Plus a BIGGER attraction is V.T.A. adjustment ! Some cartridges have different heights ie. 10mm to 20mm,also different stylus angles 20 degrees to 23 degrees VERY IMPORTANT ADJUSTMENT ! Very surprised lots of these these videos do not MENTION these facts
My favorite vintage TT is either my current TT , an Oracle Delphi mk2 or the Micro Seiki DDX1000. I remember walking in my dads shop in 1981 ish and seeing one on his bench for repair. It was like something out of a spaceship with the 3 arm setup. Always wanted one but got an Oracle instead.
My number one is the Thorens TD-124 because that's what I grew up with, and it was the turntable I first learned to use that wasn't a child's model. Thanks dad! Wish I still had it.
I absolutely agree with your choices maybe switching the position of the Technics with the Thorens simply becsuse the Thorens is such pain to live with.
I was in my 20s during the real hi-fi snob period in England and was never taken in by the Linn so stayed with my Pioneers then a Thorens TD 160 "for best". In fact I sold the TD 160 only about 8 years ago to a young man whom I knew would treasure it. But, by my 30s I had decided to build an archive, mainly using Studer/Revox tape machines, Quad electrostatics and amps. A dedicated turntable was needed for the project and some staff at Quad and NAIM had suggested direct drive so I acquired the Technics SP/L 10, fitted an SME 3009 arm and generally used Shure cartridges for least wear and the truthfulness of the V15 series. That was sold when I moved countries (to Ireland) and I had found that the SL-1200 sounded the same but was less prone to floor vibration than the 10. The SL-1200 is really the very best.
Saludos, geniales tus videos, te faltó Garrard 301 y Linn 12, por lo demás totalmente de acuerdo, tus apreciaciones y comentarios son muy valorados, sigue adelante, abrazos desde Bogotá, Colombia. ..
The only thing that bugs me about the Technics SL1200 mk 2 is the mains transformer inside the turntable assembly . It transmits a 50Hz hum (vibration) into the chassis and you can hear it when you lower the arm onto a stationary record , if you turn up the volume. There's an upgrade that moves the power supply out of the turntable into an isolated box next to the turntable. That's my next project. I use it with an Ortofon Bronze 2M cartridge (line contact stylus) and I love it. I've had it for almost 10 years and it had been well cared for . I believe I paid £320 from ebay. I highly recommend it also.
Still have my DC servo direct drive JVC JL-a40 from 1978. Still works with amazingly low W&F. Long since retired the Shure V15 type III cart, now armed with a Nagaoka MP 150 I’d put it up against any of the TT’s on your list.
Love the videos. Maybe you can do a series on the histories of different hifi companies. Their founding, break throughs if they are still in business. You are one of the best You Tubers with practical experience and knowledge. Keep the videos coming
Technics 1200-GR so much bang for the buck and a state of the art new direct drive system. They’re dropping in price too because of the new GR2 (just got one for $1299) great channel
I have no idea why people are paying $800-1000 bucks for a Thorens 160, I just found TWO TD-160b mkii's for around $400 a piece in MINT condition with the TP-16 tonearm AND MC cart. They aren't that hard to find, eBay is just the absolute worst place to buy anything and is marked up to stupid prices just to see if some idiot will pay it
3 years ago i decided to get back a turntable into my my life for home hifi use after allmost a decate without. Decides to go a vintage 1200, and the prices were a bit high. So i asked myself "if new - go to the top" - so i bought a new japanese 1210GR. 3 years later - and the party still on! What a turntable! For home use a 1200 is the best choise to my opinion.
Technics SL1200 is the one. Friend of mine has two of them. He's a club DJ. I have Technics SL-BD22D for home use, playing my records. With a MC cartridge. Glenn
Thanks for the AR XA love. Most people dismiss it because it isn't fancy, has no cue lift, and sold for about 80 bucks when new in the early 70s. Love mine and use it with a Shure M91ED cartridge which was what they included when purchased new. The simple classics endure!
I really like the look of the Pioneer PL 550, the wood plinth is gorgeous. I do however own a Technics SL1200 MKII, which I just purchased in near mint for $350 USD. very happy with my 1200
Tech-NEEKS SL-1500 for the win! An affordable manual turntable that just works, it's simple, easy to service and repair. The previous owner put the one I own through hell including a fire... it's still working and sounds great.
I had an AR XA turntable back in the 70s when I was in the military. I really enjoyed the quality and simplicity of this turntable at the time. I currently use the Thorens TD 125 with a Rabco SL-8E radial arm and Shure V15 Type III.
Enjoyed your review of the AR XA. More than that I appreciated your list showing the AR XB, as that is my turntable, which I purchased new in 1974 when I was in the service. I run it with a vintage Scott 382B Receiver and EPI 100 (rebuilt) speakers. It's truly a nostalgic setup for me.
I love my two Dual 506. They are a bit delicate, but sound great. Plus it is a semi automatic. Where it lifts at the end and shuts off. A friend back in the day had a Pioneer that was manual. One day forgot to turn it off, when going to work. When home he had 45 spindle out of 12" record.
For 30yrs I've had the Revolver Black Ash with a Linn Basik LV tonearm with a Linn K9 cartridge & I hope that you can try & listen to this Turntable sometime because I would pleasantly argue that it would be up there at number one. Revolver Black Ash.🙂👍
I watched this video after the semi-auto vid, so I'll be a bit redundant, but I'm glad the Thorens TD-160 made this list. I believe it does have a couple simple, but cool, innovations: the magnetic (no physical contact) anti-skate, and the center spindle insert that simply flips over for 45's, so that it doesn't get lost. And going back to the TD-165, it had a virtual built-in Q-up under the chassis. I subscribed today. Great videos.
I have an AR XB in my box of toys. I stumbled on it at a yard sale years ago. I remember taking it to a shop for installing a cart and hearing the tech say that the arm was pretty much right on. I always thought the AR tone arm was an interesting contrast to other more often found and much more complicated tone arms. An exercise in simplicity! Thanks again for another great video.
I’m surprised the PL-550 ended up being the pick for Pioneer. Kinda sad as they had so many better looking imo and performing tables. PL-41, PL-50, PL-61 and even my favorite the PLC-590/XLC-1850. They even had a few better turntables in the Exclusive line like the P3, P10, etc. Sadly people seem to pay crazy amounts of money for some of the cheapest turntables while much better turntables get overlooked.
Great video. I have had a Linn Sondek LP12 for 30 years. Way overpriced. I bought it from a friend for a very reasonable price and have done upgrades on the side when I could afford them. It sounds great and I convert almost everyone who hears my system that vinyl is still a viable option. It's the Linn that does the trick but for how much? Too late to turn back now.
In 1975 I bought an AR turntable from my friend. It belonged to a friend of his family that owned a radio station. I needed it to complete my first system. Sadly, I could only listen to it when I was home on leave. D'oh! I packed my turntable away over 20 years ago and haven't used one since.
Great list ,I never had any of these but I am interested in a AR XA and a Empire ... I bought a Sansui SR 525 about 15 years ago and it is great ,speed is accurate and the tone arm with a Grado Gold tracks great with no inner groove distortion
I have own SL-1200 mk2, I change it for the Thorens TD-145 mk2 which sounds much better than the SL-1200 mk2, but the best of all is the Linn Sondek LP-12 wao, in terms of reliability no one beats the SL-1200 mk2 but it's sound is good, while TD is very good and the LP-12 is excellent, by this I mean I would never use a SL-1200 mk2 on my high end system
Great video, agreed with most of this list. Was also surprised the LP12 didn’t make the list. Think you have one more list to go and that’s linear tracking turntables.
The LP-12 didn't get on the list because is expensive and mayority of people doesn't know how good it is, one time I had a discussion with an ignorant saying that the SL-1200 mk2 sounds equal to the LP-12, I had to go to emergency by laughing so much
That comment about you laughing at the guy about the Technics turntable immediately made me stop watching your video, that's the problem with this hobby, too many snobs
@@MultiCowboy8 I have own the Sl-1200 mk2, the Thorens and repaired the Linn, Sl-1200 is class C sound, Thorens class B, Linn class A, the Sl-1200 is the most reliable turntable ever made, the winner in that category, I laugh when I see someones that cannot hear a difference, no snobs
You're right. Actually, the very first SL1200 model (1972 or 3) was not intended for DJing, it's only after they massively adopted it that Technics came un with the MKII that we all know now.
Although I really enjoyed my AR turntable back fifty years ago I wouldn't want to use it now. And I would love to have a Tehnics 1200 series but I must have auto stop/lift these days. Falling asleep is always a possibility when you get older, lol.
FWIW, I have an ARXA and a ClearAudio Concept. Using the same Ortofon MM cartridge, the XA will track the original Telarc 1812 overture cannon shots at 1.5 grams. On the Clearaudio, the cartridge will jump completely out of the groove at that tracking force. It needs 3 grams to handle the shots and even at that, will mistrack at the last (loudest) shot.
My con for the 1200 is the VTA adjustment ring can seize up and a buyer does not even think about seeing if it is loose. This happened to me and I can't get it to budge. Fortunately, it is adjusted in the center position and I simply swap turntable mats to compensate.
Give it the hairdryer, medium heat with a narrow nozzle to get the heat where its needed, this method always worked for me , I now have a technics sl 1200g and that hasn't seized, maybe modern grease is better, ps don't forget to remove your headshell and clip the tone arm in its housing. I hope this works for you 😊.
still amazes me how everybody’s ears are different which is the truth. think about when you buy speakers. Back in 1978. I thought ortofon cartridge was the shit.
I have an original planar 3. Got it off of a publication audio trader before the internet became public. The seller tried to upgrade the Tone arm cable, but failed. When I got it back to Japan I got a different style connector and a tech at a guitar shop hooked me up. I had been using a Micro Seki DX1000 with 2 Tone arms and the p3 was so much better I gave the Micro Seki away. I moved East of Mt. Fuji and damn. That’s only 50Hz. I rigged the pully with reinforced tape to get it to run at 60hz. I upgraded the sub platter a couple of years ago and got really good tone arm iner cables. I use 3 cartridges. Rega Exact. The model just below the Exact (short term memory is lacking) and the Nagaoka 110 just like yours. I will readjust the over hang to match yours and see. Thanks for letting me go on and on.
Very good this list of manual turntables! I would just add three other options to it: a variation of the SL (1500), the Pioneer PL 12 R and the Thorens 125. Hug Marcelo
😂 The Audiophilac, Steve Guttenberg, bought one of the Newest Editions of the 1200 Technics for his system and has nothing but praise for it's music fidelity. Thanks Again Kevin...I'm still a lover of the two Sansui Units you discussed not long ago.
I bought an AR XA back in 1973 for $67. I sold it and bought a TD160 which was stolen in a smash and grab from the electronics shop where I worked. We found it abandoned out back of the shop. It had been unceremoniously dropped by the thief, likely to make his getaway. I picked it up, cleaned off the dirt, gave it a once over service and put it back into service. Delicate? Mine certainly wasn’t. It made way for a Rabco ST-4 which my roommate derisively described as the “Ronco Bottle Cutter”, a rather apt description given its linear tonearm design.
Wow I like your honesty ! Most people say you can here the individual air atoms moving in the room with your pixie diamond dusted tone arms. Oh and you need your diamond dusted impregnated 100000 pure copper or sterling silver interconnect wires. It was refreshing to hear you say a cheap original tonearm sounded good to you.
During the period when Technics stopped making the 1200 and the prices spiked, I managed to score a near-mint condition MK-V with the cover and a new cartridge for $600 -- on of all places, Amazon. What an amazing beast of a turntable. It's sitting right here in my audio rack even now.
Had various SLs for commercial use over the years, but recently picked up the new MK7 and am extremely pleased, and greatly appreciate that we still have the SL in production. Great vid 👍
I've got a modern Rega P3 (a red one) and another of the benefits is that it has a receptor to upgrade the power supply to a Rega outboard unit. Among the benefits is that you have speed switching and the on/off control on the front of the power unit so no removing the platter any more. I'm going to guess that the power unit is between $450 - $550 but I bought mine as a demo 6-7 years ago.
Wow. The price for Rega in the USA is expensive due to import costs. I've just laid a deposit down for the 50th anniversary edition in Walnut. It comes with the Exact Cartridge, the PSU (specially tuned) and an improved belt included. The package is cheaper than buying separately. $1600 in the USA. £899 in the UK. Thankfully, I live in the UK. The bad points pointed out are not extreme because as well as adding the PSU, the sub platter can be upgraded with a metal one, the platter can be upgraded with a acrylic platter and other cartridges can be exchanged too.
@@bobby666666 I bought my P3 from a place called Needle Doctor which had been around forever but closed a few years ago. The red P3, upgraded belt, Ortofon 2M Bronze and the demo outboard power supply cost me about $1750. That's kind of nuts compared to the cost of all my other equipment, but I kept wanting to upgrade the purchase to get "just one more" upgrade. I've got about 3500 records from 50 years of wanting new music to play.
I can't justify the extra just to change the speed of my white gloss rega p3 once in a millenium as I only have about 30 singles. But it blew me away when I first turned it on.
I have a Thorens TD125 MKii a SME arm with a Shure V15 lll and I think it sounds better then my friends 1200 every time. Just brings more life into the music.
TECHNICS SL-2000 is my favorite daily workhorse. Always dependable and it performs great with my ATVM95ML and SH carts. I use a Shure M-477 for my styrene 45's. It's been amazing for 48 years.
Mind the correct pronounciation of THORENS. It does not sound like "the thick thief thinks". You have to say "torens turntable". Thorens turntables are a Swiss desgn, made in Switserland and in Western-Germany. Thorens was a part of Hermes business machines. My Thorens TD 160 is over 50 years old and is doing well.
Kevin, been watching a lot of your videos and others on turntables. I recently put my Pioneer PL-115D back to use after servicing it. Had it since new in '76 though it had a 36 year slumber in storage. Someday I will replace its cartridge and I have a question, maybe you could do a video on this. Back in the day, I was told I could not mount a Sure V-15 Type III cartridge on my Pioneer because of its S-shaped tonearm, that a cartridge like that requires a straight, low mass tonearm because the stylus is too delicate, too "compliant." I've never heard this addressed in any videos on the subject. Is this true and what is the theory or rule about stylus/cartridge and tonearm compatibility or "matching"?
Love my PL 550. It's a tank. The only plastic is the anti skate mech, which is why I have a second one I got for 25 bucks just in case. I paid 550, but after having to buy hinges, lateral weight, MP 110, I'm in around a grand. *After watching the rest of the video, it's the PL 550 for the win. Like the 1200 it's a tank, but it's not hideous.
I have 1 Pioneer PL 550 and 2 PL 530s that just need a bit of TLC and was considering of just selling as is. Do you recommend that I get them all tip top first or let the next owner get the job? And you are absolutely correct about the vinyl wrapping on this series
No one here care about AR ES-1 and ETL-1. They are fine turntables and only negative point of them, ES-1 in partiular, is that a bold phono cable will work as a fourth spring which is bound to and prohibit a free motion of the subchassis. Anyway, I love my ES-1. Anyone here have both XA and ES-1 (or 'The AR Turntable') ?
Two thoughts on SL-1200s. First, anyone can use an SL-1200 in their home system. But the converse is not true: most DJs agree that the 1200GRs are terrible for spinning live sets. Second, for all the reasons we like vintage hi-fi, DJs love the 1200mk2 and mk5. Incredible build quality, solid feel, and super reliability. The new MK7, made in Malaysia, is nice but is just not as robust and trustworthy as the originals.
Seriously disappointing about the Thorens being "delicate". I've been researching them all night and had my heart settled on a TD 160 (probably a Mk2 but possibly a super if I can sell some kit) and one of the reasons I was interested in them, is that I've always been under the impression Thorens built their turntables like tanks and they're not precious at all. But you say not. I'm not a heavy handed person and I take very good care of my stuff, but I can't stand stuff that needs extra special attention or it breaks. I want a strong and stable record player, not a piece of bone china. Oh well.
As an owner of a 1200 I can say it is a great turntable. Not the best looking, but it is heavy, and in a good way. One problem is that the RCA cables are hardwired like pretty much all turntables were back in the day
What if there was a turntable that was a hybrid design, SL-1200MKII specs with TD-160 floating chassis. Answer: Technics SL-1700MKII , Best of both Worlds.
I was gifted a nice DD manual tt from Sansui. What is your recommended budget cartridge for classic rock and all around listening? I also have a Dual 601 so I would be using the same type of cartridge if it’s a good match? Is the AT95e still recommended? Thanks all.
