Brand new AT-LPW40WN, speed issue.

[ClayTune]

What you are describing does not happen on any of the three DD decks I own - two vintage, one a brand new 1200MK7.

It is VERY common for old equipment to have issues due to failing caps, burned out components, things drifting out of spec, poor/no maintenance, etc. Unless your old DD deck has been gone over by a tech that knows what they are doing and the DD mech was checked on an oscilloscope all bets are off. Many things that "appear" to be working correctly, often are not.

Receiver would nothing to do with TT speed, w/f, etc.

Old receivers can sound like mud due to failing caps, phono sections with poor RIAA accuracy, wrong loading for a cartridge, etc. I have a strong dislike for unserviced vintage receivers. In most cases I would recommend a new integrated amp along with a standalone phono stage that has been under some kind of lab or bench test. The phone stage need not be expensive.

HOWEVER, I think in your case you need to look at the TT and find the best one of your old decks, and then get that serviced. What specific models are we talking about here?

For a strobe disk I would use the Conrad Hoffman program, make the sure the printed is correct per scale and instructions. If not, take the PDF printout to a copy shop and have them print it for you until it is correct on thick cardstock or photopaper.

I Have a Technics SL-J2 and SL-7 and two SL-Q2 units as well as a Numark tt250 which was brand new.

All of them are DD quartz locked systems.

What are the chances something is wrong with All of these units?

 

[patient_ot]

I Have a Technics SL-J2 and SL-7 and two SL-Q2 units as well as a Numark tt250 which was brand new.

All of them are DD quartz locked systems.

What are the chances something is wrong with All of these units?

First off, not all DD quartz systems are the same. The Chinese knock off ones like Hanpin OEM stuff such as your Numark have high torque motors designed to appeal to DJs. They are NOTHING like a Japanese made or Japanese designed DD system. Typically w/f is pretty high on these, often around 0.20%, which is crap. That's double what the NAB standard is. Noise is often higher on these as well.

If your Technics turntables exhibit audible w/f they are not in spec, period, and need to be serviced. Even a lower end model like the SL-Q2 has a w/f spec of 0.025% WRMS but only when it is working properly.

That or you have off-center record, or a record that was mastered from a bad source. Like I said, it is VERY COMMON for a 30-40+ year old piece of gear, including a turntable, to need some type of servicing.

 

[Gary Francks]

Have you tried the replacement yet?
I'm interested to know how that is and whether you notice any speed issues.
I'm an interested party because despite all the advice I recieved, I actually bought a Denon DP-400!
Replaced a Technics SL-7, fully recapped and relubed main bearing and new arm drive belt!
And I don't miss it.
Denon just been fitted with a Nagaoka MP110 and I'm more than happy.
Low noise, speed fine and the auto shut off is a boon.
Now I expect flames, but I like it. It even sounded more than acceptable with the fitted stock cartridge, a version of the AT3600.
Had my feet tapping and those of the significant other half who isn't in to such things but will quickly criticise if something is wrong.
Perhaps these starter decks are actually better than some would say?

 

[jrtrent]

Perhaps these starter decks are actually better than some would say?

Congratulations on finding happiness with the DP-400. I had a similarly satisfactory experience with a DP-300F, and like you, I found the stock AT3600 derivative a good performer, though after some experimentation I settled on a Sumiko Black Pearl as my favorite for that 'table. I'm currently using an AT-LP120XUSB, with a Sumiko Oyster replacing the stock AT-VM95E (though the AT is still being used for 78's with their VMN95SP stylus). I've been surprised at how involving a listen it provides, with the Oyster's nice improvements in dynamics and resolution making my listening sessions even longer and more enjoyable, keeping me playing record after record.

It doesn't cost a fortune to hear some of vinyl's appeal. What HiFi wrote of the older AT-LP120USB, "the Audio-Technica demonstrates the sort of deft facility with timing and rhythmic organisation that makes vinyl many listeners' format of choice," and Trusted Reviews wrote of the newer 'table, "the AT-LP120XUSB turns out to be, first and foremost, a record player. One that concentrates on the peculiarly vinyl-centric traits of warmth, harmonic nuance and timing . . ."

 

[kmp14]

When I bought my first turntable after being away from turntables for many years, I did the same thing: I compared a song playing digitally with a song on an LP for speed differences. I got frustrated. I contacted the manufacturer. I (think) I asked questions in the forums. Then I realized that all this analysis was taking away from just enjoying the music. Once I realized this, I just enjoyed the music. I found that any slight difference in speed with only a problem if I could hear it, which I couldn't! I have, of course, changed turntables many times since then, but never tortured myself trying to find problems with the speed. Just my 2 cents...enjoy the music!