Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

Sadly.....I think I have to admit that Tommy of TopClass is correct in his assessment which inspired this Thread.
But perhaps mainly in relation to the Victor TT-101...😱
My TT-101 has been with my Tech for over two months because it suddenly developed speed issues (on both 33.33rpm and 45rpm).
He has replaced five chips without any success and as all the electrolytic capacitors have previously been replaced as well as all the soldering...he has nowhere else to go. He has already spent too many days (and money) trying to wade through the complexity of this particular turntable.
Compare that to the comparative simplicity of the TT-81 which does exactly the same job (albeit without the coreless motor) and I mourn the opportunity Victor spurned by not adding the TT101 motor to the TT81 electronics...😩
I found a TT-101 for Thuchan who has had his Tech in Germany trying to get it working for nearly five months.....
Thankfully the TT-81 sounds just as impressive and I have heard that the TT-71 also performs well.
I have lived with the TT-101 for 3-4 years and have loved it....but it is no longer in my future.
I lived dangerously during that period and unfortunately those who still own 'fully functional' TT-101s must hear the clock ticking.....💀

The Pioneer Exclusive P3 does not have a straight arm wand. The straight arm wand does sound a lot better than the S. Something you can find in Japan for time to time.

Halcro and Lewm

Bad news re the Victor 101.

Halcro and I have the same tech. He did mention when I had a problem with my P10 last year that the Victor 101 was incredibility complex. The Pioneer otoh was straight forward and quite simple it is circuit. Fingers crossed my P3 continues to give me great service.

Downunder,

I'm confident that your P3 will keep going...and if it doesn't, it will be easily rectified by Chris Kimil.
Despite the fact that I have to agree with Tommy about the 'risks' involved with TT-101 ownership....it is NOT because of the scarcity of new parts available.
Every chip, transistor, and capacitor for the Victor is procurable.
The problem with the TT-101 is simply its complexity.
I believe there are few risks involved with ownership of any of the other Victor models and there are hundreds of Denon DDs available on the used markets as well as a seemingly endless supply of Yamaha GT-750 DDs from Japan.
I have just brought in a Victor QL-A7 from Japan for my son (who has recently dived into HiFi and vinyl).
Listening to this in my system (with a Signet TK-3Ea/155Lc cartridge) was a sobering experience.
This $600 table literally shamed the belt-drive Raven AC-2 loaded with mega-dollar arms and cartridges.
It also sounded stunningly better than my 'nude' TT-101 and TT-81 Victors (also with their mega-dollar arms).
This salutary experience has caused me to reflect on the wisdom of my 'nude' turntable mounting. The heavy wood plinth of the QL-A7 combined with the four large mildly compliant feet appear to bestow upon the performance, a depth and palette somewhat greater than is extracted with the steel cradle and spiked feet of my 'nude' mounting.
Changes are in the wind....👀

Henry

Good to see you coming over to the Pioneer way of thinking. DD with integrated plinth and more sophisticated suspension as you go up the food chain.

There is also a QL-A75 with 980LZS cart for sale in Sydney - you might want to pick that up

http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/88966-fssyd-victor-ql-a75-direct-drive-turntable-with-stanton-980lzs-cartridge-and-100v-stepdown-transformer/

Enjoy