A couple of the TT's I've owned

[DSJR]

I bought my Dad a Dynatron all-in-one deck/receiver unit with some heybrook HB2 speakers. This Dynatron (wood veneered carcass, sliders for volume etc and presets for FM as well as a manual scale) came with several different turntables throughout its life, but this one had a GL78, to which I fitted an AT95E. Lovely sound and Dad used it for some years until his death. Along with most of my "childhood," it was disposed of.

[bubba45]

Never tried a Lenco and the 4hf was the only Idler I've ever owned. I've never truly been tempted by them.
How did your dad's sound Dave?

These are the ones I have set up and working right now:

Technics SL1210 Mk5/Mission 774SM/DL160 set up on a wall shelf in the lounge:





A 2nd 1210 MK2 also set up in the lounge with a Jelco/LAD tonearm/Nagaoka MP20. The TT itself is a spare parts number only being used to run in the LAD tonearm:





The LAD looks and sounds right at home on the 1210:



Shuggie's arm collar is perfect on the LAD:





Lounge set up:





Bedroom set up:



Stock 1210 Mk2/Ortofon VMS20e MK2:





The Systemdek in the photos isn't set up to work yet. I may sell it anyway.

[DSJR]

As you have and know the techies well, you're going to have a hard job bettering them, if at all, with idler or belt driven decks, especially if you take care with isolation, which was their weakness at the time (and still can be to a degree).

The Systemdek was a great turntable for the time and in absolute terms it was far less coloured than an LP12 of the 80's. because we set our systems up around the fruitbox, the Systemdek of the time didn't stand a chance on the UK market and the swimmy suspension was hugely endearing either tbh.

The 4HF and GL78 are rather different animals and it's amazing how far turntable design improved in the 60's and early 70's. These days, a 4HF will only work with a Stanton 500, Shure M44-7, SC35 or similar, tracking at 3 grammes minimum, but what it would sound like today when playing LP's is anyone's guess. I was given one which had spent too long in an uncle's loft and the speed pot crumbled to iron filings as soon as I touched it and this was before being plugged in - long before there was any interest in vintage disc spinners and it ended up in the Garrard graveyard.

The GL78 tonearm loves 2 gramme trackers and my Dad's one sounded lovely with the AT95e and as quiet as a mouse. I've set up and rebuilt countless GL75's and a well fettled and new exit cabled one with Linn K9 (yes, it worked well in the L75 arm) absolutely pished all over a Linn Axis in a side-by-side comparison.

I know you've had loads of turntables through your hands, judging by the pics and my advice to you now is to upgrade the "best" Techie with all the goodies, as this will give you the best sonic achievements I think.

[bubba45]

Hi Dave
I only owned the 4HF in working order with a M44 for a very short time and I only had it out of curiosity. I wasn't impressed and sold it on quickly.
I know that Lenco's have a die hard following but they just never appealed.
As for the Technics I bought my 1st only a few weeks ago after being a confirmed belt-drive suspended deck fan. In terms of sound alone my favourite deck has been or is a Pink Triangle PT1 with a Mission 774 Original but I just cannot stand the fact that they are so unreliable and delicate.
I decided to buy a 1210 after reading so many posts either praising or lambasting them on many different forums, so I wanted to try one and make my mind up for myself. After using them when DJing I was dubious, but boy was I surprised.
As you know they are excellent. The stock arm in no way deserves its reputation and is a great arm for MM carts. But the deck itself is a truly brilliant platform for decent arms like the Mission 774SM or the LAD / Jelco arms.
My plan is to settle for the SP10 I have and just slowly upgrade the arm and plinth as funds allows. Vantage Audio are giving it a service, providing a new PSU and will clean up the chassis / top plate.
Can't wait to get it back to be honest.

[DSJR]

Glad you've settled on a decent deck, but I'd still look out for any used Timestep supplies (the Paul Hynes one won't be on the used market any time soon I suspect ). the Achromat will take the sonics nearer to your favourite PT (I know where you are with these, but the Anniversary was better inside I found).

By the way, the stock technics arm only has a bad reputation with the Denon 103 brigade (). If, as you suggest, you use a suitable cartridge, the standard arm is fine, especially with a Sumiko headshell and a custom counterweight if necessary (Speedy-Steve does custom weights I understand).

Keep us posted

[Marco]

Hi Jason,

Superb stuff - just the sort of system we love to see in The Gallery!

Incidentally, the only people who lambast a well-sorted Techie are those who hate the look of it and the fact that it's Japanese, blinkered flat-earth fanboys with an axe to grind, or some belt-drive T/T selling dealers with an obvious commercial agenda.

Very few people, once they've heard a good one, will lambast it for it's audio performance, as to do so would be to say that you don't like hearing what's actually on your records. In my experience, when suitably modified, it's one of the most sonically neutral T/Ts on the market at any price.

If you want to create your own tailored brand of euphony - look elsewhere!

Smart move on the SP10. Richard at Vantage really knows his stuff, so I'm sure that your SP10 will come back sounding better than ever. What plinth, tonearm and cartridge are you thinking of using on it?

Marco.

[bubba45]

Hi Marco
For the foreseeable future the arm will be the LAD / Jelco arm I'm running in on one of my 1210's. It's a NOS arm and just sounds superb.
At the moment the cartridge I'm using is a Nagaoka MP20 which sounds fabulous on the LAD arm/1210 and so should sound just fine on the SP10 too.
The plinth is the one that came with it - plywood core with a real wood veneer.
Its in solid condition but a few minor dinks and blemishes so I've had to do a bit of superficial restoration (re-oiling and re-varnishing) + adapting it so it can take DIY armboards for differing 9" & 10" arms.
Medium term I will most likely go for one of Russ Collisons beautiful plinths but that won't be until the start of next financial year.
I'm looking around at carts but not in a hurry with that either so in the next 6 months or so I'll probably get something thats an upgrade but not sure what yet. i'll start asking or opinions sometime in spring I guess.
Long term for an arm I would like to have an SME 310 but thats a long term ambition - next 2 years maybe.
This is probably the most long term thinking I've had for a TT and I can be patient.
I wasn't actually looking to buy an SP10 when I saw it on eBay but it was in my favourite state for a TT - abused, abandoned and neglected - and it was at a price I could afford. After selling a couple of my other TT's I've been able to get it serviced by VA and will gradually upgrade it from there.
Jason

[MCRU]

Which Mk of SL1210 is the best for modding then if I was to get one? thx

[Marco]

Hi David,

Any of the current models are fine, MK2 or MK5 - there ain't no difference

Marco.

[Devilscucumber]

Hi, just wondering if you needed to use a spacer to get the Ortofon VMS 20E to be at the correct height to work on the Technics (I had issues with the lift mechanism not going down far enough to make contact with the record)