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

Howdy folks-

We’ll I’ve got the vinyl bug for sure. 6 months ago, I bought my first TT, a nice Technics 1200 GR along with some killer vintage MM carts like Audio-Technica, Stanton and a few Grace. I love my GR! I love that little silver bastard A LOT as a matter of fact. A couple weeks ago, my second table arrived, a minty fresh Luxman PD-444 from Japan. This is a Micro Seiki built TT and was the "tits" in the mid 70’s. I can mount 2 arms on the Luxman. I’ve got a nice Victor 7045 arm coming soon along with a Victor X-1IIe MM cart which work quite well together.

I’d like to add another Vintage TT from the 70’s or 80’s and probably phase out the GR. I like the look of the old Pioneer, Denon and Victor tables. I’d like to get a vintage table that can be serviced if needed, something I can add a sweet vintage arm too. 3 arms are better than two!

I’d like to hear suggestions and comments on some fantastic, cool as crap, vintage turntables that you think should sit next to the Luxman.

Thanks again for your help!

Brent




128x128knollbrent
downunder
1,328 posts
 
The Exclusive P10 is reportedly very close sonically to the P3 and should give you more leeway financially.

I own the P3 and have owned two P10's.  the P10 is a very nice table, however the P3 is in another universe as far as as sound quality goes. 

Outside of the parts of the tonearm - its very cool being able to swap arm wands between both tables, everything else on the P3 is built exclusively for the P3 and is the best table Pioneer knew how to make and it sounds amazing.   
chakster's avatar
chakster
2,482 posts
 
There are two versions of P3, the best one is P3-A - right ? 
edgewear
119 posts
 
According to the vintageknob the signal-to-noise ratio went from 78dB on the P3 to 95dB on the P3A, so I suppose it is correct to assume it is (much) better. The P10 was also high up on the list of that Japanese turntable shoot-out in Stereo Sound magazine in 1980, but the P3 was the clear winner.

jpjones3318's avatar
jpjones3318
117 posts
 
According to the vintageknob the signal-to-noise ratio went from 78dB on the P3 to 95dB on the P3A, so I suppose it is correct to assume it is (much) better.

There's also a footnote explaining that.  
ttbolad
38 posts
 
I love my JVC QL-Y7F.  Unbelievably quiet and detailed.  I love the electronic arm (this coming from someone who just sold a Triplanar) and the auto and cueing features.  My backup is a Technics SP10 Mk2 which has been refurbished.  As good as the SP10 is, the JVC always sounded better to me.  The SP10 sounds a little "edgy" in comparison, i.e the JVC is more smooth and relaxed.  I A/B'ed the tables using a Lyra Delos.

I also had a number of belt driven tables before trying DDs.  Invariably I stopped listening to classical piano records on these tables (think Beethoven sonatas, or Ivan Moravec playing Chopin) because of the wow/flutter that is non-existent on DDs.  If you are sensitive to this distortion, a lot of belt drives (or more likely just the slipping belts) don't cut it.  

And how many times have I forgotten to lift the arm at the end of the record so that it spun for hours in the lead-out grove.  The JVC has a great auto-return and shutoff mechanism.
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