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NOS AR XB unboxing, service and first play

lqpete11

lqpete11

AK Subscriber
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I just picked up this NOS AR XB. Other than the black headshell wire missing a clip, it was all there in the box.

The metal plinth is really nice, but the vinyl veneer has shrunken a little over the years. I’ll probably have it veneered with Walnut at some point. The dust cover has never been out of the plastic. It has the AR stylus force tool and the metal 45 adapter. The foam platter mat had disintegrated, so I added a felt one. The outside of the outer platter looks good, but there is some corrosion on the top and on the inner platter.

I did a quick lube on the motor and spindle and removed the suspension bolt. Believe it or not, the original belt was still pliable and the turntable holds speed well. After some research, I decided to mount my Shure V15 Type IV with factory stylus. The cueing damping fluid was still viscous and works well.

The bottom line is the XB plays beautifully. I wish I looked as good at that age.
 

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pworm14 said:
Nice find! Besides veneer for the base do you have any other upgrade/mod plans for it?
Click to expand...
I’ve been looking into the Mark Morin (RIP) mods and definitely need to deal with the tonearm vertical pivots at some point. A composite sub chassis may also be on the list. I’m intrigued by the Technics arm wand mod, but really like the original look.
 
lqpete11 said:
I’ve been looking into the Mark Morin (RIP) mods and definitely need to deal with the tonearm vertical pivots at some point. A composite sub chassis may also be on the list. I’m intrigued by the Technics arm wand mod, but really like the original look.
Click to expand...

Nice! I didn't realize there was a composite sub chassis out there and had to go look it up. It seems, at least for the ones I found, they don't have the well for the stock tonearm? Maybe I'm missing something?

Anyhow, definitely do the tonearm bearing mod. I sent my XA arm to @StuartB for all the mods and it made a HUGE difference in the sound quality. I will say, while I do like having the SME headshell connector and the convenience of easy cartridge swaps, the funkyness of the stock headshell is very cool.

Have fun and enjoy the music.
 
pworm14 said:
Nice! I didn't realize there was a composite sub chassis out there and had to go look it up. It seems, at least for the ones I found, they don't have the well for the stock tonearm? Maybe I'm missing something?

Anyhow, definitely do the tonearm bearing mod. I sent my XA arm to @StuartB for all the mods and it made a HUGE difference in the sound quality. I will say, while I do like having the SME headshell connector and the convenience of easy cartridge swaps, the funkyness of the stock headshell is very cool.

Have fun and enjoy the music.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the info. I hadn’t read about the composite sub-chassis having issues with the stock tonearm. Good to know. I may try the Linn springs and add weight to the sub-chassis.

Thanks for the referral on tonearm mods. I’ll send Stuart B a message.
 
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