Turntable thoughts

cbyrd

I'm planning to retire my old technics 1800 and am looking for a new deck. I've looked at the music hall 5.1, Rega P3 and some vintage micro seikis. Any thoughts folks?

mhardy6647

I am pretty vintage-oriented, but for turntables (unless you want a hobby, like a Thorens TD-124, Garrard 310, a Rek-O-Cut or Fairchild idler) I'd recommend new. I also think (just MNSHO) that most of the sub-1000 smacker equipment today (unfortunately!) is more-or-less a toy -- with one glaring exception (the Panasonic "Technics" SL-1200). In terms of not completely outrageously priced belt drives, I like the VPI Scout, the Clearaudio Emotion and its twin, the Marantz TT-15S. I wish they all cost half as much as they do, but they are all pretty respectable and not heartstoppingly expensive.

There are plenty of vintage tts here (including the Philips AF-877 I bought from Soundscape ca. 1979), but I have a TT-15S in the living room. I am pretty pleased with it, too. It's a little beefier all around than the Emotion and comes bundled with a decent MM cartridge (Clearaudio Virtuoso wood) and an ebony rather than aluminum arm wand.

cbyrd

Thanks for the input mrh. I'm just beggining my homework on this purchase. I'll give some of these decks a look.

cb

mhardy6647

Just one hifi nut's opinion it is... we are legion.

EDIT: For the record, our kids (both young adults) approved of the Marantz's cosmetics. Our daughter opined that it looked very Apple-like (as if that were a good thing...) :-)

shack

Budget?

shack

mhardy6647 wrote:

I have a TT-15S in the living room. I am pretty pleased with it, too. It's a little beefier all around than the Emotion and comes bundled with a decent MM cartridge (Clearaudio Virtuoso wood) and an ebony rather than aluminum arm wand.

I second the Marantz (re-badged Clearaudio). I have heard it on a couple of occasions and it is a strong contender when I go TT shopping again.


If you liked the Technics...there is a huge following for the Technics SL-1200 series. KAB Electo Acoustics will build you one just the way you want it. I have heard very good thinks about KAB and their custom 1200s.

http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/1200bld.htm

TECHNOKID

shack wrote: »

I second the Marantz (re-badged Clearaudio). I have heard it on a couple of occasions and it is a strong contender when I go TT shopping again.


If you liked the Technics...there is a huge following for the Technics SL-1200 series. KAB Electo Acoustics will build you one just the way you want it. I have heard very good thinks about KAB and their custom 1200s.

http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/1200bld.htm

Technics, custom? I was expecting much higher pricing with those 2 words... Not bad pricing at all for technics, especially if custom made :cool:

Polkersince85

I'm partial to the vintage Micro Seiki tables. The MA-505 armed DDs are solid. The BL series can get pricey.

nooshinjohn

I am a huge fan of the Yamaha PX-2 and PX-3. It is my understanding that they were designed by Micro Seiki for Yamaha. They are Linear Tracking designs, and as such track the grooves with a .015 tracking error figure. They are large and heavy, with excellent damping characteristics, and their sound is as sweet as tables costing 5 times as much. There are two on ebay currently...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360185618764&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110431569896&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Dawgfish

I'm with Keiko on this one. I am also running a Technics, but in my case it's a SL-1200 MK2 with a Denon DL-160 cartridge. It's pretty much the same thing Keiko is running. I've made a few tweeks to it from KAB. I bought the table used on Craig's List for $175 with an Ortofon DJ cartridge. I then bought a Shure M-97 and later a Denon DL-160 cartridge for it, a used Parasound preamp I'm using for a phono-pre, changed out the stock phono cable, added a custom mat, a custom locking clamp, and different isolation footers. Alltogether I have about $700 in everything and it sounds fantastic! I hardly ever listen to CDs anymore. I've spoke with friends who have bought some of the fancy hi-fi turntables out there. While I have no doubt these ultra expensive tables sound incredible, I think a used SL-1200 (various versions) with tweeks is a hard combo to beat from a price/performance ratio. Many of my friends have told me that if they had to do it over agian, they would go the 1200 with tweeks route and be done with it. Just my dos centavos

hearingimpared

You can't go wrong with a VPI.

mhardy6647

Keiko wrote: »

I quess I'm a Technics fanboy.

I ran with the SL-1210M5G with a Denon DL-160 cartridge and haven't looked back.
Excellent bang for the buck right out of the box, brand new and <1000.00.

http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/technics_dj/prod_intro_sl1210m5g.asp

Yeah, that's the thing... price/performance-wise, I don't think you can beat the SL-1200 family. Being around for more than 30 years doesn't hurt!

I am just more of a belt-drive kind of guy.

Fortunately, I don't have the discretionary cash resources to get really interested in idler-drives...

thsmith

hearingimpared wrote: »

You can't go wrong with a VPI.

Thats what I want but I have always had Champagne taste on a beer budget

shack

Keiko wrote: »

My bedroom system consists of a Bose Acoustic Wave, a vintage Akai GX F35 cassette deck and a Yamaha 6760 5 disc universal.

(Lemme dawn my flame suit)

:eek: :eek: :eek:

mhardy6647

thsmith wrote: »

Thats what I want but I have always had Champagne taste on a beer budget

I agreee but...
VPI's pretty expensive beer.

SCompRacer

mhardy6647 wrote: »

Fortunately, I don't have the discretionary cash resources to get really interested in idler-drives...

Not even a heavy plinth Home Despot Lenco? (>You'd have to be familiar with the thread at Audiogon to get the 'Despot' thing).

I have an L75 that I bought on the cheap, before even the beat up ones were commanding over $100. I have the wood cut for the plinth, just need a round tuit to finish cutting the openings out.

cbyrd

Great feed back gang...thanks.......I'm off to do some shopping homework!

SCompRacer

Polkersince85 wrote: »

I'm partial to the vintage Micro Seiki tables. The MA-505 armed DDs are solid.

I tried a MA-505 mkII on my second Nottingham Space Deck. Showed me how much a different arm can change the voicing of that table, and for the better IMO. (I prefer dual pivot arms). Interesting on the fly VTF/antiskate and VTA design on the MK II arm (although you had to hold the arm from falling when you loosed the VTA collet). They claimed you could lay the table on its side and the arm would still track. The Micro Seiki arms/tables still command high prices. Good stuff.

mhardy6647

Any dynamically-balanced (spring instead of weight to establish VTF) tonearm should be able to play in multiple planes, even upside down -- the Dual 1019 manual shows you how to test this! :-)

Home Despot is what I call it, too...

I have, simply, never run across a Lenco, beat-up or otherwise.

SCompRacer

Retro wise, my Yamaha YP-D10 in the retro rig fared very well against the stock Technics SL1210 I tried. Only drawback are the insane prices when found in nice shape. The YP-D10 is direct drive and has adjustable VTA. Cart is an AT440MLa.

cbyrd, if you decide on a Technics 1210, you may want to check with Carl (schwarcw). He has some things to sell for a friend, and one of them is a low mileage KAB modded SL-1210. Carl is very busy of late and hasn't had the time to post the ad.

SCompRacer

mhardy6647 wrote: »

I have, simply, never run across a Lenco, beat-up or otherwise.

If it lives up to the often bandied about belt/giant killer claim we hear so often, I'll sell my belt drive table in a heart beat. I've been debating on wheter to skip to the custom stainless top plate offered by Peter Reinders in Amsterdam. Less cutting of the Baltic Birch layers are required and you decouple the motor from the top plate. There are also custom titanium idler wheels, stainless main bearings and Slate plinths available for the Lenco to help drive up the cost.

rayslifecycle

Get a nice belt drive TT and then put a good cartridge in it - as recommended by some - I too like the DL160 cart by Denon....it plays so nice

mhardy6647

SCompRacer wrote: »

If it lives up to the often bandied about belt/giant killer claim we hear so often, I'll sell my belt drive table in a heart beat. I've been debating on wheter to skip to the custom stainless top plate offered by Peter Reinders in Amsterdam. Less cutting of the Baltic Birch layers are required and you decouple the motor from the top plate. There are also custom titanium idler wheels, stainless main bearings and Slate plinths available for the Lenco to help drive up the cost.

This kind of thing (replacing 399 parts of an inexpensive "sleeper" component to transform it -- when it only had 400 parts to begin with!) makes me think of the folk tale known alternatively as "Nail Broth" or "Stone Soup", about the tramp that shows the stingy lady how to make soup using only a nail (or stone, respectively) :-)

Do y'all know the story?

quadzilla

I'm fairly fond of older Empires.

Polksaladanni

Dawgfish wrote: »

I'm with Keiko on this one. I am also running a Technics, but in my case it's a SL-1200 MK2 with a Denon DL-160 cartridge. While I have no doubt these ultra expensive tables sound incredible, I think a used SL-1200 (various versions) with tweeks is a hard combo to beat from a price/performance ratio.


Ditto. SL-1200's are great platters. Think mine had a pricey AudioTechnica cartridge.

Wish I still had mine and the 600 flats of vinyl in crates too. That was 16-20 years ago.

Fell for the "banana in the tailpipe" and have CD Mega changers.

Paul

inspiredsports

I'm partial to the vintage Thorens TD-160/TD-145/TD-166 units that can be picked up for between $100 to $300 on eBay. You can get great sound for a bargain price. My latest find was a TD-160 BC Mk II with an Infinity Black Widow carbon fiber arm for $114 delivered!

sTiLlLeArNiNg

IMHO a good starter table that can give good/great sound (depend's on cart/stylus) for little cash is a Dual brand. We have 2 here, a 505-3 and a 510 and we are very pleased considering their cost Eventually they will be upgraded with beter cable's and cart/stylus and from what i was told they would be hard to beat. Just my $0.02