Advice on Retro Direct Drive Turntables - Japan's finest

[_D_S_J_R_]

They can be as long as the magnetic servo 'print' is intact on the platter. The plinths were just nicely veneered hollow boxes though, so some mass loading reinforcement would help mid-bass reproduction no end. Some Denon arms decoupled the arm-tube from the bearing housing. Sad thing is, the theory may have worked but it was a sonic killer for these arms. Just thought I'd mention it.

The Trio/Kenwood 500 models were a fantastic plinth system but with the servo-hunting old Matsushita OEM motor (from memory), often identified by the ubiquitous strobed platter used most often. With a Mayware Formula 4 and Sonus Blue cartridge, I remember a sample owned by Robin Marshall really singing well, as the 1.2g tracking force didn't ever upset the servo's.. There was a Trio/Kenwood 700 model, which offered so much but suffered from reliability issues I remember.

DO PLEASE NOTE chaps, spares haven't been available for any of these decks for several decades now, so you pays your money and take your chances on a used one. At least the Techie 1200mk2 range sold in millions and spares, as well as upgrades, are now two a penny. Please remember, a thrashed DJ-used sample can have a new 'stock' main bearing easily bought for not much and there are several vendors that can supply re-painted or re-finished top plates for it if you don't mind a little DIY. Johnnie at Audio Origami is a well trusted source of 'high quality' tonearm updates and upgrades too (DQ please note!) and he can foam-fill a resonant arm tube for not much money!

[Lindsayt]

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/show ... 295&page=2

Has radine been reading this thread here on HFS, does he just have similar taste in TT's?

It's nice to see some excellent advice on pfm.

[zebbo]

That big Kenwood looks realy nice!

[paskinner]

It's the servicing that would make me nervous...if the DD fails, they seem to be unrepairable..or at least, very difficult. I still believe that a decent belt-drive is a better overall bet, if only because they are easy to maintain. I think I'd back (say) a Thorens 125 over a £500 DD any day, both on sound quality (always highly personal) and serviceability.
For me, with 'classic' (ie...very old) kit, spare parts and serviceability are the key requirements. Otherwise you can end up with a £500 boat anchor. . Come to think of it, the Japanese did make some superb belt-drives alongside the DD kit. Pioneer pd12 anyone? Or,far more expensive, Micro Seiki. Culturally, the Japanese seem disinclined to provide long-term back up for their products. They want you to scrap it and buy something new .....
Which, from the manufacturers point of view, must make sense.

[_D_S_J_R_]

I owned a TD125 for a year or two (and may have it back one day). It lacks the 'push' in the mid bass that many good DD types have, and you can take it as something that should be there, or a colouration that isn't! I used mine with a Rega R200 arm (the little brother of the PL71 tonearm), a Nagaoka flat-bed headshell and a 'deccapoded' Gold Microscanner - lovely and VERY quiet on surface noise... The rubber tyre on the platter made no sonic difference but looked nicer and the mat is a Spacemat which I usually used on top of a TD124/TD150 one.