Can a Dual Cs5000 be made to sound Hi End?

Audioo

Active Member
I have a CS5000. Its a beautiful looking table but some have told me its not really hi end and not that great because the weakness is in its arm and cant be improved.
What if i put a really good cartridge on it would it bring it to the level of linns sotas vpis and oracles
They still sell for around 600 on fleecebay.

Your thoughts.
 
What do you care what they say? Do you really need confirmation for what you hear and like? Whatever you buy, whatever you pay, there's always, ever, gonna be someone who says you can do better, and they will always be right too. So what?

The CS5000 is a classic. It's a gorgeous table with real sophisticated hi-tech (for it's time) speed control that could potentially prove difficult to maintain and find replacement parts for, but is exceptionally reliable as long as the drive belt is in good shape. Also, to keep that reliability, a pre-emptive power supply recap is usually recommended. In my experience the 80's Rodstein power supply caps common with Dual and Thorens turntables tend to fail ungracefully over time. You do not want caps failing in this turntable with it's delicate micro-processor and fancy IC's.

The tonearm is kind of the "forever" built in type but it's versatile, although on the 80's popular low mass range, and not at least bad. It will proudly accommodate TOTL MM/MI carts like the Stanton 881S and the lower compliance sought after ADC carts. It also includes a special headshell that has provision for VTA adjustment. That's an "audiophile" grade feature, that some claim does not contribute too much to the overall rigidity and performance, thus should probably be avoided and replaced with a fixed headshell. There are Thorens targeted after-market headshells that will do and will consist an upgrade. If you're willing to give up the semi-auto convenience, the stock tonearm can even be replaced (not that I see why you'd want that).

The CS-5000 is no slouch. It will mop the floor with all the modern Hanpin SL-1200 wannabees with no exception, including most of the real none broadcast Technics tables plus many of the garage sale plastic fantastic scores you hear about around here. It is a suspended table, so some plinth damping and enhanced isolation with spikes/feet could probably yield marginal improvement. It is already quieter than most of the classic esteemed Dual idler changers, even without mods, and most collectors, including me, would just love to add one to the old hoard.

It is not a Linn Sondek, not a VPI and not a SOTA and it will never ever be, but like those, if you slap a better matching cart on it, it will sound better. Better than most actually. The sky is the limit, anything from el-cheapo AT's to fancy Benz Micro's can do. I suggest you open a separate thread for advice on possible matching carts if you decide to take that path.

They don't often sell for $600. There's also a huge difference between an asking price and an actual sale. They usually go for $500'ísh tops (with a good cart, if you stretch it) and mostly for less. It's still high enough though and would possibly rise in the future. That's because it's what people are willing to buy them for and that should tell you everything.

EDIT: It's FRACO, not Rodstein caps that go real bad when they age.
 
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This is an odd question, as it depends on your definition of 'High End'. If you were thinking of fitting £12000-worth of Clearaudio's Goldfinger Statement 2 cartridge to it, then plugging it into a Lyra Connoisseur phono stage, D'Agostino amplifiers and Wilson Audio speakers then it's going to struggle and nothing you can do to it will make it fit properly into this level of 'high end'!

Use it in a representative system with an appropriate cartridge, though, and it's a great performer and, IMHO, well worth the $600 or so you might pay for one.
 
The CS5000 is a classic. It's a gorgeous table with real sophisticated hi-tech (for it's time) speed control that could potentially prove difficult to maintain and find replacement parts for, but is exceptionally reliable as long as the drive belt is in good shape. Also, to keep that reliability, a pre-emptive power supply recap is usually recommended. In my experience the 80's Rodstein power supply caps common with Dual and Thorens turntables tend to fail ungracefully over time. You do not want caps failing in this turntable with it's delicate micro-processor and fancy IC's.


The CS-5000 is no slouch. It will mop the floor with all the modern Hanpin SL-1200 wannabees with no exception, including most of the real none broadcast Technics tables plus many of the garage sale plastic fantastic scores you hear about around here. It is a suspended table, so some plinth damping and enhanced isolation with spikes/feet could probably yield marginal improvement. It is already quieter than most of the classic esteemed Dual idler changers, even without mods, and most collectors, including me, would just love to add one to the old hoard.

It is not a Linn Sondek, not a VPI and not a SOTA and it will never ever be, but like those, if you slap a better matching cart on it, it will sound better. Better than most actually.
.

What's with the big chase for high-end? If you want a hi-end deck, buy one. Otherwise, follow some of the recommendations above, put a really good cart on it and you should have as mighty fine sounding TT.
 
Hello. It is an exellent turntable. It just needs a very complint cartridge to perform. I put it in my daughter system with adc cartridge and Jico he stylus. It is easy to operate with a shut off. Robert.20180420_192043.jpg
 
Just looked on Ebay, were there two different versions?

I se one with a wood base and another with a dark base, not sure if its plastic or fiber board.

Nashou
 
The 5000 sounds just fine in spite of the arm which is loaded with plastic. And let's not get started on that thin plastic pedestal supporting the platter bearing. And a little toy motor which I have seen eat its tiny top bushing into an oval.
But turntables do not live forever, and neither do we. So these silly issues may be of little to no consequence.
 
Just looked on Ebay, were there two different versions?

I se one with a wood base and another with a dark base, not sure if its plastic or fiber board.

Nashou

Same deck, just two different plinth finish options - black ash or Walnut,
 
It certainly can be made to sound high-end. I'd focus on finding a great cartridge that mates well with that arm, or going all out and building a custom plinth and using a different arm. The rest is all isolation and geometry.
 
What do you care what they say? Do you really need confirmation for what you hear and like? Whatever you buy, whatever you pay, there's always, ever, gonna be someone who says you can do better, and they will always be right too. So what?

The CS5000 is a classic. It's a gorgeous table with real sophisticated hi-tech (for it's time) speed control that could potentially prove difficult to maintain, but is exceptionally reliable as long as the drive belt is in good shape. The tonearm is kind of the "forever" built in type but it's versatile, although on the 80's popular low mass range, and not at least bad. It will proudly accommodate TOTL MM/MI carts like the Stanton 881S and the lower compliance sought after ADC carts. If you're willing to give up the semi-auto convenience, it can even be replaced (not that I see why you'd want that).

Geez! This TT will mop the floor with all the modern Hanpin SL-1200 wannabees with no exception, including most of the real none broadcast Technics tables and including many of the garage sale plastic fantastic "scores" you hear about around here. It is quieter than most of the classic esteemed Dual idler changers and most collectors, me included, would just love to add one to the old hoard.
It is not a Linn Sondek, not a VPI and not a SOTA and it will never ever be, but like those, if you slap a better matching cart on it, it will sound better. Better than most actually.

They don't often sell for $600 and there's a huge difference between an asking price and an actual sale. They usually sell for $500'ísh tops (with a good cart, if you stretch it) and mostly for less. It's still high, and that's because it's what people are willing to buy them for. That should tell you everything.
They are asking for and getting 500 sold prices. A couple of 1019 getting 600 plus
 
It certainly can be made to sound high-end. I'd focus on finding a great cartridge that mates well with that arm, or going all out and building a custom plinth and using a different arm. The rest is all isolation and geometry.
Wonder if someone here ever attempted this it be real interesting to hear that table
 
No. It is a fine sounding turntable, but it will never perform like a SOTA or VPI. Don't waste money on a high end cartridge. That doesn't mean that it cannot be a very satisfying turntable to use. Also, make sure the entire system can also sound high end. Take it slo and you can get there.
 
The 5000 sounds just fine in spite of the arm which is loaded with plastic. And let's not get started on that thin plastic pedestal supporting the platter bearing. And a little toy motor which I have seen eat its tiny top bushing into an oval.
But turntables do not live forever, and neither do we. So these silly issues may be of little to no consequence.

Thats a bit of downer. Why wouldnt they put the quality where it was needed and not even pitch control for 78rpms.
As you say The thin plastic pedestal, toy motor and plastic arm marrs the exceptional beauty of this table which if they thought ahead of time could have taken advantage of its beautiful design. So sad
 
Plastic is the wave of the future! The Dual 701 was the last Dual designed with virtually 100% metal parts. Only one delicate piece under chassis, anchoring the cue link lever, other than the the traditionally-plastic gear. But the motors can be a nightmare to fix. And if you have replaced any components that come in four, who is going to re-balance the bias on the drive transistors? So, the 1219 is still my favorite.
 
Actually, it was the ITT and Wima caps that failed miserably in the Dual 701 I just fixed. Now she runs like a proverbial top. This turntable is so nice, I might just not sell it. But my heart belongs to idler drive. I'm torn. We shall see.
 
Plastic is the wave of the future! The Dual 701 was the last Dual designed with virtually 100% metal parts. Only one delicate piece under chassis, anchoring the cue link lever, other than the the traditionally-plastic gear. But the motors can be a nightmare to fix. And if you have replaced any components that come in four, who is going to re-balance the bias on the drive transistors? So, the 1219 is still my favorite.
I still have my 1019. As ive been reading the best built of all the Duals. Heavy platter and trong Motor with antiskating.
 

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Every one of these caps was practically a dead short. How they did not destroy the circuitry defies explanation.
 
All this talk about "don't put a high-end cartridge on a non-high end [i.e., inexpensive] turnable! OMG!", has got me wanting to put my Benz-Micro MC on my $30 CEC BD-2000!
 
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