Are Dual turntables any good?

Another belt-drive Dual to consider is the 1245. I owned one for a long time without any trouble. I used it with a Shure V15 III. I then progressed to the new AR table and then to a Sota Saphire III, which I still use today.

I owned a 505-3, or was it a 503-5? Honestly don't recall but it was a nice belt drive that always peformed well. Try this web site for a lot of good info on vintage Dual tables: http://www.compassnet.com/concept/tableinx.htm

I believe the 701 is the most popular and sells for the most. I have a CS-5000 but I don't use it.

Rwwear, how is the CS-5000. I have a chance to get one for $275. Is that a decent deal? It would be replacing a B&O RX turntable. Would this be a major improvement? Thanks.

If you want a belt-drive or idler wheel TT, with modern amenities like non-intrusive auto shutoff and/or quartz lock regulation, Duals are as good as they get. By the time the CS-506 and CS-5000 were being produced, Japan had gone whole hog into DD.

The older ones from the 70's (with the typical start-stop lever) had unreliable Auto start and Stop mechanisms, so make sure that is working. I've had three of them over the years, and while they look and feel a bit clunky compared to the Japanese, the sound was IMO better than the Japanese DD.

On the other hand, for a cheap basement system the Japanese TT's are much easier to find, set up, and use.