Tea24
12-04-2012, 19:41
Between 2 turntables at about the same price point:
A) Rebuilt Lenco GL75 with new plinth, Jelco 750 arm: idler drive obviously; cost to me (table donated gratis): after rebuild with new massive plinth & vastly upgraded bearing (could be done cheaper if you are a DIYer I am not) around £1250.
B) Nottingham Analogue Interspace Junior, fitted Interspace arm; belt drive obviously; new cost around £1100, but add £200 extra for a Pro-ject Speedbox SE controller.
Differences, apart from drive system, are in the cartridges; A Dynavector 10x5 in the Notts & a Shure M97xE with Jico SAS stylus in the Lenco.
Similarities: they both have superb bearings of the highest quality and similar platter weight. They are both simple, if ingenious, in construction & design, the Notts almost agriculturally so, but therein lies its charm and simplicity of use once set up and the Lenco very much so compared to its competitors of the time (Garrards & Thorens TD124 etc.). Both arms are of top quality, if, IMHO, the Notts is the more interesting.
Both played through a Berseford TC-7240 switcher to Graham Slee Jazz Club, Quad 66 pre/Quad 606/2 power to KEF 104/2s.
Records played: Los Paraguayos: Paraguayan Songs recorded in the 1950s (I think). Why? Because I believe rightly or wrongly that they were recorded (mono phonically) simply; that is to say probably without too many microphones and not too much mastering in the studio. In addition the Paraguayan harp is a simple instrument easy to compare soundwise, as is a guitar, the other main instrument used (as well of course as the voices).
Also; orchestral music from various composers recorded in about 1960 for Readers Digest by RCA. All very good quality recordings and a bit maligned by some. Why? Recorded monophonically in (I believe) the same fashion.
Impressions:
Firstly the Lenco is considerably louder than the Notts; to get the same output with the latter one has to crank up the volume control quite a bit; dont really know why this is so. Is it the arm or the cartridge? The Shure/Jico is moving magnet whilst the Dyna is high output moving coil. Perhaps this accounts for it.
The Lenco has more slam and forward presence and considerably more bass. Seems to have a bit more surface noise than the Notts (NB: NOT rumble it is dead quiet in that respect).
The Notts is more laid back and polite. It has a bit more top end clarity than the Lenco.
Both players have a lovely mid range.
IMHO the Notts is considerably enhanced by the use of the speed controller which cleans up the electricity & allows it to spin very accurately to speed. The Lenco settles to speed in a reasonable time (4/5 mins.) but needs a bit of jiggling to get the strobe to settle; it is after all a purely mechanical device no electronics here.
Verdict:
Both are superb turntables at their price point; the Lenco a Giant killer and the Notts a steal at that price punching well above its weight. Both are keepers. Possibly a higher echelon of Notts table would give the Lenco a run for its money, but IMHO it would have to have an electronic speed control. (Again IMHO all belt driven TTs need this; if not, why do so many of them offer this as an accessory; vide NA, VPI etc.?)
What about the Notts arm on the Lenco. Now that [U][U]would be interesting and I might have gone down this route, as I have a great respect for Notts arms, had I not needed the removable headshell for playing 78s etc.
The winner? - The Lenco, but I could live with the Notts alone also (I did for 4 years, with another TT for 78s), but would probably upgrade to a superior model. BUT AT MUCH GREATER EXPENSE THAN THE LENCO!! Also, if, in my old age (already arrived), I bought (say) a Dais, would I physically be able to take off the immensely heavy platter to do the simple servicing of a re-oil??
PLEASE NOTE: this is NOT intended in any way to be an OBJECTIVE comparison; on the contrary it is entirely SUBJECTIVE. I just thought it might be interesting and I am still of the opinion that the Junior Spacedeck is an underrated table but probably not on the same level as the rebuilt Lenco. However, if you get it, like me, for half price, it knocks the likes of a Rega P3 into touch. [But DO try a Speedbox or equivalent]. And the arm is a joy & a jewel.
(Bear in mind that I have lost 25% of my upper register hearing, old fart that I am, so anything I say on this must be coloured by this fact).
A) Rebuilt Lenco GL75 with new plinth, Jelco 750 arm: idler drive obviously; cost to me (table donated gratis): after rebuild with new massive plinth & vastly upgraded bearing (could be done cheaper if you are a DIYer I am not) around £1250.
B) Nottingham Analogue Interspace Junior, fitted Interspace arm; belt drive obviously; new cost around £1100, but add £200 extra for a Pro-ject Speedbox SE controller.
Differences, apart from drive system, are in the cartridges; A Dynavector 10x5 in the Notts & a Shure M97xE with Jico SAS stylus in the Lenco.
Similarities: they both have superb bearings of the highest quality and similar platter weight. They are both simple, if ingenious, in construction & design, the Notts almost agriculturally so, but therein lies its charm and simplicity of use once set up and the Lenco very much so compared to its competitors of the time (Garrards & Thorens TD124 etc.). Both arms are of top quality, if, IMHO, the Notts is the more interesting.
Both played through a Berseford TC-7240 switcher to Graham Slee Jazz Club, Quad 66 pre/Quad 606/2 power to KEF 104/2s.
Records played: Los Paraguayos: Paraguayan Songs recorded in the 1950s (I think). Why? Because I believe rightly or wrongly that they were recorded (mono phonically) simply; that is to say probably without too many microphones and not too much mastering in the studio. In addition the Paraguayan harp is a simple instrument easy to compare soundwise, as is a guitar, the other main instrument used (as well of course as the voices).
Also; orchestral music from various composers recorded in about 1960 for Readers Digest by RCA. All very good quality recordings and a bit maligned by some. Why? Recorded monophonically in (I believe) the same fashion.
Impressions:
Firstly the Lenco is considerably louder than the Notts; to get the same output with the latter one has to crank up the volume control quite a bit; dont really know why this is so. Is it the arm or the cartridge? The Shure/Jico is moving magnet whilst the Dyna is high output moving coil. Perhaps this accounts for it.
The Lenco has more slam and forward presence and considerably more bass. Seems to have a bit more surface noise than the Notts (NB: NOT rumble it is dead quiet in that respect).
The Notts is more laid back and polite. It has a bit more top end clarity than the Lenco.
Both players have a lovely mid range.
IMHO the Notts is considerably enhanced by the use of the speed controller which cleans up the electricity & allows it to spin very accurately to speed. The Lenco settles to speed in a reasonable time (4/5 mins.) but needs a bit of jiggling to get the strobe to settle; it is after all a purely mechanical device no electronics here.
Verdict:
Both are superb turntables at their price point; the Lenco a Giant killer and the Notts a steal at that price punching well above its weight. Both are keepers. Possibly a higher echelon of Notts table would give the Lenco a run for its money, but IMHO it would have to have an electronic speed control. (Again IMHO all belt driven TTs need this; if not, why do so many of them offer this as an accessory; vide NA, VPI etc.?)
What about the Notts arm on the Lenco. Now that [U][U]would be interesting and I might have gone down this route, as I have a great respect for Notts arms, had I not needed the removable headshell for playing 78s etc.
The winner? - The Lenco, but I could live with the Notts alone also (I did for 4 years, with another TT for 78s), but would probably upgrade to a superior model. BUT AT MUCH GREATER EXPENSE THAN THE LENCO!! Also, if, in my old age (already arrived), I bought (say) a Dais, would I physically be able to take off the immensely heavy platter to do the simple servicing of a re-oil??
PLEASE NOTE: this is NOT intended in any way to be an OBJECTIVE comparison; on the contrary it is entirely SUBJECTIVE. I just thought it might be interesting and I am still of the opinion that the Junior Spacedeck is an underrated table but probably not on the same level as the rebuilt Lenco. However, if you get it, like me, for half price, it knocks the likes of a Rega P3 into touch. [But DO try a Speedbox or equivalent]. And the arm is a joy & a jewel.
(Bear in mind that I have lost 25% of my upper register hearing, old fart that I am, so anything I say on this must be coloured by this fact).