new (old) Technics SL-Q210

[TerryMarmite]

Hi, about a month ago I got this Technics SL-Q210 off ebay. Wanted a nice turntable on an extreme budget, but I'm beginning to think I should have bought something inferior new, as I'm really not sure how to improve what seem like a few problems.

BTW there's not much info out there about this turntable, but it is not a black version of the SL-Q200. It is silver, with the user manual having a couple of differences in the instructions. Seems to have been popular in France, where it was shipped from.

Anyway, I'll try to be as brief as possible outlining the things I'm confused about:

1. Initially there was heavy distortion after the first track or two on LPs. My previous two tables did not have this problem, so somewhat impetuously I got hold of a new cartridge, an AT85EP. This has solved the distortion issue, but I do not know really if the cart is suitable. There is a boxy (?) sound, with individual elements standing out marvellously, but a lack of overall cohesiveness (?) that makes listening slightly unsatisfactory. I'm wondering if this will improve with burn in, if that exists?

2. Unsure it is balanced correctly (at the back one side of the unit touches the surface it is on, maybe because the leg under it has eroded). No idea how to fix this correctly.

3. In the manual it states the stylus should be 5-7mm above the record, adjustable with a screw near the back of the tone arm. This is causing me grief in that adjusting the screw can send the height mechanism way off, and now an (approximately) 5mm gap means that when cueing down the needle does not touch the record at all, so I have it set at something like 3mm. Previously there was about a 7/8mm gap and the cueing worked OK. No idea what I've done here or how to fix it.

4. The platter spins very freely so I dunno if I should invest in some oil to drop into the motor. Maybe not worth bothering considering other problems?

5. The power lead is very loose at the back - it keeps falling out which is very annoying. Guess putty is the answer.

6. Only the original black/red Technics RCA cable seems to work. Others I've got have to repeatedly be prodded in at the back to get anything like adequate sound. I'm wondering if this is another loose connection, particularly with one side (can't remember if white/black or red), and if this could be the source of the sound issues.

I'm not much of a DIYer, so could have made a mistake here. In about three weeks I'll have the opportunity to buy something else (budget £500), but if I can save this turntable then all the better.

Already bothered vinylengine about this, don't want to press them further so found this forum. Thanks in advance guys.

 

[Decibel_116]

There is no reason why this turntable shouldn't sound good if these issues are resolved. Chances are the screw you have been adjusting on the tonearm has changed the vertical tracking force to something other than 1.25 grams. You need to get a scale and change it back to 1.25g. This turntable uses a standardized cartridge type called a p-mount. It vitually elimates the need for any adjustments as long as the cartridge being used meets the standard (The AT cartridge does). The fact that the platter spins freely is a good sign. It is supposed to be like that. It is a direct drive (no belt). I have no idea why other RCA cables would not work as well as the Technics cables unless the RCA jacks are loose. Did it come with a ground cable? This could be causing some of the issue. You need to make sure the turntable is perfectly level. Check the condition of the feet. These can dry rot and fall off over time. Replacements are easy to find. Upgrading the cartridge is easy enough if you want to increase detail retrieval and eliminate inner groove distortion. Of course this applies to any turntable.

 

[TerryMarmite]

Thanks for the feedback. The screw I think you are referring to would be at the very back of the tonearm. I did adjust this to the max setting (supposed to be 1.5g) for the distortion issues with the old cartridge/stylus. I will adjust it back though, and maybe look into getting a specialist scale (I take it the one I used to use for er.. botany, wont do).

The technics RCA cables have longer prongs than the red and white ones I've accumulated over the years. I'm wondering if they need properly ramming into the sockets. But maybe not, that seems wrong.

I bought my own ground cable that works fine - the hum was atrocious initally of course. Now gone.

Now the levelling I need to look into. Didn't know replacement feet were available.

The one thing that worries me is the screw that I was referring to - the one not on the tonearm but near it towards the back that adjusts the arm height and hence the cueing height. I adjusted it down intially, then back up and it went way down, like something had been changed within the mechanism, and then after more adjusting up and down to try to improve the sound, it now needs 3mm or less for the stylus to cue down to sit on the vinyl. It's supposed to be 5-7mm and has been as much as a cm (I think) with the cueing going down to the vinyl. So something is definitely wrong there.

Don't take all this to mean I know what I'm talking about though - I've very much bodged my way through owning turntables over the years and have maybe been lucky with previous ones.

 

[Decibel_116]

Thanks for the feedback. The screw I think you are referring to would be at the very back of the tonearm. I did adjust this to the max setting (supposed to be 1.5g) for the distortion issues with the old cartridge/stylus. I will adjust it back though, and maybe look into getting a specialist scale (I take it the one I used to use for er.. botany, wont do).

The technics RCA cables have longer prongs than the red and white ones I've accumulated over the years. I'm wondering if they need properly ramming into the sockets. But maybe not, that seems wrong.

I bought my own ground cable that works fine - the hum was atrocious initally of course. Now gone.

Now the levelling I need to look into. Didn't know replacement feet were available.

The one thing that worries me is the screw that I was referring to - the one not on the tonearm but near it towards the back that adjusts the arm height and hence the cueing height. I adjusted it down intially, then back up and it went way down, like something had been changed within the mechanism, and then after more adjusting up and down to try to improve the sound, it now needs 3mm or less for the stylus to cue down to sit on the vinyl. It's supposed to be 5-7mm and has been as much as a cm (I think) with the cueing going down to the vinyl. So something is definitely wrong there.

Don't take all this to mean I know what I'm talking about though - I've very much bodged my way through owning turntables over the years and have maybe been lucky with previous ones.

If you could post a couple pics of the issue you are having, maybe I can help. I have owned a ton of these Technics p-mount tables over the years. In fact, I have plenty of feet and other parts if you need them. Just pm me some pics of what you need. Happy to help if I can.

 

[TerryMarmite]

If you could post a couple pics of the issue you are having, maybe I can help. I have owned a ton of these Technics p-mount tables over the years. In fact, I have plenty of feet and other parts if you need them. Just pm me some pics of what you need. Happy to help if I can.

That's extraordinarily generous, but I'm in the UK so postage could be both expensive and take a loooong time under current conditions.

This is the screw to adjust arm height, anti-clockwise for up, clockwise for down:

Height Adjustment Screw

• TerryMarmite
• Sep 14, 2020

This is about the maximum height I can now get the needle from the record (after playing with the screw above) for it to still drop onto the record:

Height 1

• TerryMarmite
• Sep 14, 2020

These are the feet. They actually seem in good order, although where I've circled top left the bit of the body next to the foot at the back (under the lid hinge at the corner) touches the table the whole thing stands on (EDIT: now I've confused myself, think it might be the right hand side, not the left):

Bottom Edit

• TerryMarmite
• Sep 14, 2020

Bit of good news. In flipping the turntable over I noticed that the RCA cables were pushed in unevenly, so with some force pushed in the one sticking out to match the other one. Sound much improved I think, though it's morning here and I have things to do, so will not be playing more records until the evening.

Many thanks for the input. My main concern now is the arm height. It's supposed to be 5-7mm between stylus and vinyl, according to the manual, not 2-3mm. It could previously be higher with the stylus still hitting the vinyl on cueing down, before I messed around with that screw.

 

[TerryMarmite]

I've just realised that it shouldn't matter how high the cueing goes, since the arm itself at the back is at a fixed height, so the angle will always be the same on the vinyl. It is a bit worrying that the cueing is impaired - it could conceiveably stop working in future - but the table for now works OK, and I can always drop the needle manually if the cueing does fail, as I've done with DJ decks.

I think I will go to the hardware shop across the road this afternoon and get a spirit level for levelling. You guys think this all seems OK? The turntable is certainly sounding good now.

 

[Decibel_116]

I've just realised that it shouldn't matter how high the cueing goes, since the arm itself at the back is at a fixed height, so the angle will always be the same on the vinyl. It is a bit worrying that the cueing is impaired - it could conceiveably stop working in future - but the table for now works OK, and I can always drop the needle manually if the cueing does fail, as I've done with DJ decks.

I think I will go to the hardware shop across the road this afternoon and get a spirit level for levelling. You guys think this all seems OK? The turntable is certainly sounding good now.

I think you are good now.

 

[TerryMarmite]

I think you are good now.

Urgh no I'm not. The maximum cueing height is now just one mm, so the auto return scratches right across the vinyl. No more record playing until I can fix it.

Found this: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/technics-sl-q200-arm-wont-drop.490314/

Have asked on that forum exactly what they are doing. I can take out the screw completely, revealing not much, but I wouldn't know how to remove the saddle and take a proper look; maybe the tonearm needs removing first? I've got a birthday coming up and a family member might stretch to a new SL-1500c, but it seems a shame if this can be fixed instead for much less £££.

EDIT: The Sl-Q200 service manual indicates that removing the tone arm could be a big job, involving some soldering. And that's if it's even the same mechanism as the 210 (which is different, no strobe for one). There appears to be no service manual for the 210 anywhere on the internet.

 

[Decibel_116]

Urgh no I'm not. The maximum cueing height is now just one mm, so the auto return scratches right across the vinyl. No more record playing until I can fix it.

Found this: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/technics-sl-q200-arm-wont-drop.490314/

Have asked on that forum exactly what they are doing. I can take out the screw completely, revealing not much, but I wouldn't know how to remove the saddle and take a proper look; maybe the tonearm needs removing first? I've got a birthday coming up and a family member might stretch to a new SL-1500c, but it seems a shame if this can be fixed instead for much less £££.

EDIT: The Sl-Q200 service manual indicates that removing the tone arm could be a big job, involving some soldering. And that's if it's even the same mechanism as the 210 (which is different, no strobe for one). There appears to be no service manual for the 210 anywhere on the internet.

Sorry to hear this development.