SP10 Mk II vs Mk III

"The Golden Number" by Charlie Haden is sublime. He is one of my favorite bassists, along with Mingus, Garry Peacock, Barry Guy, et al. Let's not forget those Ornette Coleman records from Atlantic in the 60's he participated. But the recordings he did with Horizon are outstanding. Speaking of bassist, another favorite record on the SP10 for me is Dave Holland's classic "Conference For the Birds" with amazing drum solo's by Barry Altschul and Holland's bass has a huge tone. It's out there jazz so it may not be everyone's cup of tea but I love it.

The SP10 truly excels on records that exhibit bass with lightning transients and explosiveness. The key to me is that it has absolutely no bass overhang, that nagging feeling the the dynamic notes are microscopically delayed as if something is dragging its feet. And I believe the key word is drag, stylus drag. And the SP10 gives you the sense, with its tremendous torque, that the platter is spinning with complete insistence as if the stylus is plowing through the groove without breaking a sweat and mutters "bring it on". It is this effortlessness in its rotation that leaves many other turntables in the dust. I must say it is much easier to have decent sound on belt-drive turntables than direct-drive and for many people it is good enough and I don't blame them. Why the hassle? If your musical taste is wide ranging, then perhaps only a direct-drive will satisfy you and for many people that is exactly the case. Once you are used to this kind of stability and control it's hard to go back to other genres. Don't get me wrong, I love my belt-drive Empire turntables, another high torque classic, it give me the fluidity of BD and the forcefulness of DD. Alas, it is still not DD, particularly in the bass region for its dynamic range and jump factor. Let's not forget not all DD are "forceful" like the SP10, the classic Sony PS-8750 is one of the few DD turntables that actually sounds like more a belt-drive table, super smooth and fluid, with the stability and digital precision of a DD and without the clinical sound signature DD detractors complain about. I love it.

Spinning record is truly fun and I don't really have a strong preference of one thing over the other. I embrace the fact that we have so many different toys to play with and in a forum like this to share our joyful experiences with others. Let's not forget audio is not a sport, it's still a hobby, have fun! Personally, to me audio is like food. The expensive stuff offers superior and fresher ingredient but it still requires a good recipe and a good chef to make it tasty. Certain food is an acquired taste for certain eaters. Sometimes I want shark fin soup and sometimes I want chili. They all taste good to me. To ask for the absolute sound is like to ask for the absolute food. Let the critics worry about that.

Rnadelman, Look for a good standard SP10 Mk2 or 2A. (There is some scuttlebutt around that the 2A is less reliable. The excellent person who has serviced both my 2 and my 2A and many of Albert's tables sees no important differences. I think the 2A may use more ICs in its circuit vs discrete transistors.) Try to avoid tables that have been abused at radio stations. Some of these will have oddball power suppies, which is a sign that you are looking at such a beast. Basically, if the table runs at all 3 speeds and does not look beaten to death, you should be good to go, because you should plan on replacing all the (about 20) electrolytic capacitors in the circuit right away. It's not as bad as it sounds; excellent quality modern electrolytics will only cost you $1 or $2 each. I recommend Panasonic FC (for low voltage) and ED (for high voltage) types. It's important to do this, because a leaky electrolytic can take down an irreplaceable IC or transistor. Then you will want to clean and re-lube the bearing, which is no big deal either. A step by step instuction is to be found on the internet..

Lewm and guys

Do you think I should re-cap my SP-10 mkII that is "virtually brand new"?

Lewm and guys

Do you think I should re-cap my SP-10 mkII that is "virtually brand new"?

It may be new to you but it's probably 20 years old and those caps are aged and due to fail.

Your sound will be better with modern Panasonic FC caps or black gate. Not a lot of money and you can prevent an old cap going and taking out a hard to find part.

Actually, unless it's a Mk2A, it is at least 30 years old, since date of manufacture. Obviously, I agree with Albert. My Mk2A had been fully serviced by Panasonic/Technics in 1989 and was not used thereafter; it was still in its shipping carton when I bought it. Nevertheless, I did the work noted, or I had it done by a pro. (I serviced the bearing and replaced the caps in the PS myself, then I gave it over to Bill Thalmann, to replace remaining caps in the on-board electronics, check speed, calibrate, etc.)