bitece Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I'm looking for some recommendations on quality vintage turntables--makers, models, ...etc. I have saved my old lp's and am looking to pick up a vintage turntable (mid to late 1970's) to coincide with when I began collecting albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robster Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Hiya,I have a 1984 "The AR Turntable" that I bought in 1984,for $450,I love it,can't afford to upgrade,but from what I've read I would have to spend over $1,000 to beat my AR. There's a mint one on EBAY now,I don't beleive they sell for over $375 in mint condition with arm. I believe in 1985 AR came out with the AR ES-1 which is identical to "The Ar Turntable" except they fixed the motor bearing problems. I have had zero problems with mine. Also I believe the AR EB-1 is a good choice too. Just my 2 cents,which with a dime will get you a cup of coffee. Also I believe folks here really like Thorens. Cheers, Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalcorn Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 There are many paths you can go. I have a more budget system (college student) so i went with a Pioneer PL-100 from the 70s/80s and a new Gemini cart, Radioshack phono stage. My setup costs 75$ but you could spend a lot more. If you ask at the Vinyl Asylum they'll help you out, too. http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/bbs.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfyr Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 For the money and quality I like the Thorens. The ARs wer nice too, but you will find fewer of them around. Still have my Thorens from the 70s and it works great (only belts and silicine damping fluid for the arm lift has needed to be changed). But I should mention that you not expect anything from the dust cover! To use the technical term, they sucked and simply added resonance, so don't worry about that! But all things considered, if $500 incl cartridge isn't too far out of your budget, I would go with a new Music Hall5 without reservation as it eats up anything in its class, including the Regas, until you hit the (IMO) level of ROI absurdity where you see a bigger impact from your friends' response then you do listening to the music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I'm using my Bang & Olufsen Beogram 1900 I bought in 1976. The radial arm B&O's from the 70's with belt drive are very good. Their cartridges are integrated and flat to higher frequencies than most - mine's the MMC4000 which is flat to beyond 30KHz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Dragonfyr, I have been looking at Music Hall 5s and it is over 600 at needle doctor. Is 500 a reasistic price to find one for new...or is that a decent used price? If that is the street price new, where? Thanks, Rich EDIT My Bad, I was looking at retail not selling price at N.Dr. /EDIT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robster Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 There's a B&O Beogram 0n Audigon now for $175. One Music Hall MF5 on Audigon for $425. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfyr Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Let me do some checking. I found it for ~$495 NEW a few weeks ago as a friend was looking for the same thing, and the SE version for about 200 more, but unless you need a very sexy naturally finished wood grain base I wouldn't spring for that! Again, for the value and performance I would go with the new MH5, but there are many choices. And with all due respect, it outperforms the classics with few exceptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfyr Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Also Audiogon has MH5's for ~$425. But as with anything fragile, expensive, or requiring prudent evaluation, ONLY buy using www.escrow.com, eat the $50-100, and rest assured that you will get exactly what you paid for or your money back. Do NOT use PayPal for anything unless its <$25 and you aren't the seller! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgewound Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Hi! I'm shopping for a turntable too. All the Music Halls I've seen seem cheap compared to Regas. How does the Music Hall table "eat up" the Regas? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgewound Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 ---------------- On 4/13/2005 3:38:10 PM dragonfyr wrote: For the money and quality I like the Thorens. The ARs wer nice too, but you will find fewer of them around. Still have my Thorens from the 70s and it works great (only belts and silicine damping fluid for the arm lift has needed to be changed). But I should mention that you not expect anything from the dust cover! To use the technical term, they sucked and simply added resonance, so don't worry about that! But all things considered, if $500 incl cartridge isn't too far out of your budget, I would go with a new Music Hall5 without reservation as it eats up anything in its class, including the Regas, until you hit the (IMO) level of ROI absurdity where you see a bigger impact from your friends' response then you do listening to the music. ---------------- Hi! I'm shopping for a turntable too. All the Music Halls I've seen seem cheap compared to Regas. How does the Music Hall table "eat up" the Regas? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgewound Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Sorry for the double post. I forgot the quote and the Stop didn't stop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 A friend has a 70's Thorens and it is built like a tank. I have a music hall and it is ok but I can't get over the build quality of the thorens. These can be had for very reasonable prices 200-500. I think he paid $200 for his. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48649&item=5767210519&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgewound Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Hi again! I have seen a number of older Denons and they seem to be built quite well. Very heavy units. Middle 1970s to early 1980s. Cheap too, but I'm probably going to go with a belt driven table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sputnik Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Recently, I tried out a few old turntables and the one I liked best was the Dual 701 with Shure v15 III cartridge. It was a $400 TT in the early seventies - you can get them with a cartridge off eBay for $80 to $200 (I bought a spare for future parts needs). It's automatic and direct drive but I can hear no rumble whatsoever. I had and old B&O RX2 and I tried the following TTs (all quite good): Linn, Systemdek (gorgeous TT with a glass platter), Thorens 124, Pioneer, and Technics. I cannot remember the models of the Pioneer or Technics (both 70's vintage). The Dual with the Shure cartridge, while not the sleakest looking was best sounding to me out of this group. Whatever you get, make sure that you can still get good cartridges for it - the better B&O cartridges, for example, are pretty rare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott0527 Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 What's you price range? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfyr Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Without going into esoteric discussions of mechanics or the accurate storage of phase information in vinyl or of its reproduction or other obtuse 'stuff'... From the esoteric reviews (which I take with a grain of salt), a few of which I believe are posted on the MH website, to the independent reviews which go into great depth regarding the units design and manufacture in the Czech Projekt plant, etc, they are great performing TTs in all respects, providing the same or better response then turntables costing SUBSTANTIALLY more. And when the people who think they can hear substantial differences between the various ~$1250 Regas and the other esoterics, like the MH, I am not going to argue with them. One could argue that any TT in that realm SHOULD be superb! Personally, at that point I have already reached/exceeded the point of diminishing returns with the MH5, ESPECIALLY if you are going to be playing vintage pressings (with the exceptions of German Polydor, Japanese (incl MobFidelity), etc.) as you are already critically limited by the program source. At that point we enter in to the realm of debating akin to that of the inane (IMO) effects of a 1-meter esoteric AC cord reportedly functioning as a regulated current source! And just as that interconnect made from some rare material from the planet Krypton cannot supply more or better regulated/conditioned AC then is supplied to it to an amp, the turntable is going to faithfully reproduce every nuance of the program source, including vinyl pressing flaws, filler, etc. rather then introduce any new musical information. After all, once the fundamental mechanical issues are addressed, the TT/cartridge merely reproduces the source, it doesn't create additiopnal musicality. Anyone who doubts that is welcom to come listen. I have >3000 vinyl pressings ranging from original off the board bootlegs (quite a few of those) to the esoteric pressings to the regular maticulously cared for store pressings (many riddled with dimples and filler - even after they grew quite tired of substituting 5 copies for every title I bought and inspected!) If someone wants to debate the difference between >$1000 turntables, be my guest. I have personally listened to many of them. I suspect that with enough beer, margaritas, &/or other mood altering 'stuff' (funny how that advanced universal technical term comes in so handy!), I might be able to hear the differences. (I know that one time , after enough of the aforementioned 'stuff', I was able to hear the differnces in how the electrons all held hands and all went down wire, but that was quite a while ago when I had more brain cells then sense, but unfortunately I haven't been able to reproduce it.) So yes, I personally will stick MY neck out and say that the MH5 is equal to any TT under $1250. Plenty of golden ears say so too, for whatever little that is worth. And as far as I am concerned, I don't care about TTs priced higher then $1250 (except as elegant examples of engineering). But if you have the time, I can show you my $12,873 desk lamp that lights the keyboard upon which I still make lots of typos! And they told me it would aid my typing. And they must be right, as I can see my mistakes very clearly now! Although for some reason, my typing skills haven't improved! And I suspect your esoteric turnatables once that point of dimnishing returns is reached) are just as effective as my light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfyr Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Just one more thing, the Needle Doctor, where they have the MH5 for $566 is an excellent operation. They are knowledgeable and provide excellent support for all things analog (TT & cartridges), So if you are considering mail order, they are great folks to deal with in the ever shrinking world of knowledgeable analog TT folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 drag, Nice! Very entertaining and informative. Learning and laughing at the same timeyou cant beat that. Jump on over to my post: http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=63854 and tell me why I am should spend the 500+/- on the Music Hall and not 300 or less on the lower model. Also fill me in on the Pro-Ject I am interested in and a used Sota. Not trying to give you a hard time I am genuinely interested. I am going back and forth between 279 and 600. Don't want to blow 200 only to spend 600 a few months later...but don't want to spend 600 and decide vinyl is not for me...though I doubt that will happen as I am loving my loaner from GaryMD and my new cache of 100+ LPs. In the 300 to 600 dollar range is it as much the cartridge as the TT? If that is true and I going to be let down with a new 300-500 dollar TT that probably has a 50 dollar cart.? Thanks, Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitece Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 I can remember playing my lp's on a Garrard turntable connected to a Scott stereomaster. I like the look of the Dual and the old Technics stuff-- if not for anything but the thought of replicating that experience from long ago. The nostalgia is great but I would still like a quality product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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