Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

I started this Thread over five years ago, bemoaning the imagined horror of being unable to keep our beloved vintage Japanese DD turntables functioning due to lack of parts……notably ‘chips’.

I believe, in the course of the many Posts since…. we have probably allayed those fears.

I also, in the second Post…..complained about the complexity of the Victor TT-101 compared to its ‘brother’, the TT-81.

Both decks perform the same. They both share the exact same construction, dimensions, platter construction and bi-directional speed control patented by Victor.

The only functional differences between the two were the use of a coreless motor for the TT-101 and the highly complex but accurate, 4Hz stepped speed-control buttons contained within the TT-101 circuitry.

I also mentioned years ago that I was unable to detect any differences in 'sound' or performance between the two.

Why then....was the TT-101 designed to be so overly complex in comparison❓ 👀

Last week, whilst I was listening to the TT-101......the speed accelerated instantly and a 'bang' coincided with a total power outage. The entire street (and suburb) was without power for two hours. When power was restored.....the TT-101 was unable to maintain correct speed 😱

How a 'spike' or 'surge' in the current was able to bypass the Eaton DSFi Dual-Stage Surge Power Filter positioned at the switchboard before the dedicated power circuit, then bypass the PS Audio P3 Power Regenerator before also bypassing the 240V-100V step down transformer in front of the TT-101 power supply is a mystery to me...... Particularly as nothing else in the entire audio electrical architecture was affected 🤔

I rushed to the attic to retrieve my TT-81 and it slipped into the polished black granite cradle without a single change to my surrounding three arms being required 👐

I was not prepared for what I heard when I resumed my listening......

The sound was better than I had been hearing from the TT-101.....and considerably better...

And whilst the TT-101 is with my Tech....I'm left to ponder this dilemma 🤔

Thoughts.......❓

Hi Halco,

Sorry to hear about the TT-101. Hope your Tech can return the TT-101 back to its original glory. We can only make assumptions why the TT-81 sound better than the TT-101.  Could it be possible that the TT-101 performance deteriorated overtime and went unnoticed?  Your redundancy in power surge protection should have kept the TT-101 from harm.  Is it possible the power outage was merely a coincidence the TT-101 failed? It’s difficult to imagine two models made by the same company where their “top” model is trumped by a lower model. When the TT-101 is back on-line, you will undoubtedly do another side by side comparison again.  That should settle the ambiguity

Perhaps there was something wrong already with the TT-101 and the power outage finished it off? This could account for the difference in sound.

Perhaps you would be better off with one of these halcro?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/493608538/love-the-worlds-first-intelligent-turntable

halcro
Curious if your teck has been inside a TT-101 before?