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.
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Chakster, I had never heard of an SP20 before your post.  My Googling shows a photo of something that looks like a black SP10.  No outboard PS is shown in the photo, but that wouldn't necessarily mean that none was ever supplied.  Does yours have an outboard supply?  If yes, then it seems the SP20 was a black SP10 Mk2.  If no, then I would liken it to an original SP10, not quite as great as a Mk2.

I've never tried a Micro CU500 platter mat. Nor do I even know anything about it, except that by name it would seem to have been made by Micro Seiki, out of copper.  Does the "500" indicate weight, in grams? I tend to think that metal mats are of a kind, in terms of sonics.  Except maybe copper sounds different from whatever alloy is used in the SAEC SS300, or stainless steel, used on the Kenwood L07D.  Weight of the mat might be a factor, because one TT101-user reported that his TT101 did not like a heavy metal mat.  (Perhaps the motor needed calibration; a motor that is out of calibration will exhibit subpar torque. I know this from JP's work on my TT101.)  However, 500g is rather light for a metal mat.  Some monsters made of copper by TTW were as heavy as 4 lbs, nearly 2 kg.

Got my Technics SP10Mk3 finished, well almost still need to install JP's IC when it arrives.  This is one amazing table


https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/4923#&gid=1&pid=2



Good Listening


Peter 
Thanks, RW. So maybe SP20 is a black version of the original SP10.

Peter, On your system page, I see the SP10 Mk3 in a beautiful wood plinth reminiscent of Albert Porter's plinths.  Is that your new one or is that an older photo?

How's it going with the TT101?

Hello Lewm

This one is the one I just finished on Saturday, this is one amazing table. Total weight with the Steve Blinn  large Isopeds, (highly recommended btw) is 88 Lbs 

This plinth is also available for the Mk2, below is one that I recently delivered to a customer, this one had the Stillpoints Ultra 6 for footers, also highly recommended but more than 3 times the cost of the Steve Blinn Isopeds

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/4909

The Victor is a work in progress :-)  have not had the time to look at it for the past week or so - have you got yours up and running, if so how do you like it ?

Good Listening



Peter