Skip to main content

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Turntable upgrade... (Read 4604 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Turntable upgrade...

Yegads, I can't break the compulsive spending habit on Ebay... 

Just won one of these after dropping a bid about an hour before the close of the auction:

http://www.classic-audio.com/pioneer/pl300.html

Well, it's a "real" TT anyway (speed control, antiskating, universal mount cart, tracking force adjustment)... may not be a Rega or Linn Sondek, but the specs look good anyway.  The direct drive concerns me a little, but on a cheaper TT I don't see that major a difference between belt & direct drive (expensive ones are a different story).

This is the last TT I buy for a year at least.  I've managed to drain my bank acct already buying wax, but needed a more reasonable turntable... this should fit the bill.

Now I gotta transfer some $$ from my C.D. to my regular bank acct... & quit buying wax for about a month & listen to what I already have.  And start considering a cartridge for this 'table...

Turntable upgrade...

Reply #1
I wouldn't worry that much about direct drive.  The motor on my SL-D3 generates a sine wave 'hum' of only 5Hz. I don't know why everyone is so scared of DD.  It sure beats trying to dig up a new belt for discontinued equipment!

Mine takes 2 seconds to start, 20 to stop.

More tweaking: I jammed a piece of wire between the front edge of the cartridge and the headshell to tilt it forward to get a 22° VTA.  BIG improvement! (The story of 2 stylii--one too shallow (wrong one = R5X for Radio Shack R47), one too steep (right one = N95ED).  ) ...and the "wrong" one tracks and sounds better.  I wonder if the "right" one was designed for 78's, and that someone decided to stick it in when the regular one wore out. :eek:

I could get the tonearm parallel if I put a piece of 3/16" glass on top of the platter, but cutting that out just right would be tricky.

You guys have created a monster.

I wish I could afford this: http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=110189...=1&cat=3&scat=9
godzilla525

Turntable upgrade...

Reply #2
Well, there seems to be this "audiophile vs. DJ" thing among turntable fans... anything with direct drive, or a higher-mass S-shaped tonearm or made by Technics is considered "DJ material" and somehow inferior, I guess... and anything with a flowery sounding name like Thorens or Linn Sondek or Rega costing an arm and a leg is considered "good" (some of these 'high end' tables, at least the vintage ones actually use unshielded AC motors, which probably causes worse hum than any direct drive 'table ever made!).

The major advantage i see in the expensive tables are better upgrade paths (demanding to spend yet more money of course), and more tweakability (the latter of which could be an asset or a liability depending on how you look at it... there is such a thing as obsessive tweaking).  Of course there's the status symbol and "good looks" factors too... will the turntable look good with a bottle of expensive wine sitting next to it?

Turntable upgrade...

Reply #3
Ah, now I see.  I knew that there was a definite difference with cartridges/stylii, but Technics turntables are frowned on by the Hi-Fi elites... sounds like something I should definitely have around just to rain on their parade. 

I'm a bit obsessive by nature, so it's probably better just to tweak what I have as best I can as opposed to starting an expensive habit (e.g. having a different cartridge or tonearm for each different pressing factory.)

That Pioneer looks pretty nice.  What's also interesting is that some parts of the tonearm look exactly like mine.
godzilla525


Turntable upgrade...

Reply #5
Quote
Originally posted by godzilla525
Ah, now I see.  I knew that there was a definite difference with cartridges/stylii, but Technics turntables are frowned on by the Hi-Fi elites... 

Well some anyway... I wouldn't want to stereotype anybody or over-generalize.
Quote
That Pioneer looks pretty nice.  What's also interesting is that some parts of the tonearm look exactly like mine.

Hopefully it's nice... I've found that Ebay is something of a crapshoot.  You never really know the true condition of anything until you're holding the item... descriptions are rarely accurate.  Often the seller leaves something out or is purposely vague... occasionally people just outright lie.  And the usual fuzzy pictures taken with a digital camera tend to obfuscate more than clarify...

Edit -- here's a pic of the actual turntable I won.  Looks like someone replaced the headshell, either on this one or on the "Classic Audio" page.

http://home.attbi.com/~fewtchmon/pioneer.jpg


Turntable upgrade...

Reply #7
Quote
Originally posted by MTRH
what is a good brand for turntables if you want good sound out of the vinyls?
I don't want to pay more than ~US300$

Buying new?  You might consider a Music Hall or Pro-Ject turntable, maybe a Thorens TD-170 or TD-190.  Here are a couple links to get some ideas:

http://www.jandr.com
http://www.needledoctor.com

You could get a lot better deal at that price buying used, especially if you don't mind repairing minor faults (turntables are generally very simple mechanically, easy to repair if you can find the parts).  The Thorens TD-145 and TD-160 are recommended by a lot of people, and are very well documented & supported on the Net.

For more opinions, try a search here (great resource for everything vinyl):

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/bbs.html


Turntable upgrade...

Reply #9
Quote
Originally posted by fewtch Well some anyway... I wouldn't want to stereotype anybody or over-generalize.

Good point.
Quote
Edit -- here's a pic of the actual turntable I won.  Looks like someone replaced the headshell, either on this one or on the "Classic Audio" page.

It's hard to say, but the headshell on the Classic Audio page looks exactly like the one on my Technics.  Radio Shack used to carry replacements that kind of look like yours, but they were black.  If it blends in with the design of the rest of the unit, then it's probably original.  It really shouldn't matter as to the best of my knowledge they appear to be a standard item and shouldn't affect performance. 

My TT has a hole in the back for storing a second headshell, and it really bothers me that it's empty.

(I also had to pick up a 45 RPM adapter since the original was missing.  Fortunately the one I got is a black cone-shaped one that blends in perfectly.)

Personally, Ebay is a little too risky for me, but then I miss out on some nice deals.
godzilla525

 

Turntable upgrade...

Reply #10
Quote
Originally posted by MTRH
I was thinking of buying myself  some nice amp for them aswell, any advise?


Check TNT Audio  www.tnt-audio.com..  they rearrainged their site and I had to dig to find it,  but they have a few good articles on decent old gear,  good for TT's and amps and so forth..  http://www.tnt-audio.com/edcorner/may02.html  http://www.tnt-audio.com/guide/index.html ..

They recommend several 'oldies but goodies',  as well as have tons of listening tests on old and new gear.

Turntable upgrade...

Reply #11
Quote
Originally posted by JonPike


Check TNT Audio  www.tnt-audio.com..  they rearrainged their site and I had to dig to find it,  but they have a few good articles on decent old gear,   good for TT's and amps and so forth..  http://www.tnt-audio.com/edcorner/may02.html  http://www.tnt-audio.com/guide/index.html ..

They recommend several 'oldies but goodies',  as well as have tons of listening tests on old and new gear.


Great site alot of good info here. If your having trouble with the link above try
http://www.tnt-audio.com/int.html
What if the Hokey Pokey....is What it's all about?