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Vintage Trio Turntable, very sweet

Yank said:
In the '70s they still had idler-drive rumble kings.
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I think only at the very start of the decade. I'm not good with recalling Dual model numbers, but I can remember quite a few belt and direct drive decks long before the rather flimsy budget 505 etc. Some of them were pretty decent IIRC. They certainly had a fair range by the mid-70s.
 
I always considered the Dual CS 505 a retrograde step. It was the rave budget deck but as Tony said it was flimsy and looked like an evolved Garrard SP25 rather than a development of the previously mentioned triumvirate.
 
The problem with Duals are the manky, flimsy arms IMO.

I landed a really hefty solid Dual DD a while back and it still has that manky arm on it.

The main difference I can see between the PL12 & 1033 are the slightly shallower plinth on the 1033 and the different arm on the P12.

It's a nice thing and very capable piece of audio history (and a keeper), but thankfully the Planar 25/Mission 774 sees it off very comfortably.
 
Robert said:
The problem with Duals are the manky, flimsy arms IMO.
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I suspect used in their correct historical context they were fine, e.g. stick a V15/III or VMS20E into a decent Dual like a 704 direct drive and I'd expect it to be pretty happy and track well. From the mid-70s onwards they definitely followed the low-mass high-compliance path which became so out of fashion from the early '80s onwards. IIRC the bearings were regarded as very decent. They used a lot of plastic in the headshell to lose mass, though in the context of high-compliance carts I suspect it is a decent material choice as it is light, low resonance and inherently well damped. It was probably very logical thinking at the time. A VMS20E or whatever will kick next to no energy back up the arm tube given (IIRC) about 30cu compliance and <1.2g downforce.

It will be interesting to see if high-compliance and low-mass ever makes a return. My only real issue with it is such low tracking force doesn't seem able to push even the slightest amount of dust out of the path of the stylus so I remember a load of crackle and pop etc. By saying that I now have an expensive VPI wet vacuum cleaner so I'm not comparing like for like. The most low-mass/high-compliance arm/cart I've ever run was an Ortofon M20FL (a VMS20E with a better tip) in a Audio Technica AT1120 with fluid damper on an Ariston RD80 back in the early '80s. Unfashionable at the time, but I rather liked it. Certainly a lot better than the piece of crap Linn Basik LVV that came with the deck!
 
Must confess I've not really had a good listen to the Dual as it needs some work. My main objection to the arm is that it just feels plastic and horrible - not in keeping with rest of the unit.

I'll try a Goldring G900IGGC at some point.

I don't think low mass/inertia need mean plastic fantastic as the 774 demonstrates.
 
The Trio 1033 was my first TT. I ran it for about 5 years with an Ortofon FF15E cart until I replaced it with a Rega 3 and K9. It was pretty good but very much a budget deck. Funnily enough the dealer I bought it from in Bath had an upgrade package for it which I bought that involved adding an Avon rubber mat, a thicker base for the plinth and an ADC headshell. After excitedly fitting it all on I found it made very little difference:(
 
Taff63 said:
The Trio 1033 was my first TT. I ran it for about 5 years with an Ortofon FF15E cart until I replaced it with a Rega 3 and K9. It was pretty good but very much a budget deck. Funnily enough the dealer I bought it from in Bath had an upgrade package for it which I bought that involved adding an Avon rubber mat, a thicker base for the plinth and an ADC headshell. After excitedly fitting it all on I found it made very little difference:(
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Was that Paul Green HiFi above the furniture shop on London Road by any chance?
 
No it was a place on or near St James Parade. Bought my Mordant Short Carnivals from there about the same time too. The sales room (no separate demo room) was dominated by some great sounding IMF speakers. Plenty of dealers in Bath in those days - Paul Green was probably the best.
 
Hi, I have a TRIO KD1033 in near mint condition.. apart from a small crack in the lid... I am currently thinking of selling it, as I upgraded a long while ago. It was my first venture into hi-fi, so I am very ambivalent about selling.., very hesitant to let it go. :) Elizabeth
 
My first T/T was one of these. At the time (early 80's) is was regarded as a "poor man/student's CS505".
Replaced by an RD80, then an LP12.
That's my entire T/T history.
 
Similar story to a few on here: the Trio KD1033 was my first proper t/t, armed with an Ortofon FF15E, followed by a VMS20. I then rashly sold it for a Pioneer PL512 (a bad mistake), then a Dual CS505 Mk4 (a sidewards step), and finally an LP12, which lasted for over 25 years.

I had fond memories of the Trio, and always remembered it as being trouble-free.
 
Might as well join the club. Yes, I had one too. Added a VMS20E in an ADC headshell and it worked beautifully with my A&R A60 and RAM100s. Don't have any of this stuff now and am feeling quite nostalgic. Nice little system until that Rega 3 caught my eye...
 
Macushla said:
Hi, I have a TRIO KD1033 in near mint condition.. apart from a small crack in the lid... I am currently thinking of selling it, as I upgraded a long while ago. It was my first venture into hi-fi, so I am very ambivalent about selling.., very hesitant to let it go. :) Elizabeth
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Hello Elizabeth,

I can understand your ambivalence about selling. Perhaps because of our lingering fondness for the music that shaped our youth, we associate some of that nostalgia with the devices that we used to enjoy it all with, at home with family and with our friends, some still with us, some long gone.

Then again, perhaps you are attempting a reverse sales tactic. If so, then good on you! :)

Anyway, if you happened to have landed here as a result of searching out what the value of your KD-1033 might be, the short answer is 'what you can get for it'. Having said that, we are still within an LP renaissance where even the post CD generation want to have a nice turntable, even if only as a functional ornament. Over here in Canada, I occasionally restore old decks as hobby, and working examples of early to late-70s basic belt-drive Japanese decks typically go for as high as $150 - $200 of late, sometimes more should they be semi or fully-automatic and/or in particularly mint condition with original box, etc. In my minds eye, I can see that the original receipt for my similar vintage Pioneer turntable with 2nd from top Shure cartridge says $180. plus provincial sales tax. I know that with a fresh belt and giveaway cartridge on I could easily sell one of these for $200 right now. I don't see them going for anything like that in the UK though. Perhaps someone else on here can suggest a more realistic asking price.

Just as FYI, if the Trio has been lying fallow for some years, the rubber belt is likely to have long since perished. Folk expect the stylus to likely need replacing, however, the absence of a working belt sets off alarm bells and the perceived value plummets. A cheap aftermarket replacement that actually fits can make the difference between getting $50 vs. $150 over here.

BTW, in order to post ads in the classifieds section on here, one must have 50 posts in. Gumtree seems very popular over there, and I am sure that there are others that allow free ad posting. These are also good places to get an idea of typical asking prices. Best to include Pioneer PL-12D (or PL12D) in your searches, as this model was extremely popular and directly comparable to your Trio.

Craig
 
First turntable I bought was a Trio. Looked just like this one. Got in late 80's 2nd hand. Probably equivalent to a Dual.
 
I have a Kenwood turntable that looks very similar to that Trio. It's still in its original box stored away in my workshop. I realise there's a strong connection between Kenwood and Trio. Mine is an idler though not a belt drive. Unfortunately it's not the desirable Kenwood with the cast chassis but just a humble pressed steel top plate model.
 
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