What do I need to know about turntables?

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Gintaras

Golden Member
Dec 28, 2000
1,892
1
71
The one I do have now: Philips 877(pretty old, "made in holland"):

Phillips-877_Stereo_Turntable_web.jpg


One, I'm thinking to buy someday: Thorens TD158:

http://www.needledoctor.com/Thorens-Turntable-TD158?sc=2&category=45

media.nl


Here's more turntables:

http://www.needledoctor.com/Online-Store/Show-All-Turntables
 

amdhunter

Lifer
May 19, 2003
23,332
249
106
Just to rub it in a bit alfa, a picture posted by my local radio station this morning. Any guesses on what table it is? :p

387059_10150456442843767_529743766_.jpg

Stanton Stylus? Man, my stylus of choice back then were Ortofon. I never could afford Technics and settled on a pair of Gemini 1800s + DD50. I didn't scratch or anything though, mostly mixed Freestyle music.

These days I am doing everything on my Stanton SCS.4DJ. It's got it's bugs, but I love it. How times change...
 

amdhunter

Lifer
May 19, 2003
23,332
249
106
A 1200 for $150 is gonna be beat to shit by many wannabe "DJs". I would be very careful before dropping coin on it.

Yep. Even back in the 90s it was imperative to check the torque feel and use your judgement.

I'd imagine today a lot of 1200's are in really bad condition. My old DD50 completely gave up the ghost after a number of years and didn't have enough torque to spin up within 10 seconds...lol

I had it for so long and I felt sad when I finally dumped it.

Here's a decent YouTube video on trying to alleviate torque problems on the 1200. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjhXXDp1-JQ
 

alfa147x

Lifer
Jul 14, 2005
29,307
106
106
Yep. Even back in the 90s it was imperative to check the torque feel and use your judgement.

I'd imagine today a lot of 1200's are in really bad condition. My old DD50 completely gave up the ghost after a number of years and didn't have enough torque to spin up within 10 seconds...lol

I had it for so long and I felt sad when I finally dumped it.

Here's a decent YouTube video on trying to alleviate torque problems on the 1200. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjhXXDp1-JQ

I'm glad I just bought new. Not worth the headache
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,151
635
126
Stanton Stylus? Man, my stylus of choice back then were Ortofon. I never could afford Technics and settled on a pair of Gemini 1800s + DD50. I didn't scratch or anything though, mostly mixed Freestyle music.

These days I am doing everything on my Stanton SCS.4DJ. It's got it's bugs, but I love it. How times change...
Well, they are using table to play records, not to "scratch".
 

skriefal

Golden Member
Apr 10, 2000
1,424
3
81
You can replace almost anything you need on the SL-1200 MK2. The platter bearing is available for $30 from KABUSA.com and is very easy to replace. The tonearm bearing section is available for under $50 and isn't too hard to replace either (but does require soldering a few wires). Main boards/PCBs (w/motor coils and other electronics) can be found on eBay for $50 or so if you need one. Tonearm rests, various knobs & etc, are avaliable cheaply. If you can get a worn SL-1200 MK2 for dirt cheap then you should do it, as it's not hard to bring it back to like-new performance.
 

KGB

Diamond Member
May 11, 2000
3,042
0
0
Dayummm... I have that same Philips unit as well as a Luxman and Pioneer.

I keep looking for an AR-XA to show up on CL.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,151
635
126
Many high-end receivers still include it but also consider that most low-end turntables have built-in pre amps.
 

Madwand1

Diamond Member
Jan 23, 2006
3,309
0
76
I'll look into clamps
How do you know what weight to buy?

I think the purpose of the clamp is to hold and flatten the record. For flattening, you need a variable amount of force, as the force would be different per record / curvature, and too much would make the record concave. A friction-fit clamp would get you the ability to vary the force.

Sumiko sells clamps and includes them with some 'tables. I'd probably make sense to look into those.
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
22,066
883
126

U2 Unforgetable Fire vinyl (original from the 80s) sounds, to this day, better than the CD. I also have the Japanese pressing from the 80s and it is phenominal. Wow. I love vinyl so much. I literally have thousands that I started buying in the 60s. My first record was "Down on the corner" by CCR. I STILL have it and still play it and it still sounds great.
 

Gintaras

Golden Member
Dec 28, 2000
1,892
1
71
U2 Unforgetable Fire vinyl (original from the 80s) sounds, to this day, better than the CD. I also have the Japanese pressing from the 80s and it is phenominal. Wow. I love vinyl so much. I literally have thousands that I started buying in the 60s. My first record was "Down on the corner" by CCR. I STILL have it and still play it and it still sounds great.

Vinyl sounds more lively, has rich sound. CDs have a clear, dry sound. To get better sound our of vinyl, no need to spend lots of $$$ vs. to get closer to vinyl sound out of CDs.

Those, who buy CDs of albums from 60's, 70's, should know, that many CD albums from these years are made from LPs, since master tapes are gone.
Especially, many japanese CDs released now from albums from 60's, 70's, are recorded from LP's

As much, as I know, Trapeze(Glenn Hughes, ex-Deep Purple) first 3 albums on CD are recorded from LP - master tapes are gone "for good".

# 1 in my LP collection - Deep Purple, and with DP, solo - Rainbow, Whitesnake...etc...related stuff - ~ 200 LPs. All LPs I could get replaced all CDs I had before. Some have 2 copies: let's say "Fireball" - UK version has song "Demons Eye", while US version, instead has "My Woman From Tokyo"

If someone likes Nazareth, their album from 1975 "Hair Of The Dog", US version has song "Love Hurts", which was a big hit in US. But import, UK version has instead a song "Guilty", which isn't worse, maybe better than "Love Hurts"..

Someone, some years ago have asked a question in US record collecting magazine:
"What should I buy? CDs or LPs?

The answer was:

"If you want just to listen to music, you can buy CDs, but if you want to listen to music and OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY - buy LPs"

Every record has a cover - an artwork, what is part of record.
What better to look at? To artwork of LP or an artwork of CD insert - that you might need a magnifying glass to look at...
 

iRONic

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2006
8,336
3,646
136
I love vinyl so much. I literally have thousands that I started buying in the 60s.
So true. I'm also still playing stuff I bought in the '70s when I began.

Someone, some years ago have asked a question in US record collecting magazine:
"What should I buy? CDs or LPs?

The answer was:

"If you want just to listen to music, you can buy CDs, but if you want to listen to music and OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY - buy LPs"

Every record has a cover - an artwork, what is part of record.
What better to look at? To artwork of LP or an artwork of CD insert - that you might need a magnifying glass to look at...
Another nice post.

I display some of my album covers too.

CIMG3129.jpg


Finding/buying vinyl is fun. I bought all these Stones albums at a garage sale for $20. "Flowers" & "YA-YA'S" were still sealed!

IMG_0377.jpg
 

marcplante

Senior member
Mar 17, 2005
687
9
91
Thorens made some nice, inexpensive tables with 10 lb platters that allowed for accurate tracking. Grado made solid affordable cartridges. Mine was destroyed in transit to grad school in the 90s and I never looked back from the digital stuff.
 

alfa147x

Lifer
Jul 14, 2005
29,307
106
106
Just ordered the other 3 to go with it. I wish I could find the slipmat to match the turntable and the other 45's
Oh and Rag and Bone!
 
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