Jump to content

whell

Regulars
  • Posts

    907
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by whell

  1. Well, I'm sure that all of you were just dying to to know what decision I, the absolute king of indecision and procrastination, came up with for the new turntable of choice. Between the Rega and the Technics, I choose...

    ....wait for it.....

    ...its coming....

    ...here it is.......

    ...NEITHER!

    That's right. My decision is to hold on to the Thorens TD 145 that I have owned for a while.

    It does have a faint 60 hz hum, louder when the motor isn't running, very faint when the platter is spinning. I'm going to try to sort this out over time. My suspicion is that it will need to be rewired (which looks darn near impossible to do on the TP-16 arm), from the tonearm leads out to the interconnects, as I've checked all the contact points and they look OK. The other issue is that the anti skating is shot. However, the old tried and true method of "manual anti -skating", tipping very slightly the side of the turntable opposite the tonearm, does help a bit.

    Allan and Rick suggested replacing the tonearm on it, and I suspect this would cure both the hum and the anti skate issue in one fell swoop. However, I think I'm going to ride it out a bit with the table as is, and maybe upgrade the cartridge for now.

    To cement the decision, I stopped by Home Depot and picked up a piece of half inch thick MDF, and had them cut it to size to replace the flimsy pressboard bottom plate. The Analog Dept suggests using plywood, but this stuff seems pretty dense, heavy and inert to me.

    Finally, for the cartridge upgrade, since I have the OM10 Super mounted on it now (I've actually got a couple of spare headshells so I can mess with different cartridges), I'll save my pennies and upgrade to the OM 30 or 40 Super. I've got an older Grado cartridge too, and according to Grado's site the replacement stylus is the Silver. I might try that at some point too.

    Thanks for all your suggesions. I did learn a thing or two on this thread!

  2. Wow, I missed the part about you owning a TD145. Good call Allan.

    Whell,

    Go to the www.theanalogdept.com Go to the Thorens department and look over the section on the TD160 which is the same table as the 145 without the auto-shut off. There are a number of very nicely photographed adjustments and upgrades there for you, including a tonearm re-wire I think. I believe he goes a little overboard with all the chassis damping but I liked some of his instructions on suspension set up, and the heavier bottom board. A better arm would be a wonderful step.

    This route will require some work which I happen think is fun. Others might call it drudgery. If that's the case, then your easiest route is to grab one newer tables.

    I don't know about drudgery, but my thought is risky. I've seen the info on that website, and alot of it is more than I feel confortable attempting. That is why I think a new table is most appealing, to me anyway.

  3. Has the original poster made a decision yet? Dying to know here----

    And the winner is: I don't know yet. The responses here are about 50/50.

    I've always thought that my old Pioneer DD table, which is starting to show its age, was one of the better sounding tables I've had - and I've had some decent belt drive tables (my current Thorens TD-145 for example). I'm leaning to the Technics, but some of the arguments here and elsewhere are giving me pause.

    I can't imagine a Rega P3 being all that much of an uprgrade from a TD-145. Why not uprgade the arm/cartridge of the 145 instead? You can get one of those purpose built mounting plates for a VARIETY of arms for about $40 and then try a Rega or an SME (both would be a MAJOR step up from the stock Thorens arm) and a nice MC cartridge. I think you'd get a MUCH bigger bang for the buck doing this than buying a new table.

    Makes sense. However, I've had about zero expereince with this kind of work. I'm concerned that I might turn the Thorens into a paperweight.

    That said, the problem with the Thorens is that is now has a ground hum that won't go away. I suspect the arm needs to be rewired.

    Is there anywhere on the net that has step by step instructions about how to do this type of work?

  4. Has the original poster made a decision yet? Dying to know here----

    And the winner is: I don't know yet. The responses here are about 50/50.

    I've always thought that my old Pioneer DD table, which is starting to show its age, was one of the better sounding tables I've had - and I've had some decent belt drive tables (my current Thorens TD-145 for example). I'm leaning to the Technics, but some of the arguments here and elsewhere are giving me pause.

  5. I have a shot at a brand new 1200 or a used P3, both for around the same price: $400 delivered to my door. The Rega has the 200 tonearm, and has had the wiring upgrades, and had RCA outputs installed on the back so you can use the interconnect of your own choosing.

    Which one would you choose????

  6. If you want to stay Klipsch, you might be able to find a Quintet system that would do the job, too.

    http://www.klipsch.com/products/discontinued/details/quintet-ii.aspx

    But you're right about needing two systems if you want to enjoy both music and HT under one roof. I tried for years to get it right with using an HT system for music, and gave up. HT gear just seems to be designed to achieve different sonic goals than 2 channel gear.

  7. I'm not rich or insecure enough to be an audiophile. I'll just have to settle for enjoying the music.

    I've seen some of the same posts from some of these forums where these characters are yapping about how great their systems are. Then 6 months goes by and I see a subsequent post about how they were bitten by the upgrade bug, and they replaced their XXXXX amp/preamp/speakers/whatever, and found the new set up so much more resolving/musical/revealing/etc..

    Spare me!

  8. There are some on this forum who seem favorably impressed with the QSC pro amps. Their PLX series of amps, which also use a variant of the digital amplification technology, are rated for 4 ohm operation, as well as 2 ohm operation, though the THD does seem to take a hit at 2 ohms. Sonically they are apparenlty quite enjoyable to listen to. I may have to check one out sometime.

    SPECIFICATIONS

    PLX1202

    PLX1602

    PLX2402

    PLX3002

    PLX3402

    STEREO MODE, Both Channels Driven

    8 ohms (20 Hz-20 kHz 0.03% THD)

    200 W

    300 W

    425 W

    550 W

    700 W

    4 ohms (20 Hz-20 kHz 0.05% THD)

    325 W

    500 W

    700 W

    900 W

    1100 W

    2 ohms (1 kHz 1% THD)

    600 W

    800 W

    1200 W

    1500 W

    1700 W
  9. MAS, anyone who grew up listening to Cat and his music know he is/was a man of peace. I truly believe he was caught in the middle of something he can't back out of now!

    I know I want to hear what he's recording now if for no other reason than to see if his head/heart still lies in the same place as it did in my youth[:|]

    I don't know how you can swim in the water and not expect to get wet. Its no secret what Hamas is all about, and yet Cat, er, Mr. Islam, wants to do fundraisers for them? And, by the way, the U.S. isn't the only country to have denied him entry.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/832796.stm

    No question that his music was great back in the day. I have no doubt that he did what he thought was right when he turned his back on his former life and pursued the religion of his choice. More power to him. But, he might be more careful about the causes that he chooses to associate with.

×
×
  • Create New...