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Life After Technics SL1200 Mk5

Hi All,

i am starting the hunt for a new turntable and what to hear from past owners of Technics TT's.

My first real turntable was a Luxman PD272 with a Shure V15 Type IV cartridge, both of which I wore out. Given it was my formative years, I loved that set-up. I acquired my Technics 1200 Mk5 about ten years ago after a long journey down the digital fork in the road. 

Due to some technical furniture issues and WAF, I had to set the TT aside, again. I have rolled through various digital gear and currently use a PS Audio PWT and Theta ProBasic III R2R ladder DAC.

Anyway...I set up the Technics again with an AT150 MLX cartridge and....lo and behold...the digital setup, while not possessing that vinyl sound, does sound better than the SL1200 and AT150.

I did not want to believe this, so I reinstalled the cartridge and realigned the table. Same resort. Basically, the sound is a bit tilted to the treble, the bass is a bit thin compared to my digital gear, and the overall sound seems lean.I have fiddled with cartridge tracking and tonearm balance with no improvement.

So what is next? Is it I do not like the AT cartridge? Has my digital gear outgrown my TT?

That is why I want to learn about the experiences of those of you that moved to a different turntable from Technics. What Technics table did you have and what cartridge? What new turntable and cartridge replaced your Technics setup? How did the sound improve? I would appreciate any and all advice!

Thanks for listening,

Dsper


dsper
lewm
13,755 posts
 
What is it that your Wife does not Accept? The mods under discussion would not even be visually detectable even by most audiophiles.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,167 posts
 
@dsper 

Tonearm cable is Cardas Double Litz 1 X 21.5 coax that is supposed to be 33 pF per foot.
OK- so 3 feet of that is 100pf. If the cartridge spec is for 150pf the phono section should be set to 50pf.


lewm
13,755 posts
 
Another factor in the capacitance issue is the nature of the input stage of your phono section. Vacuum tubes and transistors have a characteristic input capacitance that is added to the capacitance seen by the cartridge. For example one of the most commonly used tubes in a moving magnet phono stage is the 12 AX7. The 12 AX7 has particularly high input capacitance, which is otherwise known as Miller capacitance. This is for the very reason that the 12 AX7 has a very high mu, which is a correlate of gain. Obviously you need gain at the input, and the 12 AX7 was a common choice throughout the history of tube phono stages intended for use with moving magnet cartridges. The 12 AX7 used in a common topology typically will add about 50 pF or more to the capacitance seen by the cartridge. At least that’s how I remember it based on the last time I had to calculate it.
dsper OP
664 posts
 
@lewm9
 What is it that your Wife does not Accept?
I "inherited" a full wall of Harden Cherry shelving/entertainment center that the wife wanted out of the main floor.

Pretty stuff and all hardwood. BUT, it does not translate well for the turntable (in addition to reducing the space I have to maneuver speakers). Anyway, just no good spot to place the turntable. Right now it is sitting on a pair of Large Advent Loudspeakers in front of the shelving unit.

This arrangement was a recent brain child of mine that will not be well received when the queen of the castle returns home in the next few days. 
dsper OP
664 posts
 
@atmasphere 
OK- so 3 feet of that is 100pf. If the cartridge spec is for 150pf the phono section should be set to 50pf.
@lewm 
 The 12 AX7 used in a common topology typically will add about 50 pF or more to the capacitance seen by the cartridge
The cartridge specification is 100 to 200pF and the phono preamp uses 12ax7 tubes so it appears that I need go to 50pF if not zero, I left all of the capacitance switches in the off position.

Sounds a bit fuller, more impact on leading edges of notes...I think...?!

The real problem is I still do not understand what I am really doing when I change the phono preamp capacitance setting. Can anyone explain, if you have the time, or direct me to some good written material that I can review?

My brain just freezes up trying to understand the basic electrical concepts associated with this subject.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper




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