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"New" Technics SL-5 Cart/stylus options/info

Jeremiwvu

Jeremiwvu

Active Member
I just acquired a Technics SL-5... I've read several threads and don't need much info on the table, it's a linear tracking DD, etc... some people love them, others hate, I just anxious to actually use it. It works... it came with a Technics P28 cart and unknown stylus. I played an album that I didn't care if it destroyed, and sounded OK.

It's a P-mount, I have an Audio Technia PM7000 which I believe to be a pretty good cart???, it came with another table (now gone) but the stylus is broken.

I don't want to use the current stylus so Options are...

1. New cart w stylus - P mount - options ?? (tracking force max 1.5g according to manual)

2. PM7000 - order stylus (please advise on which one)

3. New stylus for Technics P28 - Options, which one???

Looking for the best sound on this table for the least investment, hoping to keep it to $40 max, ideally less, I would consider slightly more if there's something mind blowing for this setup.

Thanks, I'm excited to really get it up and running. The entire footprint is no bigger than a standard dust jacket. Measures less than 12.5" square :)
 
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Get the audio-technica at92ecd. It's perfect for that table.

Also, that Technics model is not quartz-referenced, so you should check the speeds with a speed strobe. The speeds were off a bit on my sl-5.

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/technics/sl-5.shtml

Question - does your sl-5 still have the adaptor required to play 10" records? If so please post some pics and also provide some dimensions as that adaptor is scarce.
 
Jeremiwvu said:
3. New stylus for Technics P28 - Options, which one???

Looking for the best sound on this table for the least investment, hoping to keep it to $40 max, ideally less, I would consider slightly more if there's something mind blowing for this setup.

Thanks, I'm excited to really get it up and running. The entire footprint is no bigger than a standard dust jacket. Measures less than 12.5" square :)
Click to expand...

Here is one within your budget. :music:
https://www.lpgear.com/product/PAS028ES.html
 
"QUOTE: Question - does your sl-5 still have the adaptor required to play 10" records? If so please post some pics and also provide some dimensions as that adaptor is scarce.[/QUOTE]"

It didn't come with much, definitely not the adapter.

I'm probably going down a dark path here (and definitely round 2) but if I get a strobe and check the speed, and it's off, then what?
 
RE: speed adjust

Do the same as me; dl the service and owner's manuals from vinylengine.com and adjust the 33.3 and 45rpm speeds with a small flat screwdriver as necessary. Don't worry, it's easy.
 
illini said:
RE: speed adjust

Do the same as me; dl the service and owner's manuals from vinylengine.com and adjust the 33.3 and 45rpm speeds with a small flat screwdriver as necessary. Don't worry, it's easy.
Click to expand...

Awesome, Adjusting with a screwdriver is definitely within my range of skill, Thanks...
 
illini said:
The genuine OEM at92ecd is superior. I own eleven of them.
Click to expand...

I'm a little confused, you are saying the AT92ECD is better than the ATN132EP... if so that's difficult to understand because then you are comparing a stylus to a complete cartridge.

The ATN132EP is a stylus that will fit on the AT PM7000 which is a series 1 (old) MM AT cart, and at least in some opinions is a better cartridge, and I already have it...

I think the most important factor in favor of getting that cart up and running is that there are much better more upgrades in terms of Styli for the PM7000 vs the AT92EDC, which from my research is a fantastic cart for the price point.

For comparison I've found Styli that fit the PM7000 cart for $250, just the styli, no cart, the AT92ECD while being a good cart, has limited upgrade potential.

While writing this I think I figured out that I'm going to get a Stylus for the PM7000, possibly the ATN123EP previously recommended Thanks Lini

I'm curious if anyone else has an opinion on this, also is it a bad Idea to get the Jico branded copy, it's about half the price... I don't want to do that if it's half the quality, but the price is attractive at $30 vs $70. Thanks.
 
Jeremy: The original ATN132EP features a nice, rectangular-shanked, nude diamond with nicely polished, sharp, true elliptical tip on a tapered, anodised alu cantilever. Whereas a decent standard 3rd party replacement will typically only buy you a bonded diamond of lesser quality with less nicely polished, medium-sharp, pseudo-elliptical tip on a straight, non-anodised alu cantilever. I.e., the former option would buy you a real high-quality elliptical needle, which at ca. 70 bucks could nowadays be considered as very attractively priced compared to AT's new VMNx0 family needles - the latter option would buy you a standard entry-level elliptical, which would hardly be better than an original ATN102EP or ATN112EP (if at all). Or in other words: The ATN132EP is technically superior to a current Audio Technica VMN30EN or an Ortofon needle 20 (or needle 520II/VM Red or 2M Blue) - to give you an idea, where it would range in price, if it was (still) available in a current variant.

Or in other words: My suggestion would rather fall into your "or slightly more for something mind-blowing" category, but would still be fairly cheap for the quality you'd get (provided Stereoneedles really still offers the ATN132EP for that price - unfortunately they are known to rarely ever update their inventory status...). I.e., with the PM7000 body plus ATN132EP combo you could rest assured that you've equipped the SL-5 with about as much of a good cart/needle combo as can sensibly be justified as still adequate for the quality of the turntable - and that for a still pretty reasonable outlay. And you might be pretty positively surprised how well such a modest, little SL-5 can play with a good cart/needle combo. So well, that I was a bit disappointed, when I had upgraded from my own SL-5 upgraded with an AT132EP to a Thorens TD160Super with Grace 707 arm and Yamaha MC505, that the latter combo didn't really play that much better to my ears, that I didn't miss the convenience and non-finicky handling of my SL-5/AT132EP combo...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
lini,

That's the type of info I'm looking for, I think you might end up costing me some more money on the front end but looks like I won't be looking to upgrade again any time soon. Thanks.
 
Jeremiwvu said:
"QUOTE: Question - does your sl-5 still have the adaptor required to play 10" records? If so please post some pics and also provide some dimensions as that adaptor is scarce.
Click to expand...
"


resurrecting this thread to add this pic/drawing of said adapter
EpHPtup.png
 
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if you have an SL-5 the speed is adjustable, I think you have to adjust the 45 RPM speed first then the 33. you can get the manual from vinyl engine and it's pretty easy to adjust with a strobe, also mine is very stable I've only adjusted it once, and it has remained very stable in terms of speed.

if you have an SL-Q5 and it is off, then something is wrong with it as it's quartz locked, the most obvious and likely thing is that it is gummed up and dirty and interfering with proper operation.
 
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