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Best vintage DD turntables from the 70's and 80's?

Howdy folks-

We’ll I’ve got the vinyl bug for sure. 6 months ago, I bought my first TT, a nice Technics 1200 GR along with some killer vintage MM carts like Audio-Technica, Stanton and a few Grace. I love my GR! I love that little silver bastard A LOT as a matter of fact. A couple weeks ago, my second table arrived, a minty fresh Luxman PD-444 from Japan. This is a Micro Seiki built TT and was the "tits" in the mid 70’s. I can mount 2 arms on the Luxman. I’ve got a nice Victor 7045 arm coming soon along with a Victor X-1IIe MM cart which work quite well together.

I’d like to add another Vintage TT from the 70’s or 80’s and probably phase out the GR. I like the look of the old Pioneer, Denon and Victor tables. I’d like to get a vintage table that can be serviced if needed, something I can add a sweet vintage arm too. 3 arms are better than two!

I’d like to hear suggestions and comments on some fantastic, cool as crap, vintage turntables that you think should sit next to the Luxman.

Thanks again for your help!

Brent




128x128knollbrent
bikerbw
108 posts
 
If you're not thrilled with the GR (you say you love it but are willing to phase it out) I don't know if I would suggest going for a vintage 1200; that would be a step down in my opinion and not getting you to new frontiers because the tables are more similar than different, unless you're really looking to tinker with one that you're not going to be heartbroken about if the mods don't go well.  The belt drive Linn LP12's are a tinkerer's dream as well, if you wanted a new driving experience.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Based on my reading, personal experience, and many visits to Japan, my list of the best would include, in no particular order:

Sony PSX9,
Yamaha GT2000X,
Technics SP10 Mk3,
Kenwood L07D,
Luxman PD441,
Pioneer Exclusive P3,
Denon DP100M and DN308,

and I’d be willing to add the Onkyo PX100M on faith. What have I missed? Victor TT101/801, I guess. Honorable mention to Denon DP80/75 and a few Pioneer models below the P3. Anyone want to add to this "ultimate" list, without compromising too much?

@lewm Good to see LUX PD-441 (small one) in your list, but why not PD-444 (big one) ? Or it was a typo? 





lewm
13,223 posts
 
Typo. Sorry 
lewm
13,223 posts
 
Biker, did you mean “a tinkerers nightmare “, in reference to LP12?

From a 1200GR I’d consider an SP10R.
Bur also you’re quite wrong to think the vintage examples are all the same. They vary quite a bit in terms of motors, servo mechanism, platter mass, bearings, plinths, and suspension.
lewm
13,223 posts
 
best-groove, To further complicate the history, if you want to nail down the inter-relationships, the coreless motors used in the Kenwood L07D and the Victor TT101, to name only two, owe a great deal to the original Dual coreless motor used in Dual DD turntables that were among their first efforts.  In fact, the story I read is that Dual sued Kenwood over copyright infringement, and Kenwood had to very slightly re-design their coreless motor so as to appease Dual.  Since Dual is German, it is likely they also influenced the EMT DD motors, if those were coreless.  You can still see the same basic design in the Brinkmann coreless DD motors of today.
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