Best vintage DD turntables from the 70's and 80's?

YAMAHA GT-2000 has just jumped onto my radar

Have you seen both versions ? Look here for luxury 2000L version. 
It has a coreless motor, must be a great deck, SAEC made special version of their arm for Yamaha table. Not sure how easy user can change an arm if needed? 

 I found a nice Onkyo for ya. Only 33000 euro!

Deal, this is what i normally pay for one singel cartridge, so it's a bargain 



  

The question sounds like you are asking for a cost no object turntables ... ok ... EMT-930 and related models, Denon DP-100, Micro Seiki SX-8000 , J.C.Verdier , Victor TT-101 .. and special Miami Vice style for you is
Nakamichi TS1000

Don’t forget the Lewm’s Kenwood L-07D

There are also Garrard, Lenco, Thorens, Sony, Technics ...

I need this one for Christmas

@harold-not-the-barrel

Audioscope’s prices are crazy, the OP has bought a minty PD-444 from japanese seller on ebay just for $2k with two spare armboards and that was a bargain! Normally they are over $3k and each og armbase is about $150-200 minimum.

BTW The great alternative to the original arm bases are these from Italy.

Luxman sold PD-441, PD-444, PD-555 were naturally engineered by Micro Seiki : the PD-441 and PD-555 bear MITO T-Tags (MIcro Tokyo) on top of the "official" LUX T-Tag while the PD444 has an MTC T-Tag - which is also Micro. Check the source here @knollbrent

So the turntable engineered by Micro Seiki, but if the motor comes from JVC for Micro Seiki then i love it even more! It would be nice to have some proof of it, however. 

@harold-not-the-barrel

Chakster, yes that´s reasonably priced but its 110V so fits only in US and Japan. AudioScope´s is 230V for European audiophiles + has a warranty. How many vintage hyper decks have a full warranty ? Not so many.

It’s actually 100v for Japan market, 110v for USA is another one.
And 220-240v is the rarest, but i use my 100v Luxmans with step-down transformer from 220v to 100v, i’m using local step down transformers and they are retalively cheap, i have one 1000w for two Luxmans (this is an old photo, you can see my TT-101 in the corner, i don’t use those tube amps anymore :).

Japanese Toyozumi Dengenkiki step-down transformers are quieter, more expensive and probably much better, but i’ve never tried them.

People are crazy about step-down transformers when it comes to the Japanese amps, but i don’t think it’s so critical for a turntable, it’s all about correct voltage just to rotate the platter, there is no audio signal.

However, Nelson Pass told me it’s fine to use step-down trans for my 110v US version of First Watt F2J power amp, so i bought another 1000w step down trans (240 to 110v for US electronics). Maybe i will just ask his to ship me a trand for 220v to replace mine in the amp one day.

If someone is thinking that using a trep-down transformer for a turntable is bad idea please explain why ?

We have our @ateal with GT2000 and Fidelity-Reseach cartridges (R.I.P. Ikeda-San).

Nakamichi TX-1000 is limited edition, not so many units were made as far as i know. My audiophile fellow in Moscow has it, it’s extremely expensive turntable! My question: is it possible to use 1.8kg Micro Seiki mat on it or its self-centering system do the magic only with stock mat? @genesis168

I hate automatic turntables, especially the vintage automatic turntables.
If the owner of such turntables is not a DIYer then they must be serviced, refurbished, adjusted, calibrated etc. Many automatic turntables are broken, the electornics does not work well. How much the owners have to pay to restore them ?

The only automatic turntable which i’d like to have is this cute little 12inch size Technics SL-10 (and fully programmable SL-15 with 205 mk4 pmount cartridge), but ONLY if they are already refurbished by some specialista in Japan. Nice for a kitchen system.

Serious vintage turntables must be manual in my opinion. I just don’t trust this automatic sh*t

Automatic turntables are difinitely not the best turntables.

@sleepwalker65 

Have you seen this AT Safety Raiser ? Brand new device from Audio-Technica for lazy guys: "Designed to mount on a manual turntable, the AT6006R Safety Raiser automatically lifts the tonearm at the end of a record, protecting the stylus from damage."

I think it's nice option for manual turntables. 

the AT6006R Safety Raiser:
This is how it works , explained by Michael Fremer

  

yep, that the only automatic part that some of us may need when fall to sleep in the chair while listening an LP :)  Remote control for the amp volume control is another nice option. 

@edgewear

Actually I do and can recommend it highly. It was part of a Japan only series of three models. The PL-30L II and PL-50L II were the smaller ones with 9" tonearms, the PL-70 II was bigger with a 12" version. One might say that these tables were ’trickled down’ from the big P3 and P10 Exclusive tables. The styling and in particular the tonearms are very similar.

I agree, the PL-70II or P-10, i wish i could find one. They are so nice compared to modern Pioneer’s crapy turntables, the best ever MM cartridge designed for this Pioneer tonearm is PC-1000 mkII (Beryllium cantilever). Here is PC-1000 mkII MM on Pioneer P-3 turntable with removed wooden plinth, look what’s inside. Lewm’s favorite P-3 with coreless motor is amazing, read more about it.

PL-70-II is much cheaper alternative, but i would give them my prize for design.

P.S. All info about the cartridge: https://audio-heritage.jp/PIONEER-EXCLUSIVE/etc/pc-1000ii.html 

There are two versions of P3, the best one is P3-A - right ? 

Some people just don't understand that classic high-end only increased its value over the years on the used marked, while the new high-end only decreased in value once it leave the shop. New Technics turntables will be availabe for the next 20 years and the price will be lower on the used market (except for the limited edition model). Some of the best vintage DD turntables getting rare and highly collectible. Some of them are incredibly good compared to the most new turntables. Like a classic cars they have charming design compared to the ugly turntables of today.    

You’d better ask jpjones about new vs. old Technics.

In my opinion square chassis of SP-10mkIII is not good for two tonearms, the plinth must be huge for two arms and the arms must be "12 inch ideally. Stock Obsidian plinth is not designed for two tonearms, not even for "12 inch tonearm. My teak wood custom plinth was big even for one tonearm, imagine how big it must be for two tonearms. Normally plinth makers asking for a plinth more than we paid for turntable.

Here is a pic of my old Technics with several tonearms:
1) Schick "12 inch + SPU
2) EPA-100 "10.5 + ZYX Airy III EPA-100
3) Reed 3P "12 + Glanz 61
4) Without arms and plinth on Audio-Technica pneumatic footers.

This is a kind of plinth i really like (visually), you can compare two different kinds: https://oswaldsmillaudio.com/technics

BUT here is OMA Technics without square chassis!

Imagine the price for OMA plinth :)
and then the price for each armboard if you want to change the arm.

P.S. Victor TT-101 is more user friendly for many tonearms, here is a nice blog of Tuchan: https://audiocirc.com/2016/04/08/a-good-table-deserves-a-good-plinth/

Anyway each time i think about custom plinth it’s a P.I.T.A., because someone have to make them and it’s too complicated if you don’t have the right person to deal with.

This is the reason i love my pair of Luxman PD-444, i can forget about that plinth problem, i can use any tonearms i want, i can install them quickly and swap them quickly.

@knollbrent just to tease (jpjones blog):

SP-10mkIII http://fidelisanalog.com/2018/04/22/nos-technics-sp-10mk3-maiden-voyage/ 

SP-10R http://fidelisanalog.com/2018/05/25/technics-sp-10r-unboxing/#more-939 

Victor TT-101 http://fidelisanalog.com/2016/11/25/barn-find-victor-tt-101/ 

@best-groove 

haha, definitely without arms :)) 
but only to look at, i've never tried in action as i don't have tonearm pod, but i think it must be pretty good if the owner will have one or two tonearm pods and those special preumatic footers. With tonearm pods everyone could swap the arm quickly, but the platrorm under the turntable/pods must be nice too. 

@br3098 

When I worked for RSL in the 1970s we were a Luxman dealer. As I recall, the Luxman repair tech that would come by the stores occasionally told me that the PD-441 and PD-444 motors were designed for Luxman and manufactured by Teac.

Interesting. Are you sure ?