Turntable Tuning?

[vondy]

I have been using this turntable I inherited from my mom for a couple of years now. Technics SL-230. It's in good shape and sounds great. I don't, however, have anything to compare it too so I'm not sure what I'm missing. I want to make sure I get the best performance out of it. The belt is new and the cartridge has hardley been used. She got the cartridge right before she got her first CD player and stopped listening to vinyl. So it has been sitting around for 20 years or so not being used.

Anyway, I think the switches could use some deoxit. Other than that, what would y'all recomend? I know there are devices out there for tuning it in.

Thanks!

[fini]

Using the HiFi News test LP is a very important tool for dialing-in your system!

[Coytee]

Don't they have a CD version without all the pops & ticks?

[^o)]

[Islander]

Make sure the platter is dead level. You can use a short torpedo level and orient it in various directions on the record mat. I don't know if that model has adjustable feet, but you can slip something under one or two of the feet if it's low at one or two corners. You might even be lucky and have a level turntable sitting on a level surface.

Also, check your vertical tracking force, or VTF. See if you can find the recommended force for that cartridge if you have any info on it, or maybe on the Net, then check it if you have a gauge. If not, back off the tonearm weight until the arm is just floating, with the cartridge not sinking or rising, then dial in the correct force.

Put on some records and enjoy listening! []

[fini]

Don't they have a CD version without all the pops & ticks?

"pops & ticks"...Sounds like a "Fiedler Goes Into The Woods" album...

[seti]

Don't they have a CD version without all the pops & ticks?

[6] If you treated your vinyl better it wouldn't do that [6]

[6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6]

[dollar bill]

I am a big Technics fan boy, more so their 2nd generation Direct Drives, SL models and of course the mighty SP's.

That said, don't spend too much time or money on this model.

It is a ok deck, but just that, ok.

The pitch tends to drift, the arm height is not adjustable and there is not a lot of mass to the platter or plinth.

The cart and stylus are good, IF the stylus is not worn and is properly aligned, but a replacement stylus for that model is getting hard to find(NOS) and costs more than the total value of the table.

The best tweaks for that model, would be better feet, better mat or dampen the underside of the platter and perhaps having the bearing points on the tone arm tuned up.

I would sooner put that money into a SL 1700/1800 Mk II, which would give you all Technics has to offer, without stepping into the more expensive(but internal identical) 1200's or SP series.

[vondy]

Thanks for the help everyone.

I was thinking a year or so ago that I would get myself a new Rega P1 for $350 or whatever it cost.

Then I started doing a little research and it seems that unless I go up closer to $1000 I'm not going to get much better than my Technics on a new model.

I'm all for spending the money on a vintage Technics that would be better than this one. So the SL 1700/1800 Mk II is the one to get? What do they usually go for? Is this the turntable equivalant of the HK 430?

What about the 1200? I've read alot about that one.

[Islander]

A used Technics SL-1200 can be nearly the price of a new one, so unless you find a used one at a really good price, you might want to look at a new one. Many 1200s are used by DJs, so they may be in rough shape or just rough-looking, and should be priced accordingly.

The SL-1300/1400/1500/1600/1700/1800 turntables are all pretty good. The MK2 is preferred. The cueing lever system is a weak point and may not be simple to fix if it's not working. The control buttons can be sticky, as in sticking down.

Also, the audio cables are captive, meaning the turntable has to come apart in order to replace them, since they're connected inside. One channel of the audio cable failed on my SL-1400MK2, so I took it into the shop and had the cable replaced with a better quality Wireworld cable, which slightly improved the sound. The labour alone was $70, so the total bill was $115.

Lots of info on Vinyl Engine: http://www.vinylengine.com/search_results.php?cx=partner-pub-3664363573068202%3Aic4isxra6dt&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Technics+SL&sa=Search#950

Welcome At DirectDrive: http://de.geocities.com/bc1a69/index_eng.html

DD Turntables: http://www.dd-turntables.com/gallery1_3.html

[dollar bill]

Anyone handy with a soldering iron and a screw driver can do a nice job of replacing RCA's.

My tech only charges customers $20, for a quality RCA replacement, but if you wanted to go all boutiki and provide your own $5000 cables he'd do those too...for $20.

Cueing on the 1800 MkII is a lever with a direct mechanical lever on the tonearm/no auto return and prefer it over the 1700 MkII.

The reason I say one of them over a 1200 MkII is because the can be had for a song and tend to have been cared for better than decks used for DJing and generally exposed to more elements(smoke, beer, being dropped, etc.).

[vondy]

I'm assuming the MK refers to the Quartz movement?

So a 1300-1800 MK or by chance a well kept 1200 MK is what to look for.

This guy claims to have only used his a secondary home setup

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1255039174&/Technics-SL-1200-MK2-quartz-di

There's one on ebay selling as brand new without cartrige.

That being said, if I got one without a cartrige, what is recomened?

Thanks!

[dollar bill]

The II of Mk II usualy means second generation, and in the case of the Direct Drives, Quartz Lock.

I never recomend buying used( or in some cases new) online.

I am a bricks and mortar store owner, like to support the local economy if I can and most importantly, believe that try before you buy is crucial, as many sellers either lie about condition/details or don't tell the truth.

That's without even getting into online scams or trusting whatever shippong method to take care of your purchase.

That and for that same $375 you could get a 1800 Mk II AND a nice new cart/styli, plus, etc.

I'm trying to stress how the price of the 1200 Mk II will always be inflated because of original retail cost and name recognition, compared to the other models I've mention, which are part for part,PCB board and motor identical.

[Islander]

MK is Mark, as in version, or Mark 2. The SL-1200/1210 is up to Mark 5 now, and there's talk of a Mark 6. The SL-1210 is the black version, while the 1200 is the silver model. There are no mechanical differences.

The MK5s have LED cueing lights, which are much longer-lasting than the incandescents used on the older models. There are some other updates, as well.

Lots of 1200 info at KAB USA: http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/

[Islander]

I never recomend buying used( or in some cases new) online.

I am a bricks and mortar store owner, like to support the local economy if I can and most importantly, believe that try before you buy is crucial, as many sellers either lie about condition/details or don't tell the truth.

That's without even getting into online scams or trusting whatever shippong method to take care of your purchase.

I totally agree with you there, dollar bill, but some things can't be found in Canada, like the SL-1210M5G. At least that's what the local dealer, Long and McQuade, tells me. Also, when they were available (on special order only), the price was over $1000CAD, while they can be found for $600USD across the border.

We do have two good hi-fi shops here in town, Sound Hounds, who carry all kinds of new high-end stuff, and Q-Lectronic, the vintage hi-fi shop where I bought my La Scalas. They're conveniently located across the street from each other and they're the first places I look for stuff, if they have what I'm looking for.

[vondy]

Well looking here

http://www.vintagetechnics.stereomanuals.com/turntables/turntables2.htm

it seemed like most of the MK versions show the quartz control systems.

That's where I got that idea.

I'm all for buying local. Especially something like this.

But as far as I know, we don't have any shops around here that sell vintage gear.

Pretty much have to hope something comes up on craigslist or you stumble across

one at a yard sale.

[fini]

But as far as I know, we don't have any shops around here that sell vintage gear.

Are you kidding? In Dallas? What kinda po-dunk town is it??

[colterphoto1]

the 1200's are DJ turntables, they have a wider range RPM adjust and probably other DJ stuff, I don't know

I have two SL 1700 semi-autos (takes the needle off when you fall asleep), and I love them. They are more solid than my Thorens and I've had them since high school with nary a problem.

M

[vondy]

Unfortunatly Dallas is all about the newer, bigger, flashier stuff. We have a couple of vintage clothing and furntiure stores that occasionally sell audio equipment, but nothing special. I'm sure Austin has something but that's a solid 3 hour drive from here.

[Islander]

If you have a DJ supply shop in town, they may have new and used 1200s, and maybe other models. I remember seeing my first SL-1700 at a local DJ shop a couple of years ago.