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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.
halcro
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,664 posts
 
We may not have to rely on vintage DD turntables anymore.
There appears to be a distinct revival....
http://www.monoandstereo.com/2016/01/technics-grand-class-sl-1200-turntables.html#more

http://www.monoandstereo.com/2016/01/grand-prix-audio-10th-anniversary.html#more

Could it possibly be that the Linn counter-revolution against the Japanese DD decks in the 70s was motivated by production costs alone.....❓👅


lewm
13,849 posts
 
Henry, I think you meant "moot".  The new SL1200 is very intriguing in that it seems to use a coreless motor, rather than the typical Technics iron core motor. (All Technics DDs, from the SL1200 to the SP10 Mk3, used iron core motors, albeit the one in the Mk3 bears faint resemblance to that which was used in the original SL1200, in terms of torque and the number of poles [24, in the Mk3], which would tend to reduce cogging.)  The new motor would represent a potential significant improvement with respect to the old SL1200.  Thus I wondered why (1) they are using the identical nomenclature for this new product ["SL1200"], and (2) they built it to look JUST like an original SL1200, as well.  Since the price will be much higher than that of the original SL1200, even adjusting for inflation, this may or may not prove to have been a marketing error.  Nevertheless, I am intrigued (because of the coreless motor), but I don't think this thing will blow away what we already own.

lewm
13,849 posts
 
And Dover, you probably should consider changing the electrolytics in the drive system of your Final Audio TT.  Forty years is challenging the upper limit of electrolytic life, albeit if you indeed do use it "every day", that would tend to prolong their lifespan.  I don't see any reason why you should fear that doing so would in any way negatively affect TT performance; in fact, if any of the originals are leaky, it would improve performance.
fleib
1,124 posts
 

Halcro, I wasn't sure exactly what I am doing with the TT81. I can get an old Victor plinth relatively cheap, but I've decided to copy your design, with changes of course. 

Other things have come up and it hasn't been to the tech yet, but it runs and I have a 100V converter.  I'm thinking of making a pod out of Kenwood style composite - ground limestone with polyester resin. 

There's a ground screw on the bottom of the metal cage. I read somewhere that's it's necessary to use it. Any comment?

Sorry my response took so long.

Regards,

lewm
13,849 posts
 
Fleib, While you are thinking of copying the material used by Kenwood, note also that they never used an outboard pod; their engineers saw the value in firmly coupling the tonearm mount to the tt bearing assembly and motor.  Mimicking their approach with your TT81 chassis is going to be difficult, but you could at least approximate it.
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