Inexpensive Good Vintage Turntables?

@lohanimal

new decks - a lot of Emperors New Clothes IMHO. Harry Weisfeld of VPI once said in an interview to produce a Technics SP10 would require £30k - for tooling - the motor etc.

In TT design the pinnacle of high tech relative to market usage/penatration was the 70’s. Magnetic strips for speed control on platters can only be done by companies with real manufacturing economies of scale. Most belt drives are far more low tech than DD’s of the 70’s.

Kind of puts it into perspective doesn’t it?

The Technics SP10 is a standard for the ages.

It was an almost criminal dereliction of duty that the hi-fi rags that I grew up with somehow forgot to mention its existence amidst all those endless column inches devoted to the Dual CS505, Rega 3, Roksan Xerxes, and especially the notorious cult like worship of the Linn LP12 back in the day.

Even today, many so called reviewers seem to forget about outstanding turntables from yesteryear.

I guess it’s understandable when you’re solely pushing copy in advertising/PR.

As they say, buyer beware.

As I mentioned earlier I bought an AR XB deck mainly for the charm and it’s history.

Charm can be a big part of any buying decision, and as long as you are aware of that, there’s little wrong with that.

Recently I’ve taken a liking to the skeletal Rega 8/10 decks for a similar reason.

However, if I was buying for performance first I’d focus mainly on a Technics.

bstbomber

69 posts

04-30-2022 at 07:11am 

Technics make A great Simple Turntable

The SL-D2 is a good one 

There's one on New Orleans craigslist. Not mine and no relation.

Having been a long term AR table owned and then a VPI and now Linn owner… the VPI and Linn  are in completely different leagues. 
 

@cd318 the cult - superb way of putting it. I think the Roksan and Alvin Golds review of it then the Pink Triangle taught us there was another way. Hi Fi World were the magazine to open our eyes to what we missed out on with its classic section. It’s where I discovered the Martin Bastin Garrard 401 and all the Japanese DD’s.

As I’ve said I have heard good LP12 but it’s not the only way to skin a cat. Experience and age has taught me that anyone claiming there’s is the best is an imbecile - unless u have a Rockport Sirius…

I will shout out that I bought a Townshend Elite Rock 2 for only 400ukp with arm and cart about 8 years ago. They’ve shot up in the used market but are simply sensational 

My first good turntable was an AR XA. It had a good suspended subchassis design (the first in history), a good machined platter, but a terrible tonearm (the later XB just had a different base, and an arm cuing control). I replaced the table with a Thorens TD-125 Mk.2, which had an almost identical suspended subchassis design, but unfortunately also an overly-complicated electronic motor controller, which gave me nothing but trouble. I got rid of it and got the cheaper TD-150, which was very similar to the AR but with a much better arm.

In the 1980's AR re-introduced their table (basically the same as the XA in design, renamed the ES-1) fitted with a Jelco-sourced arm if so desired (it was offered without as well). It's a fine budget table, but for the price it brings on the used market you can get a VPI HW-19 Mk.2 or 3, imo a better choice.