Reminiscing about Dual and AR turntables

Had AR turntable with JBL 99 speaker when i used to rock out but never had automatic turntable.Have a much better turntable now TW AC1 with TW 10.5 arm and Transfiguration Proteus.Enjoy!!

I took my AR XA to a machine shop and had the tone arm's bearing well on the T-bar subchassis cut out. I enlarged the hole in the table's top plate myself, and mounted a Formula 4 unipivot arm in the hole on the T-bar. The AR ES-1 is almost identical to the XA/B, but with a mounting plate for either the optional AR arm or one of your choice. For the price the ES-1 sells for, I would opt for it over the XA/B.

I would not take an AR for free. I still own a Dual Golden One, but do not use it much. The op forgot Garrard. Garrard made a few turntables well regarded to this day, the 301, and 401. Otherwise most Garrard are also only nostalgia. My first TT was a Garrard Lab 80, idler wheel , wood tonearm.   Then all those Japanese brands.   
On the other hand, Thorens are still being modified and used.  
Noatalgia is powerful for some folks. Not me.                       
My main TT is a Kuzma Stabi Stogi S I bought it here in the goN; Have not seen another one here since. LOL

Erik, I am not sure what you mean by “better and easier to buy”.  The vintage Thorens turntables that receive a lot of attention are the TD 124 and the TD 125. There are later models that are also admired by some and used by many. I think all of those turntables are inherently far superior to the AR and generally the Dual turntables as well. The Thorens  turntables may be more plentiful on the used market because more of them were purchased to begin With. Therefore I guess you could say they are “easier to buy”. I am not a big fan of the TD 124 myself, but that’s just my opinion.

@lewm 

By "easier to buy" i really meant easier to own. I can buy them and leave them alone instead of buying and modding or fiddling with them. :) 

Best,

E