Wonder if your older Ortofon TA's were made by Jelco? Many of the more modern Ortofon TAs are. Guess that is "were" since Jelco closed their doors this past spring.
Denon DP80 & DP75 Owner's Thread
- Thread starter MX117.MC7150
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Certainly could be. Here is a review of the 212 from 1968, if you haven't seen. Some comparisons to the SME 3009.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/ortofon-rs-212-tonearm
https://www.stereophile.com/content/ortofon-rs-212-tonearm
BillWojo
Addicted Member
What I didn't mention is that it is also about the cheapest way to finish parts. Does away with cleaning off small burrs, that is very labor intensive as well. After bead blasting it goes right into the anodizing shop.
I rather like the bead blasted finish and have used it myself on my latest project, my new armboards with interchangeable inserts for my JVC build.
But what I really like is the very finely machined tonearms, mostly from Japan. It shows off the incredible machine work that came out of their shops. My JVC tonearms and the Micro Seiki tonearm exhibit this very well. Makes a lot of other tonearms look rather crude. As a machinist I can spot high quality parts at a glance, now whether they hit the required tolerances when made, that should have been sorted out in final inspection.
That said, I do have a SME 3009 SII Improved with a detachable headshell mounted on a table that I haven't played with yet. And if a long arm Jelco came my way at the right price I would certainly give it a try. I kind of like tonearms. LOL
BillWojo
I agree. The DA401 with a Stanton 881 or 981 is hard to beat without more invested.
stratokaster
Mental toss flycoon
I don't know if you have ever seen or handled Jelco TK-850 or 950 tonearms, they are very finely made high quality pieces of gear. I used to own a Victor UA-7045 tonearm by the way and I don't think those Jelcos are inferior to it in any way.
Obviously, when it comes to products of British cottage hi-fi industry, the quality can vary wildly. For example, I have a Mission 774 tonearm that has something of a cult following - it's a great sounding tonearm alright, but it looks absolutely horrible, it was clearly made by people who thought that "fit and finish" was an insult. E.g. no attempt was made to remove sprue from cast metal parts or sand machined parts before painting them. How they managed to sell them with such attention to detail is beyond my comprehension, but I guess many people in Britain would buy almost anything if it says "made in England"
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Very nice.Will add the 3010-R to my 10" tonearm search.
Ditto!
bimasta
Addicted Member
I had the same Mission arm (oddly, every model Mission made was called 774 even though the look and design principles totally changed). My version of the one you had was very well finished, so they cleaned up their act. It was impeccable in fact, though some parts (like the arm-lift, and trough for damping-fluid) seemed "tacked on" at the end, and not "designed into it" from the start.Obviously, when it comes to products of British cottage hi-fi industry, the quality can vary wildly. For example, I have a Mission 774 tonearm that has something of a cult following - it's a great sounding tonearm alright, but it looks absolutely horrible, it was clearly made by people who thought that "fit and finish" was an insult. E.g. no attempt was made to remove sprue from cast metal parts or sand machined parts before painting them. How they managed to sell them with such attention to detail is beyond my comprehension, but I guess many people in Britain would buy almost anything if it says "made in England"
It used one ONE ball-bearing in the vertical pivot, while everyone else uses two. This cuts "stiction" by half, but compromises rigidity a little. The only other arm I know of to use a single bearing is the ODYSSEY RPG, which I use now. It has NO "play" despite using one bearing.
Designer of the Mission arm was John Bicht. He later designed the Versalab TT, with an air-bearing, linear-tracking arm. A radical change. I saw a Versa at the late Brooks Berdan "museum" in LA. It was simply the best and most beautiful TT I've ever seen, with immaculate finish and overall elegance. It cost a fortune for its time, but Brooks wouldn't sell it, and never used it... he was a collector and curator.
Bicht probably lost money on it — and switched his talents to designing F1 race cars,
Here is the Versalab, BTW and FYI —
Do you think Stanton 881 or 991 would outperform DL103R or DL303?
The 103's are fantastic on a higher mass arm. The 303 would be good on the 401 arm. I don't remember the 303 I had but a 305 and the 981 both sounded great on the 401. The 305 being a touch better with a good step up transformer.
We've certainly let this thread "drift". I'm as guilty as any, but perhaps we should start another thread and leave this one oriented to the DP-80.
FreedomJazz
Member
Hello sir, congratulations for this beautiful turntable, please, appreciate if you can solve some questions of mine, about assembly a turntable like this.
Please, let me ask you, how the motor and tonearms installation process works ? It's too much complicated for a beginner?
I'm asking because I'm a beginner about this subject, my background with audio equipment is related with DJ stuff, very simple stuff, a mixer with phono stages built in, 2 Technics SL1200 turntables, powered active Yamaha bookshelf speakers, a subwoofer, and that's it... (Don't have this system anymore)
Anyway, I not DJing at my home anymore, and now I planing to assemble a more refined system...
But first things first, the turntable, I have the opportunity the get an almost mint condition Denon DK-3000 plinth, DP-80 motor, and probably a Denon tonearm DA-401, or other Denon tone arms variations from the DA-300 series...
How the tonearm and turntable installation process works? It's very straight forward, or requires some more specific knowledge about electronics to install properly?
Any basic info about this will help me to understand this concept more.
Many thanks to all, best regards.
Edit: I know there's a tool called Dr.Feickert Protactor, in order to instal the tonearm and cartridge with the optimal position in relation to the motor.
This is all I need to start? There's any knowledge about electronics that must to be understood on the assemble process of this turntable?
Thanks again.
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That is a very nice plinth and the DP80 is fantastic. I think you meant to say the plinth is a DK300 (or 2300 with two arms). A lot will depend on where the hole was cut on the existing arm board. You may need a new arm board or cut a new hole depending on the arm you choose. You can measure from the center of the hole in the arm board to the center spindle of the DP-80. For a DA-401 arm you want that distance to be 230mm. See attached. You would then adjust the cartridge so the stylus tip overhangs the spindle by 14mm. With the stock headshell you can then just set the stylus tip 38, 50 or 52 mm from the end of the headshell connector for perfect alignment ( I forgot that exact distance but it was n the manual). Instead of all that you can also us a protractor to align the cartridge.
If the hole on the arm board is not 230mm from center spindle you can look on vinyl engines tonearm database for an arm that measure close to what you have if you do not want to cut a new hole or make a new arm board.
As long as the DP-80 is running properly no electrical knowledge is needed. The tone arm just plugs into the RCA ports of the amp. If is not connected to the DP-80 at all.
All the "pieces" you mention are pretty much "drop in, plug together & play" with some adjustment needed. If you have average mechanical/electronics aptitude, you will be fine.
The pieces your mention are excellent and you can download the manuals from the Vinyl Engine website library. They also have excellent info on setting the alignment on your cartridge as do many other places on the internet, including here:
https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/i...c-turntable-setup-video-a-new-version.457897/
A couple of questions:
- where are you located? The DP-80 runs on 100vac. If in NA you will need a 120vac to 100vac step-down transfomer. In Europe you will need something different. They are inexpensive to purchase and you simply plug the DP-80 power cord into it.
- what cartridge & phono-preamp are you planning to use? You need to insure your phono-preamp and cartridge are compatible as not all phono-preamps can be used with all cartridges.
The Dr. Feichert Protractor is both expensive (at least to me) and somewhat complex to use. You might be better served to go with a more basic protractor. Here is the one I prefer, but there are many others that work just as well:
https://www.amazon.com/Turntable-Cartridge-Stylus-Alignment-Protractor/dp/B005KR15HU
Here is a quick tutorial from AT, but, as mentioned, there are many other video and written ones available for free.
https://audio-technica.com.au/latest-news/how-to/align-turntable-cartridge/
The "trickiest" part of all this may be the need to drill a hole in the armboard to mount the tonearm. I'll guess that your DK-300 is all ready drilled for a DA-401 arm or similar. And, you can always ask for additional help here.
Go for it. Will be a great set-up.
FreedomJazz
Member
For know I'm not have a system anymore, sold all my stuff, the technics turntables, mixer, speakers and etc, due the catastrophic economical crisis here in Brazil, but I'm glad that I managed to keep my vinyl collection, and I hope that will enjoy it again when the financial situation here start to get better, as I have a friend in Japan, I can get the plinth and the motor maybe next year, so I planning to build a new system step by step, still uncertain exactly when, so I not thinking about the amplification gears yet, just the turntable, and understand better how is the process of install the motor and the tonearm...
By the way, the electric grid here is 110V, so I will need a step-down transformer? as the turntable works at 100V?
Many thanks!!!!
By the way, the electric grid here is 110V, so I will need a step-down transformer? as the turntable works at 100V?
Many thanks!!!!
Yes. Still need the step-down transformer to be safe. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/VCT-VT-500J-...ac+stepdown+transformer&qid=1608296476&sr=8-3
What you are calling the 'motor' is actually the complete TT without a tonearm. It simply drops into the DK-300 plinth, which is what I use. Very simple to do as the DK-300 is designed for same and has the proper cutout.
Good luck getting your system together again.
FreedomJazz
Member
Understood! Thank you very much!
FreedomJazz
Member
Hello sir, appreciate very much if you can solve another doubt of mine about the plinth, for what I understood, on the Denon DK-3000 plinth, there's already the hole for instal the Denon tonearms right? like the DA-309 for example... Let's say if I choose the plinth Denon DK-2300, that there's a place for a second tonearm, and I choose to install as a second tonearm some Victor UA- tonearms series for example, I will need to do some wood work on the second hole in order to fit the tonearm? or they are more or less universal size?
Many thanks! best regards!
Many thanks! best regards!
Am not familiar with the DK-3000 plinth. Mine is a DK-300, which has a removeable armboard that is 'generally' drilled for a Denon TA. However, as it is removeable (4-screws - one at each corner of the armboard) then it could have been replaced with a different armboard drilled for a different TA.
Like the DK-3000, I am not familiar with the DK-2300 other than from this forum, so cannot speak to its layout arrangement.
All TAs are not the same. My Stax TA requires a 17mm hole. I'm not sure what a Denon TA requires. You can likely find the info you need by looking up the TA you are interested in in the library of the VinylEngine website.
Like the DK-3000, I am not familiar with the DK-2300 other than from this forum, so cannot speak to its layout arrangement.
All TAs are not the same. My Stax TA requires a 17mm hole. I'm not sure what a Denon TA requires. You can likely find the info you need by looking up the TA you are interested in in the library of the VinylEngine website.
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