfactory results... but the light platter and idler drive* (especially with four decade old idler rubber) won't give that inky black background and snappy PRaT much beloved by 'audiophiles'.

    :|

    ___________________
    * Pretty sure that would be idler, and not belt drive.
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    It should work and, equipped with an appropriate cartridge at appropriate tracking force, and aligned with reasonable care -- it could provide satisfactory results... but the light platter and idler drive* (especially with four decade old idler rubber) won't give that inky black background and snappy PRaT much beloved by 'audiophiles'.

    Now that's the professor we all know and love! :smile:
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
  • Looks like the BSR stuff was trying to copy the Dual TT's back in the day! I know that Duals are some of the best made tables out there but I just can't seem to get over that they aesthetically look like plastic toys! I know the chassis on the Duals are black metal but they just all together, along with the tone arm look like plastic junk!
  • I wasn't trying to offend anyone who loves Duals, by the way ,just my humble opinion!