Your first real turntable?

[danj]

I wonder what was the first "good" turntable the members of AK owned. I'm not talking about the megadollar dream you've just bought - I'm talking about the very first decent machine you bought for yourself. You know, after you graduated from the Fisher-Price and GE record players.

For me it was a Kenwood KD-1033, followed very shortly thereafter by a DUAL 1219. That would have been around 1972 or '72. Before that I used a the Garrard changer in my KLH compact.

 

[mech986]

Well, my actual first turntables were 2 thorens tables: A TD166 and a TD145, both bought from 1 guy in 1977 for $100 the pair. When I later moved to East Lansing in 1981, I went to a local stereo retailer that was closing and bought 2 used Thorens TD160's for $50 the pair. The salesman was laughing at what I was getting for the price but he didn't seem to care much.

I still have all 4 of them too!

Also had a couple of AR XA's for awhile. They worked well for what they were.

Regards,

Bart

 

[visitor]

Do you want people to expose all their weaknesses?


The first one I considered decent was a Sansui FRD25 (+/- 1981) followed by an SL-D2 and then I have no idea.

I do have better TT's but these days I normally use a Technics SL-D2.

 

[Reel 2 Reel]

First TT was a sansui SR-232..with an Audio Technica AT-12 cart...... part of a used system I bought back in 79'...

Had the Sansui AU-217 Amp and Tuner..a Pioneer RG-1 dynamic Range expander...and some "off Brand"..speakers...

 

[Ski]

The first TT I bought was a BSR changer. It was fairly decent. The tonearm sucked but atleast it took a cartridge. A couple of years later I bought a Pioneer PL-255 that I still have.

My first "real" TT was a Dual 510 that I bought from Audiogon almost a year ago.

 

[BlackSwamp]

At 13 I was making $1.75 an hour washing dishes in a Chinese restaurant. My first real purchase as a working kid was a Pioneer PL-518 turntable.

 

[Shain]

My first was an Elac Miracord 50H. Fully automatic dreamboat !

Got it from my brother in law, that bought it in Germany during the Viet Nam era.

 

[Dave918]

Originally posted by DingusBoy
At 13 I was making $1.75 an hour washing dishes in a Chinese restaurant. My first real purchase as a working kid was a Pioneer PL-518 turntable.

My first TT of any real quality was also a PL-518. Used it for many years until the evil wench I was married to stole it from me. :uzi:

-Dave

 

[mhardy6647]

My first 'good' tt was a small Philips bought used from a very funky hi-fi place on 25th St in Baltimore. I don't definitely recall the model number (I think it was AF 308) but it had a 10" platter and rocker controls like the later entry level Philips table (was that the AF327? I'm having number memory problems today) but a tonearm design extremely similar to the AF212. It also had an mechanical auto stop, which later malfunctioned and which I disabled. My father used this tt for many years after I upgraded, although it's now slowly decomposiing in his musty basement :-(

 

[grumpy]

My first non store brand ( Sears Etc..) was a used Technics SL-D2 which I still have after 20 plus years.

 

[B3Nut]

My first real TT was a PL-518 as well...it mainly lived in the family stereo with Dad's SX-535 and the Audio 2 bookshelves (later replaced with SMG's). Kept that TT through several systems, then had an HK TT of some kind for awhile, then got my CS-5000, which I still have.

I want a PL-518 again tho...would make a nice mate for my SX-780 and CT-F600 set.

TP

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

AR-Xa with a Shure M91ED. Never saw the lack of a anti-skate device as a problem. It always tracked well.

 

[MCS Guy]

My fathers MCS 6500 with the AT12 cart on it. I still think its a pretty good TT. Still have it today.

 

[VinylHanger]

My first table that started me in this folly was a plastic fantastic Technics sl-202 or something like that. But that was quickly followed up by a beautiful Onkyo 303(?) Man I loved that table. But I thought it had a bad flutter and speed problem. I should never have used Steve Miller to test the stability...... I was new to this, all his music seems to have a bit of waver put into it. So it went away in a trade for something, still kicking myself for that.

 

[danj]

Originally posted by CELT
AR-Xa with a Shure M91ED. Never saw the lack of a anti-skate device as a problem. It always tracked well.

I've had several XA's and never found that the tonearm was as bad as some say it is. In fact, despite it looking primitive compared to many more modern arms, it tracks fine and works better than many. The weaknesses are the plastic tonearm bearings and the vulnerable wireing AND the cheesy tonearm rest. Sonically, if the table is properly adjusted, its sonics are excellent.

I currently use a heavily modified XA. It has a motor and suspension upgrade, a different base, and a different tonearm. I love the way it operates. There is no rumble, speed is dead accurate and steady, and it is virtually immune to feedback.

 

[tentoze]

First "real" table was a Technics something or other- SL-202 or similar designation, with some sort of Audio Technica MM cart. Had it for about 10 years until it and everything else in the house) got burgled. In hindsight, that burglary was a godsend- made me go out and buy some nice (at least to me ) gear. A Denon DP-47F replaced the stolen Technics- if the judge hadn't given it to the ex, I'd still have it today.

 

[dr*audio]

My first decent TT was a Garrard AT-60 with a Shure M55E, followed by a Dual 1218 with a Shure M91ED which I kept for most of college. Then:
Thorens TD-150 With Shure M95ED
Thorens TD-165 With Shure M95ED, Replaced by a Denon DL-103
Now:
Thorens TD-126 With GAS Sleeping Beauty
Luxman PD-375 Grace F-9
Dual CS-5000 Ortofon MC-20 Super

 

[tony2v]

A Garrard GT-15 with a Shure M95ED. I lusting after the GT-35 with a Shure V15 Type III, but I was a college student on a Burger King budget.

 

[ron-c]

Back in the 70's I worked at a stereo store in the midwest. The owner went to the Technics line show where the brand was introduced to the US and bought all of the samples which was one of each model, a 10" R-to-R, cassett deck, SL120, SL1200, and SL1100 turntables.
I bought the SL1200 which was serial number 00000001. I sold it a few years later. Little did I know this series would become the world's most popular table with over 3 million sold. Wonder what that old 1200 is worth today. Dooh!
Ron-C

 

[Toasted Almond]

AR-XA w/Shure V15 Type III cart.

TA