Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?


I have just acquired a 32 year old JVC/Victor TT-101 DD turntable after having its lesser brother, the TT-81 for the last year.
TT-101
This is one of the great DD designs made at a time when the giant Japanese electronics companies like Technics, Denon, JVC/Victor and Pioneer could pour millions of dollars into 'flagship' models to 'enhance' their lower range models which often sold in the millions.
Because of their complexity however.......if they malfunction.....parts are 'unobtanium'....and they often cannot be repaired.
128x128halcro
TT101 is just the motor drive with no plinth and no arm whereas the GT2000 is a complete integrated turntable. The prices should be different.

The TT61, TT71, and TT81 do not use coreless motors and from my experience with TT71, while it's good sounding, its sound does not have the flowing smoothness of tables with coreless motor like QL-Y66F, QL-Y7, QL-Y5, QL-Y55F, etc... 


A few weeks ago I saw a TT-101 in the Victor wood base with tonearm and mounting boards for two other arms asking less than $2,000 on HiFiDo.

a cursory search on completed yahoo jp auctions shows that the last two yamaha 2000x went for US $5k each. That's more than most auctions for sp 10 mk3's. So, Henry is correct....something's afoot, we know not what.
Halcro

You are living dangerously with your vintage DD turntable!

Trash talk my belt drive, and you die!  

LOL!
It's just how things go in the collector market.  Apparently, 2000Xs are right now highly desired in Asia.  If you really can buy a Mk3 for $5K on Yahoo Japan, you might grab it; they are worth a lot more, up to twice that much, in the US.  Many/most of the Mk3s I have seen on there have been in fairly ratty condition.