Garrard 301 - Project
I have been contemplating for a while which turntable to pursue given so many choices. Every time I look around, I just can’t help drooling over a fully restored Garrard 301 or 401. Aside from being an idler-drive, I keep reading and hearing about their unique ability to reproduce music with its sense of drive and impact thus making them very desirable to own. And with available meticulous restoration services and gorgeous plinth options, what’s not to like, right!
Would you please share your experience, good and pitfalls (if any) with a restored Garrard 301 to avoid before I go down this path.
And what about the IEC inlet and power cord, would they be of any significance. My two choices would be Furutech FI-09 NCF or FI-06 (G) inlets.
I have already purchased a Reed 3P Cocobolo 10.5” with Finewire C37+Cryo tonearm/interconnect phono cable with KLEI RCA plugs option.
Still exploring Cart Options, so please feel free to share your choice of cart with Garrard 301 or 401.
And lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to @fsonicsmith, @noromance @mdalton for the inspiration.
@pindac Indeed. Although, I have a graveyard of parts that came with big promises. The most recent rejected items were the Korf ceramic headshell, the SPF 1.2kg copper platter, and the Audio Sensibility OCC phono cable. This is not to say these fine items are not excellent in themselves; they just didn’t work for me.
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@pindac I know who said it, obviously. I'm not sure it matters. This is not a trial by fire. 😉 I looked into using Panzerholz myself, having worked with plans and quotes with a respected builder. I may revisit.
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Pindac, I thought you were never going to respond again to one of my posts? How dreary that you cannot resist. First, I never said slate was superior to Panzerholz. Second, neither OMA nor the British company to whom you refer was first to use slate to make a plinth. The idea goes back to the early 90s at least, but then again, you dislike slate so why bring it up? Also, I do recall the British slate plinths (can't recall who made them); they were insubstantial compared to the OMA products. Funnily enough, Jonathan Weiss said on his website, about 15-20 years ago, that he vehemently disliked me for commissioning my own PA slate plinths (he used more colorful language), using material from the same quarry he uses. That was purely by chance; I had no prior idea where he was getting his slate. Nevertheless, I was not and probably am not welcome in his emporia (Brooklyn or PA), which doesn't faze me a bit. And finally, as I understand it you use a Peter Reinders Lenco turntable, which I believe has a Corian plinth. Who do you think supplied me with the program to have my Lenco plinth cut from PA slate? Answer: Peter Reinders, an exceptionally nice guy who acted in spite of OMA's objection. I used a waterjet operation in York, PA, to cut the plinths (for Denon DP80, Technics SP10s MK2 and 3, and Lenco) from slabs purchased in PA. At the time all this was occurring, slate was very much in fashion, and more to the point, the cost was much much less than the cost of purchasing a Panzerholz plinth for the SP10 Mk2 or Mk3 from Albert, who is another very nice person. And I needed to save the money. At the present moment, I have no doubt that Panzerholz or the like might be superior to slate, but I also have no doubt that slate is very good for the purpose, based on listening. |
@lalitk Possibly predictably, I’m not a fan of damping or locking things down. Listening without sounds more open and free. You can buy a reasonable device on Amazon for $27 which looks great but doesn’t add anything. I know. It’s in the graveyard. PS Jeff's a great guy. |
