Knight KN 1015 + Rek O Kut

[Blair Hadley]

If this is being posted in the wrong location I apologize. It's my first post I have recently acquired a single speed (33 1/3 RPM) turntable with a Rek O Kut Micropoise tone arm mounted a large particle board plinth with high quality veneer and a quality dust cover. The Turntable looks much like a Rek O Kut, but is a Knight KN 1015. The stylus is a Shure N97XE which plays enough to tell me most of if not all the essential systems appear to be operating normally, but the stylus needs badly to be replaced. The cart is a Shure RXT-4.

First of all, I don't really know what I've got here. This equipment has sort of fallen into my lap. The Knight appears to be something maybe made by Allied Electronics. I'm accustomed to newer equipment which is more straightforward such as Technics and Denon, which are fairly plug and play.

I love the look of the whole piece, from the plinth to the platter to the '57 Chevy-looking headshell, so I want to get this to sound as good as I can...unless it's fundamentally flawed. I've strobed it already, and it's right on 33.33, so there's that going for it.

To really give this thing a test drive I need to first of all replace the stylus which is worn to a frazzle. Should I replace with same? That is to say another N97XE? I really like the look of the tone arm and headshell, so I'm hoping to be able to work with that unless someone can tell me why it should be replaced. Thanks in advance for the input.

Additional info: It's paired with a 1963 Sherwood 7700 II tube amp, 1973 Optimus 7 speakers, and a refurbished Soundcraftsmen EQ, which I use at times when I feel messing with the original recording is justified for whatever reason.

 

[fred soop]

First, DO NOT destroy any more records until that stylus is replaced. The N97XE stylus is for the M97 cartridge. Don't know about the RXT-4 but a modern M97 is rated for 1.5 g max for tracking and I would question the ability of that vintage arm, good as it is, to be able to track that low. Back in the day, many of the turntables were separate tt and arm. Yes, Knight is Allied and some of the Knight stuff was a bit cheap but other stuff is reasonably good. Many of the speaker systems were Electro Voice components. That Sherwood is a good piece of equipment as well.

 

[Sandstrom]

That appears to be a Knight Branded Rek-O-Kut N-33H. I used to have one of those (The Rek version). This is interesting because the motor mounting is oriented to side/back creating a wider stance then the Rek-O-Kut version. If this is the same as I suspect it should have a nice AC Pabst Hysteresis motor.

The most difficult things with these is getting a belt that will provide reliable accurate speed. The originals were wide (but thin) fiber belts that are no longer made. If it is still good take care of it. I believe Esoteric makes a better replacement than was available when I had mine. Mine was a Rubber replacement that, to recall ran fast...

Agree that the arm likes heavier tracking carts but are more versatile than they appear, it looks like the last iteration of their shorter arm S-320.

Also a good idea to replace the three rubber motor mounts as they are likely hardened and cracking at this point. Makes a big difference in reducing the noise floor.

 

[Blair Hadley]

I know this sounds mean spirited, but I have test records which are fundamentally mint that contain music I don't care for which I sacrifice or at least risk damage when testing. For decades, when friends upgraded to the latest fad in sound reproduction or got tired of lugging their collections around they often gave me whole collections, which I accepted gratefully. It gave me a surplus of high quality vinyl with which to conduct experiments when I am uncertain of things. My sacrificial lamb on the first test of the record player was an unopened 180-gram Manilow's Greatest LP. To all Manilow lovers out there I apologize for desecrating a mint copy of his greatest hits as track one, side one may never be the same, and there's abuse more in store for track two shorty I'm afraid.

I had a pleasant conversation with the owner of Esoteric Sound yesterday, and based on his recommendation I have ordered a Grado cartridge and verified I can order belts from them as needed. He said good luck finding a manual on this particular tonearm as the former owners of the ROK Trademark apparently threw out the original drawings for it. Vinyl Engine has manuals for some other Micropoise tone arms but none with the weight on the side as this one has.

Apparently there were two motors used in these TTs. One is NOT desirable. One IS. Here's an image of what motor is there now and also a "Vanity Shot" of what this machine looks like with its dust cover which I thought was home made until I looked and saw the routing around the base of the plexiglass which was done in a proper fabrication shop. My guess is it was part of a kit, but it's a perfect fit and very few scuffs. So, is the a Pabst or... do I need to bird dog a Pabst? Me thinks it is.

Sandstrom, thanks for the heads up on the grommets! They were dry rotted and I've already replaced them this morning.
Pabst?


P.S. I know the Soundcrafstman may seem like blasphemy to many here, and perhaps it is, but my wife likes it and I've got my own up-tight listening room where I can be as picky as the best of them (CARY amp and preamp, Magnaplanar 7.1, etc). She feels it takes the harshness out of things and it does, along with some of the music but it makes her happy. Plus, there's a switch on the reciever which lets me remove it from the circuit if I want to hear a brutally honest reproduction of what's on a record. This whole project is for her, really. She likes mid-century modern and let me have a room to mess up with modernish equipment and I can indulge in ugly but good-sounding arrangements. Small price to pay.

 

[fred soop]

Are you sure that the Grado cartridge is moving magnet? They make a lot of moving coil cartridges and if the new one is MC, you will need an additional preamp. They do not clearly state which is which on their web site.

 

[Blair Hadley]

Understood, however based on the entire website and its hyperfocus on ROK, I tend to trust the recommendation of the owner of Esoteric Sound that he'd not likely recommend this cartridge if it were moving coil based on what I told him it was for. I could be wrong, and the good news is that if I need and additional preamp I've got it, but I'd have to hide it to keep it looking proper to the Missus. I do indeed hope the cart is MM.

No matter what I've got a use for the Grado. Always fun to hear a new (at least to me) version of what someone thinks sound good.

Ha! I bought this far-out machine because it looked awesome to me, and learned the whole story of a brand I'd not heard of. ROK. I'll check back in after I get it sorted.

 

[Blair Hadley]

From Grado's website: "As in all Grado phono cartridges the Black2 & Green2 are powered by a twin magnet system that optimizes the balance between stereo channels. All internal magnetic circuit parts are held to extremely high tolerances creating the desired stereo imaging. Grado’s patented Flux-Bridger design allows the Black2 & Green2 to have one of the lowest effective moving mass generating systems while creating an excellent balance throughout the full frequency range."