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What turntable do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 9:54 am
by karatestu
I am interested to know what turntable you use and why. Also what other turntables did you have and why did you let them go ?

I will start.

I have 1990 LP12 with Naim Aro , Lyra argo and Avondale TAPS2 power supply. Also have a Rubikon sub chassis and some of Alfi's bits and bobs that I have not fitted yet.

Why do I own it ? Well, it is the only serious turntable I have ever had. I bought of a cash strapped friend with Lingo psu and basik arm for £150 in AD 2000. It got me in to vinyl and sounded better than my then digital front end. I was brainwashed at the time :roll:

Recently I have bought Les W's Pink Triangle PT1 with Alphason HRS100S arm, Avondale PSU and Asaka cartridge. Won't be picking that up until after Christmas but I am hoping it knocks the Linn in to the weeds. I also plan to try a direct drive like a PL71 if I can find one and compare all three before I decide what to keep.

Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:24 am
by Andy-831
In some sort or date order

Garrard SP25Mk something or other in a dynatron all in one System in about 1967.

Technics direct drive thing as part of a Technics Stack System which I owned for about 10 years

Then I did the Linn / Naim thing and had an Early LP12 which over the 20 odd years I owned it had several of the Linn Mods and eventually an Ittock and asak cartridge.

By then it was late 1990's I had just started to meddle with CD and thought ya know what I am not playing much vinyl these days so sold the LP12 but not the vinyl because within 6 months I was missing the vinyl so I bought a Linn Axis.

The Axis lasted 6 months and I bought a Notts Analogue Spacedeck and space arm which I owned for about 7 years before selling that.

Bought a Garrard 301 tried various plinths and arms and have settled with a Slate top plinth and plywood lower plinth with an SME 3012 and various cartridges as the mood takes me. I liked the drive the Garrard gave so much that I also bought and use a Garrard 401 which is similarly mounted in a slate and plywood plinth on which I use an Audio Origami PU7 with an AT 33EV cartridge.

The SP25mk whatever was a flimsy mass market thing that was used in lots of low price record playing systems and radiograms etc for donkeys years in the 60's and 70's.

The Technics was ok and introduced me to Direct Drive.

The Linn was a money pit if I let it be, and seemed as though it needed tweeking every 6 months to keep it singing, despite that I did like the old fruit box and it still look at them fondly.

The Axis was not an LP12

The spacedeck was an excellent turntable as was the unipivot arm and frankly I could probably still live with one.

I suspect that either my 301 or my 401 will be my final table, whilst I have no plans to get rid of either they do need to be in beasts of a plinth if you wish to accomodate 12" arms. I am sure at some point I will sell one and go down to a single table but I love what both bring to the table with there pitch stabilty and bass drive.

Andy

Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:47 am
by Vinyl-ant
I have the jbe series 3 and mayware formula 4 which I have an emotional attachment to so will never sell. The jvc ql-y5f which I use all the time as it is so convenient to use and sounds brilliant
A 301 which needs a plinth building when i have the time, one of my lenco conversions which doubles as a demonstrator, a garrard zero 100 for the oddity factor,
A teac ts 130 ( i think) which is an idler driven deck, again because it is odd, a dual 1012 which is in bits at the moment, and an acoustic solutions thing which is a load of shite but will be better when i get round to building something from the bits of it.

I use the jbe and the jvc as I must have the pitch stability a good dd deck gives. I seem very sensitive to pitch changes it drives me up the wall if its out. The jvc is brilliant as an all in one solution, a fantastic piece of design. Some people hate the electrodynamic damping the arm has, but i like it. The jbe is a lovely piece of kit too, pitch stability is rock solid again, and it sounds very very clean.

The type 2 lenco conversion is great, I think I got the best I could out of the lenco drive mech, the 301, well, its a 301. The other stuff is just for shits and giggles really, but i have to have something to do......

Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:55 am
by _D_S_J_R_
I get the feeling here that the outright hatred of the LP12 is more to do with its conception and direct ancestry (as well as current stupid pricing) than the actual product itself (despite certain flaws), which is constantly evolving over the years. Latest updates include a lower mass main platter and new basic sub-chassis I understand which can't be a bad thing as the extra weight over the donor Thorens 150 design is perceived as a bad thing for the suspension dynamics.. I'm too close to the LP12 by association over decades having built so many up from a pile of bits as part of my job, but despite hearing better vinyl reproduction thirty years ago, it's an endearing design and far better made than a TD150 ever was...

For me, vinyl can only rarely approach a good master recording, where digital can in my experience (I accept this won't jive well here), and since I'll never be able to afford to go the Notts Analogue/Decca route again (too cumbersome and too expensive), I'll stick to my Dual 701 which isn't bad at all and sounds highly involving with all my cartridges except the Decca (I don't have screws of the right thread... The other Duals and cheapo Garrards are fun things to use and because I expect so little from them, I'm surprised hugely when they do make an old pressing sound surprisingly listenable ;) Favourites of these are the Dual 1019 I was given and the Garrard Lab80mk2 heavyweight I got from 'Beobloke' some years back..

Not sure I can give a full list over the years, but here goes the highlights...

My parents' Auto-Deccalian 88 with Collaro Conquest changer
Loads of record players that were chucked my way as a kid - BSR UA6 and UA8 ruled
Hacker GP42 record player with Garrard 2025TC and Acos GP96 cartridge
Garrard AP76 (crap Friday afternoon sample - my current one is far better)
Goldring Lenco GL75
Technics SL110
Garrard SL95B 'Module - cheap run-out purchase and it restored my faith in Garrards of this chassis
Dual 1229 - lovely deck but surviving ones need work doing if breakages aren't to occur. I should still have it but it was loaned out and never returned.
Linn LP12 - many samples in different colours and with different tonearms from Grace 707, Hadcock, Mission 774, Rega RB to various Ittoks...
Notts Analogue Mentor deck and arm/Decca Microscanner (the best deck I ever owned sold in a moment of austerity when the Decca packed up)
Dual 701 - which I still have and enjoy
Dad's GL78 with AT95E which I serviced with new arm V-blocks and fresh idler
Beogram 3000/SP12 from 1972 - slightly bland sound (not the cartridge) but a masterwork in basic design and operational simplicity
Technics SL1500 - first one was awful but second one came alive with little work and if treated like a Rega
Garrard Zero 100 - wonderful conversation piece from before the times decks were 'listened to.'
Garrard Lab 80mk2 - Plessey's interference prevented Garrard from continuing with a heavyweight construction - arm much better than you'd think
Dual 601 - standby in case the 701 motor fails as its been threatening to in recent times
Dual 1019 - Given to me earlier this year and motor drone aside, it's a beautiful thing and can sound superb

Plus all the other stuff I play with when bored, such as the Dual 1214 the Doc gave me which was smashed in transit, the arm missing and destroyed in any case - I rebuilt it, plonked it in a 1257 plastic plinth, fitted a 1216 cast platter and it's actually rather superb...

Plus of course, all the decks I worked with and worked on in my job of thirty five years...

Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:00 am
by Alfi
Well where do I begin.?

At 14 years of age my Dad built a Heathkit valve amplifier and a pair of their two way infinite baffle speakers using if I recall, 8 or 10 inch Goodmans’ drivers but my memory of this is sketchy. I remember is it "sounded" decent playing my parents big band and light classical favourites.

Skip forward 3 years and I was mostly motorcycle mad (and keen on young ladies ) plus m/cycle racing involvement (sidecar passenger) to care too much about Hifi in those days.

When I eventually settled down got married at 23 and began homemaking, we looked for a system to bring music into our lives so we had low end Pioneer stuff a PL100X belter to get us by, can’t remember the amp model though but low end stuff. We felt we should get something better, so after reading some hi fi mag’s we chose a Rega Planar 3. Also a friend had one that trounced (to our ears) an early fairly good (£300) Yamaha CD player he had on loan, so that was it for a while.

Of course the LP12 was riding high and being young, naïve and skint this is what was sought for many years, but it was simply out of reach financially until I was in my 40's. When I did eventually get hold of an armless one I was both chuffed and appalled. Chuffed that I thought I had an example of the best TT ever made (ha) and then utterly appalled at how awful it was underneath the top plate, poor quality workmanship and shitty components. How can this be so I asked myself..?

I then thought to myself I’m sure this can be improved so set upon making a sub-chassis for it and when I perfected the bonding process with help from colleagues in the labs at work I installed it and was very happy with the result. It blew the standard LP12 into the weeds and was to my and my and wife’s ears better than an Orbe we had in our system running same Rega arm and Goldring cartridge .

Over the years since, I have amassed a small collection of TT’s including a number of Techy servo DD’s ( 2x SL150mk1, 2x SL120 mk1, SL110) Pioneer PL71, Golding Lenco GL75, Rega Planar 25, 3x LP12’s , Voyd Valdi x 2 and my ultimate joy, The Voyd three motor TT with split phase power supply, a paring that provides an awesome musical performance, it sort of pins you to your seat and takes you on an exhilarating ride. Not for everybody of course but I love it. This is not the Voyd Reference, which is still highly sought after and still commands crazy prices, but I have spares for my lower model 3 motor Voyd so it’s a keeper.

I have since parted company with the Techy SL150 and the two Valdi’s in order to keep wifey happy. At one time I had 14 TT’s here so she had a point! Sold some and split others for spares - some sold, some kept.

I will say my highly modified LP12 is very good performance wise, but it’s still a lot of money to get there. A good Techy or Pioneer DD will give as good a performance as many an LP12 and better than some, but are of course a lot cheaper to purchase SH. Just as long a you are competent at keeping your old Jap DD running well and that you have NVA amps cable and speakers you won't be missing out on anything musically.



Alfi.

Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:05 am
by Classicrock
Current Michell Orbe SE with SME 309 and AT 33EV. Always liked the sound of Michell and though expensive they are cheap compared with other high end makes along with NA. Far better sounding than Linn with proper deep controlled bass. The clamping arrangement also sorts out most moderately dished or warped discs. Also have a Pioneer PLX 1000 bought as stop gap last year and backup at present + Dual 506 (inherited) awaiting service.

Previous Decks.

Some BSR thing with a plastic plinth replaced within weeks with Garrard SP25 Mk III (1972). Cartridge - Sonotone 9TAHC.
Garrard 86SB.(1974) Cartridge -Shure M75/6
JVC JLA1. (1976) Ortofon MM
Thorens 160S Mayware formula IV (traded it in for peanuts - big mistake). (1980) Ortofon F? MM and Rega R100.
Linn Axis (sideways move). More precise less bass. Actually prefered it to LP12 and Rega P3. (1988) Cartridges - ATF5 and goldring 1042. Stolen 1993.
Michell Gyrodec with QC PS and RB300 arm. Vast improvement over Linn Axis. (1994 -2016)

Even I had a brief moment of Linn Brainwash.

Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:45 am
by Daniel Quinn
A modified pink triangle.

Unfortunatly,for the moment i merely look at it

Ps. Isn't the price of something part of product

Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:11 pm
by Fretless
For my 16th birthday I was given a simple Pioneer system featuring the PL-514X TT, a reasonable starter's deck for the late 70's. With my very first paycheck I bought myself a Michell Focus One that sat proudly in the window of a Hifi shop in Bradford which I passed every day on my way to work - I just had to have that deck!

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Moving on a few years and the Audio bug had really got to me. So it was time to move up to the Logic DM101 - at the time one of the TT's rated as a direct competitor of the LP12. This deck was fitted with a Syrinx LE1 arm and A&R P77Mg cartridge. Circumstances meant that eventually I had to ditch most of my 2000+ LP collection and the Logic went into storage for an extended period.

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When finally I got my hifi set up again the Logic had problems with the electronics and wouldn't run. It's been consigned to the attic and might one day be the subject of a renovation project. For now and the rare occasions where vinyl gets a listen here I have a perfectly adequate Pro-Ject Debut 2 fitted with the A&R cartridge.
Basically I have concentrated on digital audio since the first CD players came out and now my hobbying is mainly directed at computer-based music systems.

Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:21 pm
by karatestu
Daniel Quinn wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:45 am A modified pink triangle.

Unfortunatly,for the moment i merely look at it

Ps. Isn't the price of something part of product
A pink with no springs :grin: and different motor ?

Obviously the more you spend the better it sounds :roll:

Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:34 pm
by antonio66
Going back in the mists of time I started with a Pioneer 112d purchased I think from Comet by my Dad. I then move on to a Dual 704 and later a Thorens 160. When I turned 30yrs, it was time to purchase a real tt and the mags were full of how good the LP12 was. This of course had to be demo'ed and it was an improvement over the Rega 3 and Linn Axis. This was then upgraded fairly quickly with a Circus, Lingo, Trampolin, Ekos, and Karma. Later came Lyra cartridges and Tiger Paw top plate. I wasn't using it much and decided to sell and purchase something cheaper just to play my existing vinyl. Came across a PTtoo not too far away on ebay and am really enjoying it. I purchased the Linn from Sound Org. York and on the same street Vickers HiFi sold Pink Triangle. Never went in to demo the PT, I'd been brainwashed by the mags. :doh: