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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
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
SAEC's SS-300 mat is aluminum, anodised black and then coated with a very thin ( and very strong ) teflon coating

The success of the mat is in its cut-outs in the physical design as well as the coating which stops ringing and is gentle on records as well as being anti-static and balanced

Long out-of-production, I've tried dozens of mats and the SAEC is a keeper

I have the same feelings, it's one of the best mat in my opinion. 
Here is the one on my Luxman PD-444, it's perfect for almost any turntable, i've been using it on Technics SP-10mkII and SP-20 too, it is also fine for SL1210mkII+ series, Victor TT-101 or Denon DP-80. 

When i bought NOS sample in the box (with manual) i notices red tool and a small metal piece that allow to tighten up the mat to the spindle with a tiny screw (this is why there is a very small treated hole in the mat near the spindle hole). When you're buying a used sample these parts always missed and i believe a few people seen it.    

uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
Would one say it is truly worth $300 though?
That's about average price being asked by Japan resellers right now?
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@uberwaltz It’s a minimum price on ebay for used without box, buy it if it’s clean, the price increased in the last 3 years, this is what i noticed myself. And NOS units normally twice as much.
lewm
13,764 posts
 
Are you sure it’s a great idea to couple the SAEC to the spindle with that set screw? Seems to me it creates a path for motor vibration to propagate into the platter where it would be efficiently spread. Not that the TT101 motor has a noticeable problem with mechanical noise.

Anyway, I bought my SS300 from Raul who then became a non-fan of it. I like it on my TT101, but I try not to be dogmatic about platter mats.
lewm
13,764 posts
 
By the way, absent visible damage or shape distortion, what difference does it make whether a metal platter mat is “used” or NOS? My response would be “none” or “zero”. At best, I might pay a 10% premium for NOS but for no good reason. I do agree that $300 is a fair price for a nice used sample.
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