There are bargain out there if you’re patient. I got my last pair of Telefunken 12AX7 NOS ( Made in W Germany) for under $100. Setup alerts on HiFi Shark and take your pick.
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.
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I am not in the hunt for any tube. I already have my preferred tube and I expect it to outlast me. My only significant concern is with securing enough output tubes in my amp to last to the end. I run four 349 output tubes. Those are very rare and expensive. The other extremely rare tube I run are 348s and I have spares and the really cheap 6F7 can be used as a substitute so I don't have to worry about that tube type. Slightly more findable are the 310a and 310b that I run. |
@lalitk Note that we were talking about the Tele ECC803S which is never under $700 (used). It's a premium ECC83. |
I guess I have written this many times, but for me the TFK ECC803S must be so rare by now that I would demand quite a bit of documentation before spending so much money. Even a TFK ECC83 is in the realm of caveat emptor. I bought my quartet of TFKs in the early 70s, and they have been in my possession ever since, so I feel confident that they are what they say they are. I don’t feel that I am knowledgeable enough to identify by physical characteristics, except for that diamond shape etched into the bottom of each TFK. Anyway, some modern 12AX7 reissues are good enough, in my opinion, that I would not worry about the brand too much. I have heard the Sovtek LPS and the JJ gold pin sound excellent. OTOH, I don’t think much of the Mullard, even assuming that the Mullards I own or have heard are the real deal. |
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