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Turntable itch – should I scratch it?

trumpetman

pfm Member
I have had a Michell mycro and Tecnoarm, Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck and Hyperspace with Tecnoarm, wave mechanic, Dynav 20X2

They’ve all been good in their own way. I’m missing the NA sound but not the bulkiness of the decks, and the dusting. The engineering of Michell and NA is excellent.

I’ve currently got a Funk Firm LSD with a FF FX5 arm, MCRU linear PSU, Dynav 20X2 – sounds very good. The dusting is minimal as it has a dust cover.

Here’s the thing, now I’ve got loads of time on my hands recovering from my illness and retirement. I am playing a lot of vinyl daily, more than ever really.

So with time on my hands –
  • I thought I could a buy vintage/ older TT and restore it. I had to sell my classic car, so a good old tinker is therapeutic ( oh err missus). I’m slowly going off this given prices on certain bays of plenty.
  • Or commit to a newer TT and tonearm and learn the dark arts of cartridge fitting (never done one, always dealer) filling my drawers with cartridges (!?) and phono stage rolling and listen to more vinyl. But, what turntable with a dustcover?
Mrs trumpetman and myself need your guidance and assistance here.
All our TTs have been used models, and not far up the makers model ladder........£2k all in, maybe........

Thanks
 
If you want to mess with cartridges as I did this lockdown, Technics 1200 of some type would be my suggestion. The headshells are dead easy to swap and a basic Audio Tech one starts at a tenner, aligning a cart in the shell is pretty easy with the plastic guide and they have a lid :)

 
A couple of general comments - NA tonearms and DV 20X2 are as dull as dish-water. They are fine until you hear something better, which isn't TOO difficult.

I have used an LP12, PT1 and Hyperspace, and a few tonearms but have found Hadcock hard to beat (except by the Shroder that is here now, alongside the Hadcock).

NA decks - just spend £50-100 on a cover - dusting is no worse than an LP12, which, here, is basically debris that comes from records even though kept in Nagaoka sleeves.
 
A hinged lid is much more user friendly than a big acrylic cover, you need somewhere safe to put it while spinning records and it’s right pita if you want to put it back on while playing to ward off cats/kiddie fingers.
 
A hinged lid is much more user friendly than a big acrylic cover, you need somewhere safe to put it while spinning records and it’s right pita if you want to put it back on while playing to ward off cats/kiddie fingers.

Agreed. The lid sits atop the record racks, so that is no hassle. The other hassles have never needed consideration here :)

I sould also say that cosmetics have never reached any level of consideration whatsoever here either.
 
A couple of general comments - NA tonearms and DV 20X2 are as dull as dish-water. They are fine until you hear something better, which isn't TOO difficult.

I have used an LP12, PT1 and Hyperspace, and a few tonearms but have found Hadcock hard to beat (except by the Shroder that is here now, alongside the Hadcock).

NA decks - just spend £50-100 on a cover - dusting is no worse than an LP12, which, here, is basically debris that comes from records even though kept in Nagaoka sleeves.
I have a DV20X2 and I rather like it. It’s very musical and allows things to flow whilst delivering solid, believable performances.
Now that you’ve called my baby ugly :D what do you have that’s not dull as dishwater? Seriously, I am interested and am always happy to learn as well as being open to new ideas.
 
I think you just have to accept the immutable fact that vinyl replay inevitably involves suffering.

A nice neat and tidy, cosmetically beautiful LP 12 with a lid and hinges to die for.. will minimise.. but not eliminate the issue of dust. The suffering comes with the listening.

A decent..as in 'mid-range' Rega will probably sound better than any Linn which falls within the budget of any normal human being. The suffering comes in the form of doubt..

I have personally had both of the above..and more.. I finally decided that I was more prepared to suffer the arsing about with a Mitchell SECure cover..and the inevitable dusting.. in return for decent music.
 
Another Technics user here (SL1210GR) with hinged lid and and easy to set up cartridge.

I've had the TT about a year now and love it, it's a doddle to use and sounds great

I think it's going to be part of the family for quite some time!
 
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Now that you’ve called my baby ugly :D what do you have that’s not dull as dishwater?

LLOL. As with everything HiFi, everything sounds great until you hear something "better" (aka more to one's taste).
Unfortunatley, I beleive the prices have diverged far more than when I changed from a DV, and I also bought used, but a Delos is just SO musical, so detailed, so engaging, so much more interesting than DV. At the absolute least, the Lyra is very different to the DV.
I am told that Lyra cart's are especially suited to unipivots, which I can't comment on as I have not had a gimbal arm to try one on.
 
If you want to try the vintage route why not tinker with a Lenco or Garrard idler turntable. I had a Technics SL-1200 Mk2 that I modified extensively and fitted with an Audio Origami PU-7. That arm is now on my Garrard 401 and it outperformed the Technics, which I loved, in every respect. I started down the idler route with a modified Lenco GL-75 with a AO/Linn Akito that also outperformed the Technics. The Garrard is my favourite.
 
I have just aquired a thorens Td 124 mkii and I’ve fallen in love with it’s sound and engineering.
I also own a pretty decent spec lp12 but I’m really taken with the weight of sound from the thorens.
 
Thanks for your contributions.
I'm sticking with what I've got for the moment, while keeping a look out for a suitable turntable to play with when one comes up in the classifieds on PFM .
I'm going to learn the dark arts of cartridge fitting as I've never done it before. That'll keep me occupied for the time being!!
Thanks again
 
For £2K the Garrard 301/401 route is probably not possible anymore due to the high cost of the Garrard motor units, unless of course you already have one.

An alternative would be the PTP Audio Lenco route but even that I think will be more than your budget (€2950 plus arm and cartridge), but al least you get a nice corian plinth and a nicely engineered solution.
 
LLOL. As with everything HiFi, everything sounds great until you hear something "better" (aka more to one's taste).
Unfortunatley, I beleive the prices have diverged far more than when I changed from a DV, and I also bought used, but a Delos is just SO musical, so detailed, so engaging, so much more interesting than DV. At the absolute least, the Lyra is very different to the DV.
I am told that Lyra cart's are especially suited to unipivots, which I can't comment on as I have not had a gimbal arm to try one on.
If expect the Delos is worth more than my venerable LP12!!

I would like to loan another DV so I can properly compare the LP12 to my DD spinner. I’m too chicken to remove it from the LP12 and have to set it up again though. I really like the VM540 on the DD but it’s no DV20X2 and definitely no Delos from the sounds if it!
 
If expect the Delos is worth more than my venerable LP12!!

Only one of those depreciates :)

The 20X2 seems to have held its price for a while, but the Delos has gone up by something like 20% in recent times, so far farer to compare to an XX2 now.
 
I thought I could a buy vintage/ older TT and restore it. I had to sell my classic car, so a good old tinker is therapeutic ( oh err missus). I’m slowly going off this given prices on certain bays of plenty.

If you have the right mindset I wholeheartedly recommend this approach. The vintage turntable can be anything you like, for me it was a TD-124/II, though I’ve done it before with LP12s, Lencos etc. There is something exceptionally rewarding about doing a refurbishment really, really well, and it connects you to that item in a way that simply handing over money and opening a box never will. Just expect it to be a fairly long and involved journey! I’ve taken a screwdriver or soldering iron to most of my hi-fi system and I’d not want it any other way.
 


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