Need Advice- Artisan Fidelity Lenco 75 or AF Garrad 301 statement??

[bebop86]

Guys looking at these 2 tables( preowned) both about 1 yr. old- Not local-Question is how much better would the Artisan fidelity Statement 301 be vs. the AF Lenco 75- there is a dif. of about $8K between the 2- Chris at AF said the 301 is in a total different league but want your opinions- thanks- Gary

[petrat]

Hi Gary.

A big part of AF's appeal is the whole pride-of-ownership thing ... beautiful craftsmanship and restoration work ... but at a price.
We don't see much, if any, of their kit in Europe, but if you have the money, then I could see how the 301 could be your final turntable .... a family heirloom to be cherished for generations etc :D

From a purely performance pov, there isn't 8 grand of difference, though (unless this is just 'play-money' for you). In fact, in performance terms, for that sort of overall outlay, I'd be looking for something like a Brinkmann, TW Acustic, STST, or my favourite Platine Verdier. I've done the grease-bearing 301 thing, and imho, there are better-performing turntables out there ... but they are expensive. Remember, the original appeal of restoring / modding Lencos and Garrards was that they were plentiful and cheap 25 years ago, and gave cash-strapped hobbyists a good level of performance for a few hundred bucks.

[Beobloke]

Given the two decks you list, it is my personal opinion that even a modded L75 can't out-perform a standard 301, so I'd go with the Garrard.

[DiveDeepDog]

Given the two decks you list, it is my personal opinion that even a modded L75 can't out-perform a standard 301, so I'd go with the Garrard.

This +1, I'd also suggest a 401 is superior to a 301 in all areas except balls out excitement.

The caveat is you need to like what idlers do, they're not universally prefered over other decks. Spending that sort of money you need to be sure and listen to alternatives.....

[Dr Henry Jones]

I have a 301 that has been serviced and put into a solid plinth, to balance the sound out I put a audiocraft uni pivot arm on it. The results were very good indeed . I have a lenco gl75 that has been heavily molded, serviced and fitted with the same arm. Then I listened to both of them with a haddock uni pivot. ..... Both turntables performed beatifuly. The garrard sounds great with a service and a good plinth, the lenco needs the above and some heavy modding. But heavy modding pays dividends insomuch as it will still be cheaper than the garage . to be honest I can't make my mind up which is the better , the garland, the Leno, or the td124 ! All ears are individuals !
Cheers steve

[petrat]

Interesting, Steve. IME, a well-fettled TD124 out-performs a 401, which out-performs a 301. These were all taken to the max, in terms of restoration and componentry. OTOH, I haven't heard the Shindo 301!

[montesquieu]

Hmmm two posts and a should I buy <insert ridiculously overpriced bit of kit that hardly anyone has heard of so people immediately do a search on it>

Bit of shilling goin on, no?

For the record I think you'd have to be off your chump to pay that sort of money for a pimped Lenco or Garrard. Put one together yourself (with expert help if you need it) for a fraction of the cash.

Not to mention any properly set up TD124 should sound better than either. (The looks are a matter of taste).

[Dr Henry Jones]

OTE=montesquieu;862860]Hmmm two posts and a should I buy <insert ridiculously overpriced bit of kit that hardly anyone has heard of so people immediately do a search on it>

Bit of shilling goin on, no?





For the record I think you'd have to be off your chump to pay that sort of money for a pimped Lenco or Garrard. Put one together yourself (with expert help if you need it) for a fraction of the cash.

Not to mention any properly set up TD124 should sound better than either. (The looks are a matter of taste).[/QUOTE]

I can only agree with you that to pay the money for a shindo 301 is...........how shall we put it? .......barking mad ? Now I am not saying for one moment that it would sound bad , I would imagine that it's one of the best sounding 301 so out there .But at those prices ? I have read up on how a shindo plinth is made and yes its very good indeed , however special. ....fish glue (I think that'sright) and various hardwood layers all put together buy a man that's been working with garrards for a long time should sound excellent. But when you break it all down and look at it, like a lot of extremely good engineering is very simple and there lies it's beauty . Something beautifully made and so simple can be a joy to own but can with some time and thought be made by any competent diy enthusiast, and the results are going to be a close run finish........ and cost a fraction of the cost of a shindo. The most costly aspect for a well made shindo copywould be an uprated baring and getting someone to turn a new shindo like platter for you . And even without the shindo type platter and just the standard one its going to sing. ........ and all that for relatively peanuts compared to a shindo......yup I guess they would be a tad

[Spectral Morn]

The Artisan Fidelity Lenco 75 or AF Garrad 301 statement, aren't just original items in a new plinth but heavily modified items, with new platters, bearings etc and as such aren't really I would imagine going to be that similar to the non modified originals.

Are they worth that price of entry ? That as in all things is up to the buyer to decide.

I haven't heard them, so can offer no opinion on them, but they are beautiful works of art. In the UK the Classic Turntable Company seem to do some things similar but for less money, Audio Grail also restores Garrards to a high standard but doesn't take things as far as CTC does.

However at big amounts of money I would be inclined to say that an Oracle Delphi MK7 or AMG Viella should be on your to hear list.