Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

The TT801, so far as I can tell, is nothing but a TT101 with vacuum platter.  This required a large wooden box to house the pump and added a lot of tubes and channels inside the chassis that could cause problems.  The motor and the electronics seem to be identical between the 101 and 801.  Vacuum platter is not my cup of tea anyway (because of the potential to add noise), but if you like it, you can add the Audio Technica platter mat with built in vacuum to a TT101 or most any other turntable; you don't need the 801 to get there.  Yet the TT801 seems to command big bucks in the marketplace, maybe as a collectible.  Otherwise, I don't know why.

Dear @lewm :  I think you have a misunderstood about because the 801 measures way better than the 101, so exist some kind of refinements in its design that were not available in its little brother.

W&F   0.01%  and S/N  -80db.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

WOW! Reading through all of this, the parts I can understand anyway, I am well aware I am way out of touch these days.
All of my gear is from what I called the "Golden Age" when I mustered out of the USN after Vietnam. With my pockets somewhat full I began putting together my system and building on it for a few years until I had what I thought was pretty good. Not so great by any standards of today but happy to report what I bought back in the mid 1970s is still going strong and I still love my music.
For the TT I selected the Luxman PD 121 with an SME 309 TA fitted with a Denon 103 MC and Denon 320 matching transformer. Later on I added a Technics SL1200 MKll for the vinyl I had that may have seen some bumps along the way.
After all this reading I have to ask am I doing wrong. I do not use the Luxman often at all unless I get in the mood to spin some of my better vinyls and that means it sometimes does not get used for over a year at a time. Some here say that it is best to use it rather than allow it to set. All I know is when ever I do decide to spin it it is spot on just the way it always has been and sounds great played through my Sansui G-9000 and Altec 19s. This discussion made me do some math but most of my gear is well over 40 years old but still doing just fine and I highly doubt I will ever need to update any of it with newer offerings. All I have ever done is cleaned a few contacts, mostly in the receiver, and kept all my components clean and dust free. The SL 1200 is the workhorse and about as bulletproof as can be and only ever gets a cartridge or stylus change once in a great while. I doubt any of this stuff can be repaired if something goes simply because the parts likely don't exist except for the Altecs thanks to GPA. I don't run in circles where I get to hear what the new stuff has to offer and none of my pals have any interest in good tunes now in our late 60s. My wife and I do enjoy doing concerts here at home but just the two of us when we decide to crank it up a bit and give the 19s a workout. I often say I am and Analog guy stuck in a digital world and most of my family youngsters never even heard a vinyl album played the way they were back in the "Olden Days". They seem very satisfied with what ever comes from their phones through ear buds but they do want to get behind my gear and do hook ups so they can hear their tunes through my 19s. Never going to happen as long as I am here.
Great discussion here so carry on and all I wanted to say is if you buy quality stuff I hope it can last as long as what I bought but it just does not appear to be going that way.

Dear @halcro and friends: I don’t know whom was your " friend " that told you about the 101 but his advise wa a true deceive even a true fraud because it’s a deceive think or let some one thinks that something is way beeter that what in reality it’s.

As I posted here and elsewhere from years is that the 101 is nothing more than one more TT from the pile/bunch of TTs in those times and certainly nothing especial as you still think today. Not even its superior big brother 801, not even this!

Your 101 dream in reality is a " nigthmare " and I understand that with all the time and money that you puts on it as other 101 owners you must " be satisfied " with because you already wasted time and money on it. So no one can says it’s not a true top tier.

Take a look to any of these members of that big TT pile/bunch that not only competes with the 101 but all outperforms it and between other things measures a lot better than the 101 and please if you can’t understand yet how with out hearing an item I can have an opinion on it then don’t give me your answer:

Pioneer: PL1/3F/5L/7l/70L, Denon: DP75/59L, Sony 555/X700, Yamaha: GT750/D71, JVC: 44F/66/A70/75 and many many other TTs.

Of course that you can go on with your " nigthmare " and even the worst nigthmare /dream finishs through the time.

Any one can beats the 101 with the SL- 1200G/1200GR that comes with tonearm included!!


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Unhinged.......? 🙈