2. analog
  3. 1112567641

Turntable Upgrades

Realizing that my turntable needs some tweaking to make it spin with consistent 33 rpm speed I started to look around to see what options I have.
It didn't take a while to reailize that the most popular upgrades would be:
1. An electric motor replacement.
2. Power supply... may be with a "power conditioner" built-in.
3. So-called "motor-controller" which can easily cost another $2,000.00 dollars.
4. To finilize a jorney for the smooth stable precise spinning I would need something like KAB strobe and disk (for precise speed measurement).

I just wonder WHY at the first place I would have to do it AT ALL? The turntable I purchased was about 3 or 4000 dollars. Being 10 or 15 or 20 years old I admitt it should go throughout some service...but not through replacement of every electronic and non-electronic component! I just don't get it. If I would buy Porsche 20 or 30 years old it still will be drivable reliable car. For every day. Nothing to replace except a fresh oil. It will still look great. It still will be fun to drive. With that Oracle turntable I have to replace everything (plus to buy some more staff) just to get it to a consistent speed (isn' that SOMETHING it supposed to do at the first place?) Now it needs a new motor. It needs a strobe light (Common! Even 100 dollars TT would have it as BASIC). I now need some speed switcher/controller (Oracle Delphi MK1 doesn't have it too). I need some phone power conditioner. I need all kind of replacement belts and springs. I just think what EXACTLY a consumer pays for when he/she purchases that Turntable. The tonearm is not included as well as carthidge. There is no power conditioner. There is no phono stage. There is no moving coil pre preamp. There is best of the best phono cord (most likely you would have to buy it somewhere elase for another 500 dollars). There is no super-duper power cord too. The electric motor will die soon. So you would have to buy something like this:
http://www.turntable-power-supply.com/
(which cost about 800 dollars and should be better then Oracle's one..at least it will have both speeds (33/45) and it could be used to adjust the speed.

And as a last - Delphi MK1 will not have a strob light.
So from where is that 4000 dollars price tag?! Is this price for acrylic rectangle base with alluminium flywheel on it? I just don't get it.
sputniks
lakefrontroad
302 posts
 
Sputniks,

That Leika of your dad's sounds even better than the Porsche. The spool inside probably doesn't turn at 33rpm and the electronics have only to move the telltale in the light meter, if it has one.

The comparison is interesting. I'm beginning to understand you. German engineering is the best, whereas, in a camera the mechanicals only move the shutter, a perfected and low mass movement.

Turntables have small motors moving large mass objects and the accuracy of the speed is paramount to the results. So, it's not quite so simple as moving a low mass shutter.

Back to that Porsche again. I'd still like to know who has a 400,000 mile 911 that drives like my '89 with 29,000 miles? I want him/her (this is the only case you'll see of me being potentially politically correct) to pick lottery numbers for me.

I admire your desire for a simple world which works perfectly. Please send some to me upon discovery of same.

Best wishes,

Bill E
aroc
760 posts
 
Again Sputniks, I would dump what you ahve (since it's a maintenance headache) and buy a Teres (or similar) with a spare bearing.
readster
241 posts
 
if you want a rock solid table, that will probably last forever ( except for maybe bearing wear ) get a VPI scout or scoutmaster.
More to discover