Turntables
mickeyrat
Posts: 39,237
whats everyones prefered?
might be getting stupid and buying another.
saw a dual cs 506 on ebay. complete.
thoughts on this and other brands, models pros and cons...
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Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Post edited by mickeyrat on
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Only complaint is the felt turntable mat it was sold with.. not a fan. Bought a new slip mat, one better at reducing static and my wax has never sounded better!
http://best-turntables.com/dual-506-turntable-review/
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Cons - felt slipmat and price.
I know that 1219s are stupid expensive on eBay, etc. When I was first getting back into vinyl, I wanted a 1219 like I had growing up, so I went to eBay and then quickly went to J&R and bought an Audio-Technica AT-LP120, which continues to serve me well. After nearly 15 years, though, I finally found a free 1219 on CL, got it serviced, and it's a beautiful thing.
I also picked up the Thorens for free, and seeing as how I was never in the market for one, I don't know how much they go for on eBay, etc.
Those are my three tables. I love them all.
Pros/cons
1. Dual 1219 pros: sounds phenomenal, incredibly warm and smooth, basic operations are top-notch. Dual 1219 cons: They can be cranky (auto functions, mostly), so unless you've got an expert in your area or a whole lot of time on your hands to master the servicing manual yourself and track down or even make parts, you might be better off with a different TT. FWIW, the 1219 I grew up with did not have a working auto function at all, but I still loved it like a favorite sibling.
If Bill from Fix My Dual is still around, though, I know that he refurbishes Duals so that they should go another 50 years or so and need nothing but the basics (new styli, belts). I've talked to him a few times. I could never afford one of his at the time I was looking (by now, it should be obvious that I can't afford anything other than free because I'm a cheap bastard), but, again, I have talked to him a few times and he seemed genuinely put on this earth to keep Duals alive. If you're considering a Dual -- any Dual, not just a 1219, I would try to see what he has -- again, if he's still around -- before picking one up off of eBay.
2. Thorens TD 318 pros: Very true sound out of this one, and it is semiautomatic, which is great. I don't have the nostalgia for this one that I have for my Dual, but it is the main turntable for the family these days because of its ease of use and its dynamite sound. Thorens TD 318 cons: I don't really have any yet. I mean, it has an odd build as a suspended platter (which is in three pieces), but I should hardly hold that against it; the antiskate is also weird, basically a small length of fishing line with some weights on it. If these are affordable on eBay, etc., I'd highly recommend purchasing one.
3. Audio-Technica AT-LP120 pros: Direct drive is awesome. You just turn the thing on and it goes. Having grown up with a crankier Dual 1219, this mesmerized me when I first got it. It also comes with a built-in preamp complete with USB cable and some software so that you can convert your records to digital files for listening on the go. I'm a luddite, so I never got around to figuring that whole thing out. Still, it's a nifty feature to have (though audiophiles say it hinders the soundstage a bit, and some have gone so far as to open her up and remove the function from the TT altogether). Audio-Technica AT-LP120 cons: It's manual. The stock cartridge takes a while to open up, and even after it hits its sweet spot, it doesn't track as well as the cartridges I have on my other turntables. I've never bought a different cartridge for it, but folks swear that the higher-end AT carts really make a difference. Seeing as how those carts cost about as much as the table, though, I'm going to wait until my stylus is down to dust before I try that out.
Take care, mickey. Happy hunting.
That said, I would pass on a 506. Duals later models, except for the 721, aren't built to the same standard as the earlier. The 721 isn't built like the earlier ones either, but they sound really good for what they are.
There are still bargains out there on vintage turntables that have been restored/serviced and that is my recommendation. Pioneer, Yamaha, JVC, Kenwood and Marantz all made great turntables and they were well engineered and built solid.
There are a lot of good, new turntables out now from Pro-Ject, U-Turn, Rega, Music Hall and Audio-Technica, but you have to get into their higher end models to match the performance of a quality, vintage table, IMO.
Budget is the key factor, of course. IME, dollars go farther on the vintage market with regard to the cost/performance ratio.
Sounds great!
I've got about $600 in it.
I love my Dual 721, not sure what's in it but it weighs about 25lbs!
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
This could be a very long and tech-nerd answer. This is the abbreviated version:
Linear tracking turntables allow for proper cartridge alignment through the whole range of travel across a record resulting in less distortion and potential damage to records than using an improperly aligned, conventional cartridge on a standard TT.
Con is that they are more complicated mechanisms that can sometimes add noise. Some of them use proprietary carts which dramatically reduces the ability to choose your own.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
Cincinnati 2014
Greenville 2016
(Raleigh 2016)
Columbia 2016
-Very minimal to no motor noise.
-Ability to switch between 45 RPM and 33 1/3 without lifting the platter.
-Quality queuing lever.
-Relatively easy to use tone arm finger grip.
-No built in pre-amp. (Prefer to plug direct into my Marantz PM5005 phono port).
-Removable/ lift-able dust cover.
-Ortophon red cartridge.
-Piano black plinth.
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
Inspired by this beast: https://hifiheaven.net/shop/Thorens-TD-240-2-Fully-Automatic-Turntable-Piano-Black?language=en¤cy=USD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIusX624Tv7gIV0uDICh1BsgPOEAQYASABEgLsVPD_BwE
Raleigh, NC., 4/20/16, Columbia, SC., 4/21/16, Boston, MA., 8/5/16, Boston 9/2/18 & 9/4/18., Nashville, TN., 4/2/20., Nashville, TN., 9/16/22.EV Solo - Washington, D.C., 8/17/08, Atlanta, GA., 6/24/09, Orlando, FL., 11/27/12.