1. Home
  2. analog
  3. 1317949815

Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

I have just acquired a 32 year old JVC/Victor TT-101 DD turntable after having its lesser brother, the TT-81 for the last year.
TT-101
This is one of the great DD designs made at a time when the giant Japanese electronics companies like Technics, Denon, JVC/Victor and Pioneer could pour millions of dollars into 'flagship' models to 'enhance' their lower range models which often sold in the millions.
Because of their complexity however.......if they malfunction.....parts are 'unobtanium'....and they often cannot be repaired.
halcro
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,289 posts
 
Fleib,
I'd recommend that you at least try the 'Halcro' method...😎
But please don't underestimate the importance of a REALLY heavy armpod...that's the real message of the Copernican Thread.
Most armpods I see folks using are made of aluminium or hollow type construction which IMHO will not create the conditions I talk about.

Lew prefers to talk 'theory' without having the practical experience.
I have actually heard in my listening room all the comparable 'theories' of platter/motor/arm variations and Lew has not.
That never stops him...
I long ago learnt in this hobby......experience trumps theory almost every time 👍


fleib
1,124 posts
 

Lew, It seems to me that w/o a suspension, the advantage of a chassis or plinth coupling the parts, is lost.  Instead of the chassis being a rowboat it's the base supporting the structures. If vibrations are affecting the motor unit they are more likely to affect the arm, if coupled.  The back and forth of vibration transmission would smear the sound.

In reality, I think either approach can sound good with good parts and execution.

Regards,

fleib
1,124 posts
 

Halcro, Thanks for the tip, I figured as much. Does your new design change the attachment of the motor unit to the base?  I was thinking of bolting it on and using compressed sorbothane washers.

It will be awhile before I can get it together. Right now I'm devising a scheme for the actual build.

Regards,

halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,289 posts
 
Fleib,
I still just rest the TT-101 on three butyl rubber pads stuck to the granite cradle...
http://i.imgur.com/h673918.jpg
They are the same as the ones I had on the stainless steel cradle...
http://i.imgur.com/UuEyECm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qEWvSHn.jpg
I figure that the 10Kg weight of the motor unit resting on the hard rubber pads creates enough friction not to move and also allows me to remove the TT-101 from the cradle very easily.

Your thought of bolting and sorbothane washers is probably better although the more compressed the sorbothane becomes.....the more 'coupled' to the substrate the turntable becomes, which could possibly colour the sound?
Good luck and please keep us informed of your progress...
fleib
1,124 posts
 

Interesting.  There are quite a few things to figure out and it would be easier to incorporate them in the initial build, then to add-on later.  If I want to bolt the motor unit to the structure I should embed threaded inserts and have space beneath to accommodate the bolts.

This Kenwood ARCB stuff will probably be like working with clay or epoxy putty. I should be able to add on layers.  I know you can drill/cut it, although a little messy. Polyester resin is auto body patch material (Bondo), and I'll have to experiment with mixing and sculpting. Seems a whole lot easier to drop it in a plinth. 

I could build a better (than stock) plinth and I wonder if the pod approach is worth the extra trouble.  I'd have to make arm pods as well. 

Still mulling this over, but pods are intriguing.  I also have an old Sota Sapphire I don't use cause it can't keep proper speed.  If I podify that w/new motor, I could have 2 set-ups and 4 or 6 arms and sell a few tables. Sounds like a plan.

More to discover