Garrard 301 restoration project

[sq225917]

Cool, am interested to hear how the new psu sounds once you have it up and running.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Si,

id id love to hear the bloody thing as well !!! I'll be posting a review and some pix when I've had chance to ascertain the psu's sonic characteristics. Your always welcome to pop over again at some time, maybe fetch your paradise as well and we can compare fancy components from the USA?

andy

[sq225917]

Can do.

[Wakefield Turntables]

PSU & Tachometer finally arriving tomorrow after I paid the thick end of £150 import tax . Hopefully get some pix up tomorrow or Friday.

[Wakefield Turntables]

They have arrived and are extremely tiny. I will post some pix tonight.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Well it's all been setup and working, however I will have to raise the platter an additional 1-2mm due to the way the sensor on the Tachometer works. I have one or two complaints. I've have to get a USA/UK plug convertor (I had a spare in the office), secondly I've had to chop off the power lead IEC so bare wires could be attached directly to the 301's motor. I've had the platter spinning at 45.0000 rpm +/- 0.001-2 rpm so it all looks good. I've not heard any music yet but that pleasure will hopefully occur tomorrow. I'll probably make some dampening rings for the bearing whilst taking the oppotunity to rise it another 1-2mm. More tomorrow.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I've had the new PSU & Tachometer working today. I had to add an additional 1mm washer under the 401 bearing so the sensor had enough clearence distance and BINGO! I've now had the thing running for about 45 minutes and it's as steady as a rock. I've just played one side of vinyl (Andrew Lloyd Webber - Variations) and it sounds rock solid lots of things coming into the soundstage that I've not heard before. I really do need a good hour or two listening to some of my old stuff but first impressions are extremely encouraging.

[Wakefield Turntables]

NEW UPGRADE ALERT!

Pheonix Engineering Tachometer and Roadrunner PSU (25W) version.

I've had the new PSU & Tachometer strapped in new for several days and it looks like this.

301Psu.jpg

The boxes are very very small but thats extremely useful as they dont take up much space and sit straight under the 301. I can now select 35/45 RPM at a whim and have complete rock solid platter speed control to within 0.001 RPM. As demonstrated here.

Eye's down, all the three's...

allthe3s.jpg

I've still not properly optimised my cable management yet

Poorcablemanagement!.jpg

The Tachometer works by fitting an extremely small magnet under the rim of the platter. A small PCB with a small sensor measures the speed of the magnet every platter rotation and updates the Tachometer speed is automatically adjusted.

Sensor.jpg

The PSU power lead had to be modified so that I could connect it to my UN-IEC based 301, I simply chopped off the IEC plug, stripped the PSU lead wires bare and connected to the 301. Remember the Yanks colour code mains leads different to us Brits . Power lead also needs fixing...

TempPSUleads.jpg

Now how does it sound, well in a word STUNNING!

[Jimbo]

NEW UPGRADE ALERT!

Pheonix Engineering Tachometer and Roadrunner PSU (25W) version.

I've had the new PSU & Tachometer strapped in new for several days and it looks like this.

301Psu.jpg

The boxes are very very small but thats extremely useful as they dont take up much space and sit straight under the 301. I can now select 35/45 RPM at a whim and have complete rock solid platter speed control to within 0.001 RPM. As demonstrated here.

Eye's down, all the three's...

allthe3s.jpg

I've still not properly optimised my cable management yet

Poorcablemanagement!.jpg

The Tachometer works by fitting an extremely small magnet under the rim of the platter. A small PCB with a small sensor measures the speed of the magnet every platter rotation and updates the Tachometer speed is automatically adjusted.

Sensor.jpg

The PSU power lead had to be modified so that I could connect it to my UN-IEC based 301, I simply chopped off the IEC plug, stripped the PSU lead wires bare and connected to the 301. Remember the Yanks colour code mains leads different to us Brits . Power lead also needs fixing...

TempPSUleads.jpg

Now how does it sound, well in a word STUNNING!

Good job Andy, thought they would make a difference. They are a no brainer on the rubber band VPI turntables but I have heard good things with Lenco TT and now you have found it makes a worthwhile difference with the 301.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Good job Andy, thought they would make a difference. They are a no brainer on the rubber band VPI turntables but I have heard good things with Lenco TT and now you have found it makes a worthwhile difference with the 301.

Jim, I've now posted a little mini review.