2. analog
  3. 1102288166

Trying a turntable-it sounds crappy, what's up??

Borrowed a friends TT.
It is a Technics SL-1900 Direct drive(Panasonic circa 1980's is my guess).
The cartidge is an Audio TEchnica with the #'s 22780 on it.

I hooked it up to my Musical Fidelity A300 integrated amp which has a dedicated phono input.
I aa not sure if this TT and cartidge should be on the MM or MC setting.
I have tried both and one is louder than the other.

I had not used a TT since my Phillips belt drive was stolen 12 years ago. It certainly sounded better than this or maybe I am just nostalgic.

I was kind of excited about trying a TT again as I have about 300 albums from college and the 80's/early 90's.

Anyway-I pulled out Steely Dan Gaucho (a good recording if memory serves me) and it sounded warmish but a kind of muffled. Nothing was really that defined.
I teid a nice Elvis Costello aLP and it also sounded very undynamic.

I have a decent digital front end (CAry 308 CD Player) and nice speakers (ACI Sapphires with an ACI Titan Sub). MAny feel that this Cary and these speakers tend toward neutral and warmish sound. Nice system.

What's up-is this a crappy turntable or a crummy cartridge?
WHich setting should this be on MC or MM?
Thanks for any insight-I wa skind of thinking about taking the plunge again, but am not sure now.
lkdog
mbiker340
3 posts
 
I almost threw up when I connected my turntable for the first time after a 15 year hiatus (it's a new cheapie, but still..).

Then I realized that the damn thing was being bounced around by the output of the speakers. At any decent volume, the needle skids right off the platter!

Now I have the turntable in another room, and all is well..problems that just don't occur with cd's!
lkdog OP
417 posts
 
"I almost threw up when I connected my turntable for the first time after a 15 year hiatus"

That is the best line of this thread :>

Psychicanimal/Inscrutable-Thanks for the info. So there may be hope to try this Technics table with a well chosen cartridge to at least help me get started to get the idea of what reasonable analog sounds like again.
If I like what I hear, I can get my own table, but will no doubt need some guidance. For instance, I was at the local midfi/semi-high end store here in town and they had a Music Hall that looked just fine to me, but what do I know.

All you guys have all been very informative.
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,058 posts
 
>At any decent volume, the needle skids right off the platter!<

If this is happening, you have a problem. Acoustic feedback can indeed be a problem with a 'table placed incorrectly in a room. But what you describe is out of the ordinary. Don't blame what you hear on inherent problems with vinyl, investigate further.

Oz
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
Lk, I've already gone through the motions of modding a 1200. I know what does what. My initial suggestions still hold:

1) Oil
2) Sorbothane hemispheres
3) Cryo'ed outlet
4) Call Kevin

There's more you can do on the cheap, but start w/ the above.

***
lkdog OP
417 posts
 
I just found out from the owner tonight that he thinks he bought the turntable in mid 70's!!!!
He may be wrong as he was high most of the 70's, but at any rate it is an older model.
It was serviced here locally about five-six years ago but I cannot vouch for what they did.
He thinks the AT cartridge was bought about the same time but he cannot remember.
I took off the shell mount and cartridge and found out it is an AT12SaPQ model. I did a Google and it does not show up anywhere so I have no idea what quality it is/was.

Will contact Kevin for more info.
Thanks.
More to discover