Your hi-fi history part 3 - Turntables & Arms

[Jules_S]

So continuing on from the theme what's your analogue history? (obviously if you've never had a TT don't tell us!). I'm going to exclude cartridges from the list because I suspect that there are people who have changed theirs dozens of times, and the Wam might run out of pages with them all listed...

I'll start - it's a pitifully-small list really

• Systemdek IIX/900, Rega RB250. My first "proper" turntable, I chose the light oak veneer rather than black ash which I thought was more classy-looking. Sold to a family friend
• Voyd "The Voyd", SME V. The TT came to me in non-working condition as an early model with a prototype PSU. Guy Adams worked his magic, upgraded it with some Reference bits (but not making it a Voyd 0.5 with the oversized pulleys). Loved it for years. The SME soon found its way onto my dad's Gyro, somehow, where it remains to this day. Replaced with a Rega RB600 with Origin Live counterweight mod, and then later on again with a Wilson Benesch Act 0.5 arm, which now resides on Jack's (Non-Smoking Man) TD124. TT later sold to fund redundancy
• Project Essential Mk 1. I was given this by a friend who wasn't using it any more and knew I was without a TT of my own at the time. Seeing as it cost me nothing I decided to "pimp" it with bits from the Project catalogue, so I added the acrylic platter upgrade, the Speedbox PSU / controller, the Clamp-It record clamp (looks posh if nothing else!) and a set of Damp-It Sorbothane feet. Oh, and gave it a decent cartridge to work with but I'm not saying what or I'll break my own rules!
• Voyd "The Voyd", Origin Live Onyx. Acquired my second Voyd from Mr. Tony Whittle of this very parish. A later example with the Ref platter / bearing upgrade and the split-phase PSU. Upgraded the arm to an Origin Live Encounter 3C courtesy of John (Lurch) who was also upgrading.
• And on the side... managed to win an eBay auction for my "dream" TT, an Oxford Acoustics Crystal Reference. I recall drooling over the photos in Hi Fi Choice back in the day and always wanted one. Although it was bought in a running state, it needs a LOT of work to get it back up to standard and is my long-term project to complete when funds allow. Came with another SME V that I sold on for funds (if only I'd known how the prices were going to go up!)

And that's your lot. I'm sure many of you have far longer lists than that, share that history!

 

[Snoopdog]

Started in 1976, with a Technics DD turntable (can't remember which model) and at one stage I had an Ultimo 20A mc cartridge in the arm!

I then bought a Linn LP12 with black plinth (£272) and Mission 774 arm with Supex 1000 mc cartridge, which wasn't really a good match. I quickly changed to an Entre One mc cartridge, but then the arm and cartridge gave way to an Ittok/Asak, when they were introduced!

I never got on with the Linn Ittok/Asak and then went through a succession of Scott Strachan's Syrinx PU2 and PU3 pickup arms (I had a gold PU3 and I recall that a collar was fitted to the counter balance weight).

Cartridge of choice was a Koetsu Black, followed by the Red and then the Red Signature mc cartridges.

I also dabbled with a Systemdeck and an STD (unfortunate name) 305D.

In 1980, I saw the Oracle turntable and the Linn was traded in. This stayed in the system, with Syrinx arm/Koetsu cartridge, until 1987, when my dealer, Howard Popeck of Subjective Audio, brought down an Oxford Acoustics Crystal Reference turntable, fitted with Air Tangen, parallel tracking arm. Accompanying Howard and the turntable, were the men behind the turntable - Fraser Shaw (a surgeon by trade) and Jonathan Harker, who went on to found Oxford Audio Consutants.

I was so impressed by the performance that I ordered one with an SMEV arm and Koetsu cartridge, which then stayed in my system, until I sold the turntable and arm to Bob (itcosthowmuch) in 2010.

The Oxford took up a lot of space and I wanted to replace it with a turntable with a compact footprint. I went for a TW Acustics Raven One turntable and twinned it with a Graham Phantom II arm and Transfiguration Orpheus L mc cartridge.

End of journey!

 

[maddog_007]

Wow!, I enjoyed both previous t/table historys.

Here it is a much plainer journey to vinyl ecstacy...Much of my early music media had to be on cassettes due to being on the ocean wave!.

Ashore I had a Dual 505 mk2 auto deck..traded this in for a Rega Planar 3/rb300..brilliant affordable,simple turntable.

Always promised myself a Linn Sondek after coming across one fronting a mega Quadrophonic system in the West End of Glasgow...Got my late 80's LP12 that came with a Valhalla /Akito and put a new motor/Cirkus/Ittok LV3 mk2 /Lingo on it.

The Ittok was unfortunately damaged in transit en route to my gaff due to some female practicing her emergency stop /lane change procedure without due care etc.

Ittok's bearing never survived this,claimed on my house policy and got a new Ekos 2 in it's stead!

Spent a few bawbees recently upgrading the old fruit box with Karousel/Lingo 4/ Tramp 2 and a spiffingly gorgeous rosewood plinth and just to finish the job a new shiny lid.

Considering a Kore,but not going to push my luck with the boss for a wee whiley! .

 

[newlash09]

After many years of contemplating dipping my toes into vinyl, and then subsequently backing off, due to the costs. And the scarcity of records in my place. I finally took the plunge last year, by buying a Acoustic signature challenger MK3 , with the matching AS1000 tone arm, from a member of this very parish. Subsequently, I bought a new EMT TSD15 cart in hamburg. And also bought a matching EMT STX21 SUT for the same. Then having read the blurb on the Big bottle Mk3 phono stage in the owners section, I bought one for myself. However, once I reached home, learnt that Audio Note india had suspended their TT setup services due to covid. So my rig is still in storage, and expect to get it setup during my next vacations in Sept. Just can't wait to listen and see what all this vinyl sound fuss is about

 

[DomT]

1984 - Michell Focus S with Linn LVV arm.

2010 Focus S fitted with Funk

2012 Focus S fitted with Jelco 750D fitted (Ikeda re-wired and Audio Note tonearm cable). Now a seriously great sounding combination (with DV20XL)

2011 Rega P9. I bought it after a very interesting demo against others but hadn’t realised that it was the cartridge (Benz Wood) and not the turntable that impressed me. Sold in 2012 because the Lenco was vastly superior.

2011 Custom Lenco PTP5 and Audio Note arm 2/2.

2012 Lenco fitted with Tenuto mat

2014 (ish) Lenco fitted with external speed controller

2016 I wanted a really ‘great turntable’ and heard many high end pieces. Bought blind a TW Acustic Raven AC with Graham Phantom arm. It was good but didn’t have that thing that idlers do so well.

2017 Raven AC fitted with SME V. SME sounded worse than the Graham on the Raven. A good turntable but I kept playing the Lenco. Sold Raven AC in 2018.

2020 finally bought my end game turntable the fabulous Luxman PD171 (no arm) and fitted my Audio Note arm 2/2. I had actually paid a deposit on an SME 10 but on seeing that the Dealer was a Luxman dealer I had to hear the PD171. Wow. I returned on a different day to demo SME vs Luxman with the same Ortofon 2MBlue cartridge. We also compared a Linn LP12 as I always thought that they sounded good. Was shocked that the Luxman was comfortably ahead of both and so I bought it. It’s still here and going nowhere. It does a lot of what some of my favourite turntables do well. I still miss that idler grunt though.

 

[Idlewithnodrive]

Are you sitting comfortably ...... ?

No idea about absolute dates, but in roughly chronological order -

First TT was a fluted Aframosia plinthed LP12 with Tiktok and 1042 cart.
Ariston RD-11
Pink Triangle PT too.
Pink Triangle Anniversary with Helius Orion arm.
Sony PSX-600 with OEM biotracer arm.
Thorens TD160B.
Thorens TD125.
Dual something or other.
Technics 1210, OEM arm.
Sony PS-6750 with OEM Carbon arm.
Various Lenco GL75's in granite, layered Ply and solid wood plinths with an assortment of OEM, Jelco and Audiomods arms.
BTE restored Lenco G99 with Audiomods arm.
Garrard 401 in a layered Ply plinth, Audiomods arm
Technics SP10 MkII - slate plinth, Audiomods arm.
Audio Grail restored Garrard in a gorgeous custom, two armed Acoustand plinth, again Audiomods arm.
Rega P8 with OEM RB880 arm.
Currently running a Denon DP80 in DP300 (?) plinth and MA,-202 arm, which to these ears is joint fave with the PT Anni and AG401.

Also currently have -

2 Technics SL-7
Technics SL-10
Denon DP-3000

I know that there are 4 or 5 that I have missed / forgotten, but I blame the dementia.

Huge assortment of carts, but settled on a RigB bodied AT-VM95ML for MM duties and had / have Hana SL's for MC loveliness.

The End or TBC ....... who knows ?

Edits in Red.

 

[Rockchild]

Are you sitting comfortably ...... ?

No idea about absolute dates, but in roughly chronological order -

First TT was a fluted Aframosia plinthed LP12 with Tiktok and 1042 cart.
Pink Triangle PT too.
Pink Triangle Anniversary with Helius Orion arm.
Sony PSX-600 with OEM biotracer arm.
Thorens TD160B.
Thorens TD125.
Dual something or other.
Technics 1210, OEM arm.
Sony PS-6750 with OEM Carbon arm.
Various Lenco GL75's in granite, layered Ply and solid wood plinths with an assortment of OEM, Jelco and Audiomods arms.
BTE restored Lenco G99 with Audiomods arm.
Garrard 401 in a layered Ply plinth, Audiomods arm
Technics SP10 MkII - slate plinth, Audiomods arm.
Audio Grail restored Garrard in a gorgeous custom, two armed Acoustand plinth, again Audiomods arm.
Rega P8 with OEM RB880 arm.
Currently running a Denon DP80 in DP300 (?) plinth and MA,-202 arm, which to these ears is joint fave with the PT Anni and AG401.

I know that there are 4 or 5 that I have missed / forgotten, but I blame the dementia.

Huge assortment of carts, but settled on a RigB bodied AT-VM95ML for MM duties and had / have Hana SL's for MC loveliness.

The End or TBC ....... who knows ?

I doubt that will be the end Mike

I’m going to try and better your tally..

In no particular order.

Garrard SP25lV
Garrard 301/SME3009
Garrard 401/SME3009/PU2/PU7
JVC QLA51
JVC QL-7
Pioneer PL12D
Sansui SR222MK2
Sansui SR222MKV
Michell Focus/SME3009/RB250
Michell Transcriptors/SME3009
Michell Gyro/AM Series 6
Roksan Xerxes/RB250/Nima
Roksan Xerxes/AM Classic3
Roksan Xerxes 20/Artemiz/PU7
Inspire Eclipse/FunkFXR
Walker CJ55 Original/RB300
Walker CJ55/OriginLive PSU/Silvernote
AR legend
Dual 505/1
Dual 505 SE
Dual CS5000
Denon DP3000/Mission 774
Rega Planar 2
Rega Planar 3
Rega P25
Rega P6
Thorens TD150 Original
Thorens TD160/Rega250
Thorens TD166/Rega250
Thorens TD125mk2/AM Classic3
Thorens TD124mk2/SMEV/3009
Technics SL1210
Technics SL1200/Timestep/PU7
Technics SL1210/Rega modded 300
Technics SL1200/Jelco750D
Acoustic Solid Challenger/PU7
Acoustic Solid Manfred/Funk FXR
Funk Vector/Rega250/FXR
Funk Sapphire/FXR
Linn LP12 Original/Akito
Linn LP12/ittok loads of bits
Linn LP12/PU7 various bits
Systemdek llX/Rega250
Systemdek l900/Mission 774
Systemdek llX/Rega 300
Pink Triangle PT too
Cranfield Rock/Jelco
Townshend Rock/Rega250
Townshend Rock Reference


I may have missed some

Most rewarding Roksan Xerxes 20/PU7

Most Surprising Funk Sapphire

 

[lostwin]

As my list is so short, i'll have to pad it out a bit and go right back to the start whilst growing up with my parents. When I persuaded them to upgrade, I snaffled the old TT for my bedroom. Was some awful bit of 70's crap with built in receiver IIRC. I do remember the tonearm and headshell vibrating when the platter span and even in my pre hifi days, I kind of knew that wasn't a good thing. Loved the freedom that gave me though, spent hours listening to that in my bedroom as I developed my interest in music in a way that is special as a teenager.

My parents upgraded to a Technics midi stack system that had a linear tracking SL-J1 on top (I couldn't quite talk them into the SL-J3 DD version). This had a very clever trick of automatic track selection using an optical sensor which worked amazingly well. Actually donated this to Graham67 of this forum a couple of years ago and after he did a refurb job, i understand it is now with his daughter on the other side of the world as a compact system for a new lover of vinyl.

Then got a job, left home and bought a house - as you could do at that time - a very nice terrace for £33k (mortgage rates were 14% though - perhaps that's coming back!). I had already been captivated by a Gyrodec spinning in the window display of the local hifi shop, so saved up and bought it with a Roksan arm. It still spins in my system 30 years later, now carrying a few mods and a Moerch arm, and will be strutting its stuff for you all at Stoke in a few weeks time.

 

[Idlewithnodrive]

I doubt that will be the end Mike

I’m going to try and better your tally..

In no particular order.

Garrard SP25lV
Garrard 301/SME3009
Garrard 401/SME3009/PU2/PU7
JVC QLA51
JVC QL-7
Pioneer PL12D
Sansui SR222MK2
Sansui SR222MKV
Michell Focus/SME3009/RB250
Michell Transcriptors/SME3009
Michell Gyro/AM Series 6
Roksan Xerxes/RB250/Nima
Roksan Xerxes/AM Classic3
Roksan Xerxes 20/Artemiz/PU7
Inspire Eclipse/FunkFXR
Walker CJ55 Original/RB300
Walker CJ55/OriginLive PSU/Silvernote
AR legend
Dual 505/1
Dual 505 SE
Dual CS5000
Denon DP3000/Mission 774
Rega Planar 2
Rega Planar 3
Rega P25
Rega P6
Thorens TD150 Original
Thorens TD160/Rega250
Thorens TD166/Rega250
Thorens TD125mk2/AM Classic3
Thorens TD124mk2/SMEV/3009
Technics SL1210
Technics SL1200/Timestep/PU7
Technics SL1210/Rega modded 300
Technics SL1200/Jelco750D
Acoustic Solid Challenger/PU7
Acoustic Solid Manfred/Funk FXR
Funk Vector/Rega250/FXR
Funk Sapphire/FXR
Linn LP12 Original/Akito
Linn LP12/ittok loads of bits
Linn LP12/PU7 various bits
Systemdek llX/Rega250
Systemdek l900/Mission 774
Systemdek llX/Rega 300
Pink Triangle PT too
Cranfield Rock/Jelco
Townshend Rock/Rega250
Townshend Rock Reference


I may have missed some

Most rewarding Roksan Xerxes 20/PU7

Most Surprising Funk Sapphire

You win and you call me a box swapper !

 

[toms wait]

LP12, Akito, 1990
Voyd, Cyalene, 1993
Kuzma Stabi, Stogi, 2002

that's all folks
CD's is a shorter list
Marantz CD94, 1990
Esoteric DV50s, 2022, may not stay yet though,

 

[hiesteem]

Considering a Kore,but not going to push my luck with the boss for a wee whiley

Spoke with the designer of Stack audio sub chassis recently, which was very informative because he makes a machined from solid aluminum sub chassis, 5 mill thick for the Lp12 at £200. The Kore is folded pressed steel, and we know the price of it.

 

[hiesteem]

I may have missed some

Now that's what I call a turntable fettlers apprenticeship

 

[Rockchild]

You win and you call me a box swapper !

This is over 45 years Mike. Years gone by, there were a lot of second hand shops and I couldn’t resist the eye candy but also in the early days of eBay, you could get turntables at silly money and do them up and sell them. I wish I could have kept them and sold them today. Would have made a fortune

 

[Andy Stephenson]

A shorter list than most here:

1974 - 1981: An Amstrad TP12D (I know I know!) It wasn't as bad as you'd think! I wouldn't have replaced it if it hadn't died!

1981 - 1993: A Technics SL D3B Meh. Best you could say is that it was reliable and cheap.

1993 - 1996: A STD305D with SME series III Second hand bargain £50

1996 - now Linn LP12 with basik LVX, valhalla. No idea about which bearing, chassis etc. just that it sounds good to me.

Andy

 

[aybracers]

Garrard SP25MK4
Rega Planet (The one with the three circular pods)
Rega Planar - Rega changed the pods for a normal Rega platter
Townshend Rock/Excaliber
Opus 3 Continuo/Hadcock
Opus Continuo/Audiomods 6
Just transiting to Brinkmann Bardo still with AM6 arm

 

[lazycat]

Aiwa AP2600
Rega Planar 3/R200
LP12/LVX
LP12/Ittok
New LP12(Cirkus)/Ittok
JVC JLA40
Technics SLQ2
Rega Planar 3 (Original returned after 30 yrs)/RB300 (R200 was knackered) +various fettles over 2 years.
Technics SL1210/RB300
Technics SL1210/Tabriz. (P/S added 18/12)

 

[hearhere]

Gave up vinyl decades ago but previously owned:

Garrard SP25
Goldring Lenco GL75
Thorens TD150

Garrard 301 with Shure M212 arm and "snake head" cartridge
This last one is a real rarity and I'd be interested to learn more about it as bought as part of a wonderful job lot. All I know is that it's listed in an early HiFi Year Book as costing almost twice the price of the SME 12" arm! Peter

 

[Dogwithnotail]

Here’s my TT history

Systemdeck 3 with Mission 774
Systemdeck 2 biscuit tin with Linn Basic
AR Legend, Linn Basic
Revolver
Rega Planar 2
Regar Planar 3
Pink Triangle LPT
Oracle Delphi MK 1 with Koetsu Jelco arm
Townshend Elite Rock with rb300.
Rb300 modded by Origin Line
Upgraded platter
RB300 replaced with custom RB250.

 

[CnoEvil]

Trio KD 1033B (Ortofon FF15E) -> Rega Planar 2 -> Rega Planar 3 (RB300/R100) -> LP12/Ittok/Asak

 

[HoopsOnToast]

In date order...

Michell Focus One / Unipivot Arm


Michell Focus One by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Luxman PD-272


Luxman PD-272 by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Michell Gyrodec SE / RB300 and then an M2-9


Gyrodec by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Rega P9 / RB1000


Rega P9 by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Micro Seiki MR-711 / MA-202L


Micro Seiki MR-711 by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Michell Mycro / RB300


Michell Mycro by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Rega P7 / RB700


Rega P7 by Robert Seymour, on Flickr