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Harmon Kardon ST-7 with Rabco Tonearm

A friend gave me one of these today. It is all brushed aluminum, made in the United states and looks to be from the 70s or 80s. The tone arm is one of those tangential ones where the whole arm moves from outside-in, perpendicular to the record plane. It needs some cleaning and perhaps a new power cord and RCAs. Other than this I do not know too much about it. Was it a good record player in it's time? Is it worth fixing up? Looks pretty solid overall.

Thanks!
bstatmeister
donre
3 posts
 
Yes it is worth fixing! I personally have a Harmon Kardon ST-8 which I bought around 40 years ago and I love still today as if it was brand new! These are some of the most sought after turntables from that mid-70's era! I'm going to add it into my new home audio/home theater system via a Simaudio Moon phono preamp to my Arcam AV950 surround processor.

lewm
13,108 posts
 
"These are some of the most sought after turntables from that mid-70's era!"  Really?  If I remember correctly (and please do correct me if not), that turntable has a built-on version of the Rabco SL tonearm, only instead of the motor-drive pulling a chain that propels the tonearm across the LP while maintaining tangency in the big Rabco, the tonearm on the ST8 is propelled by a rotating rubber tire riding on a metal bar.  The issue with that set-up was noise from the rubber tire transmitting to the rear pivot and hence out to the cartridge.  It's historically very interesting but not the greatest in terms of success in reaching its goal.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Most troublesome TT ever made .
bstatmeister OP
537 posts
 
Maybe that's why he gave it to me!
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,470 posts
 
I never owned one, but a close friend did.....agreed with schubert (above).   The arm is a dog - don't think it was Rabco.
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