Last week I repaired the mechanism on a Technics SL-Q300 that has been sitting in storage for 10 years. Works like new. I'd forgotten how convenient it is to have a fully automatic turntable. (This one even has auto-repeat.) I highly recommend one of these inexpensive, 80s-era DD auto Technics tables (there are several different models) for anyone looking for an in to the hobby.
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First turntable - any suggestions?
Yes, blasphemy.
Paul Miller is now doing turntable measurements alongside John Atkinson (for other gear) in Stereophile.
For those on the thread who advised me patiently, thank you! And now I'll surely disappoint having acquired a technically inferior vintage Rega Planar 2 about the same age as me. This was 90% an aesthetic choice, but I did swap the original R200 tonearm for an RB300 and installed a new Sumiko Ranier cart. I also picked up a used Musical Surroundings Phonomena II preamp locally for a decent price. I was attracted to its adjustability and thought perhaps if I were to venture into different carts in the future that might be fun to tinker with.
Overall I'm pretty satisfied. The previous owner had an off-brand belt installed, it measured slow at 32 RPM. When replaced with a new Rega belt ($50!!??!!), it is now slightly fast at 33.9. It's fine. I guess.
It's been fun digging through records at vintage stores and flea markets. Unsurprisingly, the sound quality leaves something to be desired when compared to digital. I am not experiencing the warmth many speak poetically of, but maybe getting up to flip sides has made it feel a little warmer in here.
Overall I'm pretty satisfied. The previous owner had an off-brand belt installed, it measured slow at 32 RPM. When replaced with a new Rega belt ($50!!??!!), it is now slightly fast at 33.9. It's fine. I guess.
It's been fun digging through records at vintage stores and flea markets. Unsurprisingly, the sound quality leaves something to be desired when compared to digital. I am not experiencing the warmth many speak poetically of, but maybe getting up to flip sides has made it feel a little warmer in here.
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Something very, very important is the right setup (vtf, vta, antiskating, tonearm geometry) and ... clean records without groove damage.
Mechanical reproduction have that aspects
JeremyFife
Addicted to Fun and Learning
That's a lovely turntable, and a very good arm.
Check out www.discogs.com for an interesting assessment of different vinyl releases (based on collectors opinion - highly subjective)
Enjoy
spiral scratch
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congrats on the TT. I've had a planar 2 since '90 and it still works fine for my needs. Mine came with an RB250. There's a speed hack you can try by wrapping a piece of scotch tape around the subplatter spindle where the belt runs. It will drop the speed of rotation. Easily reversible if you change your mind. I don't know about the new Regas but those older planars were designed to run fast.
Check this vid out for some basic diy service tips.
He tends to over explain but there's some good info, I skipped through a 1/3 or so. I wouldn't use isopropyl on the rubber parts, some dish soap and water works fine, just needs a bit of drying. I picked up the bearing oil by going to my local mechanic with an empty salad oil bottle and he gave me a 1/2 bottle for nothing, enough to service a few hundred bearings.
$50 for a belt? Oh well. welcome to the rarified world of vinyl where everyone has a great idea to lighten your wallet.
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Balle Clorin
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1.7% too fast is more than slighly fast, but it will probably go slower over time. Get the EBLT or Reference belt. It will be a great upgrade
www.rega.co.uk
Rega | Advanced EBLT Drive Belt Accessory
Custom made high quality Rega turntable drive belt. Made in England.
Agreed! And that is exactly the belt I installed. Maybe I'll try the tape trick as mentioned above.1.7% too fast is more than slighly fast, but it will probably go slower over time. Get the EBLT belt. It will be a great upgrade
Rega | Advanced EBLT Drive Belt Accessory
Custom made high quality Rega turntable drive belt. Made in England.
Helpful, I watched his videos. Seems like the upgrade path for Rega in the US is steep with an unfortunate cost/benefit ratio. I can upgrade the motor and add a PSU with finer adjustability for only $700+
Maybe someday down the road, I'll bite. Or I'll just get through a record a little bit speedier than the average Technics owner and consider myself a more efficient listener!
spiral scratch
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I don't think you need to upgrade the motor and psu. I think there's psus used for around $200 or so. No rush though, see if you like flipping records first. It's a nice deck as is.
Helpful, I watched his videos. Seems like the upgrade path for Rega in the US is steep with an unfortunate cost/benefit ratio. I can upgrade the motor and add a PSU with finer adjustability for only $700+
Maybe someday down the road, I'll bite. Or I'll just get through a record a little bit speedier than the average Technics owner and consider myself a more efficient listener!
Technics direct drive quartz ... they're right since 70s ... even with the fierce marketing from british brands against it.
It took some trial and error to get optimum sound from my vinyl. My first attempts were lackluster. Here are things that made a difference for me:
- Proper Baerwald alignment, azimuth, VTF and VTA;
- Low capacitance phono cables (when using a MM cart);
- A nude elliptical stylus.
My shift to a Sutherland Insight sealed the deal for a few years with no other gear changes. The next move was to a MC, Shibata-tipped cart, but that’s a discussion for a later time.
In vinyl, you don’t always get it exactly right the first time, but when you do it can be magical.
I don't understand why anyone would think that it would be possible to get the best of what vinyl has to offer from an obsolete rubber band drive Rega turntable. Betterr ditch it and buy a Technics or an Audio Technica Technics knock off. The AT is quite reasonable.You can twist yourself into a pretzel, but you will never achieve what you are hoping for with the Rega. It is 20th century junk.Helpful, I watched his videos. Seems like the upgrade path for Rega in the US is steep with an unfortunate cost/benefit ratio. I can upgrade the motor and add a PSU with finer adjustability for only $700+
Maybe someday down the road, I'll bite. Or I'll just get through a record a little bit speedier than the average Technics owner and consider myself a more efficient listener!
Speed issues aside, I'm actually pretty impressed with the sound quality. My best-sounding record is Dave Brubeck's Time In, compared to digital it's surprisingly close.
VTF is right on, measured with a digital scale, but VTA and azimuth are more challenging to measure/adjust. I'll go down that rabbit hole if I plan to update to a nicer cart/stylus I think.
Perfection doesn't exists ... but it's true (and i tried to expose it in a previous post) that analog music reproduction involves mechanical aspects (far from plug & play).
So, you can have a great performance with vinyl, but it comes with much more attention to details in the turntable / cartridge / preamp / settings.
If that's not your interest, it's ok, but maybe what we try to say is "you get what you effort on it".
Zero concern can bring you a decent, but far from the best, sound from vinyl. That's the way it is.
No one is pushing anybody here, we only try to help.
So, you can have a great performance with vinyl, but it comes with much more attention to details in the turntable / cartridge / preamp / settings.
If that's not your interest, it's ok, but maybe what we try to say is "you get what you effort on it".
Zero concern can bring you a decent, but far from the best, sound from vinyl. That's the way it is.
No one is pushing anybody here, we only try to help.
Growing up, my folks had a Technics and it just worked. Now I have some aesthetic prefreferenced to adhere to, and it's not so much about performance, otherwise this is the path I would have taken.
it's your preference, and it's ok.
Going directly to objective (measured) performance ... Technics lead the way compared to Rega. Only try to find official wow & flutter measurements about a Rega, if you find it, please tell me, i want to know it since decades ... and that "speedy" behaviour surely doesn't look good for that.
What you like is what you like, we cannot discuss that and any grow up men knows about it, but that's one thing and other is try to hide the sun with the thumb.
The only important thing is to enjoy the music ... i only try to explain better my previous posts.
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