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Realistic LAB Series - are all created equal?

70cst

70cst

70cst
As I am looking at my first TT in many of years - maybe a Realistic might be a good entry level TT for my initial needs - then down the road - maybe upgrade. From what I can find - it looks like the LAB 400, 420, 440 might be a decent TT to start out with...

Am I wrong or on base?

Your inputs are welcomed. Thanks
 
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70cst said:
As I am looking at my first TT in many of years - maybe a Realistic might be a good entry level TT for my initial needs - then down the road - maybe upgrade. From what I can find - it looks like the LAB 400, 420, 440 might be a decent TT to start out with...

Am I wrong or on base?

Your inputs are welcomed. Thanks
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Those are actually very nice tables if in good order.
 
70cst said:
As I am looking at my first TT in many of years - maybe a Realistic might be a good entry level TT for my initial needs - then down the road - maybe upgrade. From what I can find - it looks like the LAB 400, 420, 440 might be a decent TT to start out with...

Am I wrong or on base?

Your inputs are welcomed. Thanks
Click to expand...

Alternatively, buy the best within your budget, locally, now.

Spend your money once. :music:
 
Well, my main TT and daily user is a Lab 400, and I can't think of any reason for it not to be. Rock steady speed, no appreciable rumble, gentle needle drop, light tracking, dependable performance. It does everything I need to reproduce beautiful sound and care for my records. Good looking, too.
 
From what I can find - The Marantz 6300 is equal to the Realistic LAB400 but sells for much more money - both made by CES if my research is correct.

Thanks for your responses ...
 
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70cst said:
From what I can find - The Marantz 6300 is equal the Realistic LAB400 but sells for much more money - both made by CES if my research is correct.

Thanks for your responses ...
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Both by CEC. The Marantz is beautiful, and that drives its price beyond reasonable, and I actually think the Lab-400 and Lab-420 may be just a bit better.
 
70cst said:
From what I can find - The Marantz 6300 is equal the Realistic LAB400 but sells for much more money - both made by CES if my research is correct.

Thanks for your responses ...
Click to expand...

tubewade said:
Both by CEC. The Marantz is beautiful, and that drives its price beyond reasonable, and I actually think the Lab-400 and Lab-420 may be just a bit better.
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Just for the sake of research, check, compare and observe the tone arm pivot of, Marantz 6300, Realistic LAB400, and Realistic LAB 420.

There are also other European models that looks familiar, but different on close observation.

CEC made parts for several major brands, lots of parts in their inventory for mix and match according to the price and performance level of each client. :thumbsup:
 
classic carl said:
If you decide on the one close to me, I can help to check it out, or whatever. Looks like it's about 3 miles away from me.
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Balifly said:
Just for the sake of research, check, compare and observe the tone arm pivot of, Marantz 6300, Realistic LAB400, and Realistic LAB 420.

There are also other European models that looks familiar, but different on close observation.

CEC made parts for several major brands, lots of parts in their inventory for mix and match according to the price and performance level of each client. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...


Thanks - will do.
 
And the LAB-500 is quite good too. It's quite a different bird to the 400 series and probably made by, or at least in the same place as, Mitsubishi.

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/realistic/lab-500.shtml

6313313503_5e8864c7aa_z.jpg
 
Lab440 owner here. It has been great for me so far. Got it a year and a half ago and have run it a lot (3 albums per night average). It hasn't let me down once and sounds good.
 
I see a Lab 400, a Marantz 6200 and a Fisher MT-6225 all with the same seller on Cleveland's craigslist. Reasonable prices too.

That Fisher is a nice turntable!

There's also a Toshiba with a separate seller .... a SR-F770 I do believe .... I've had one of those .... solid build and pretty good performer. Very reasonable price for that one as well.

So it seems a few solid choices there!

By the way I've had a couple LAB 500s pass through my hands (I think actually the one posted up by Montycat) ... the only thing I didn't really like was that the stock cartridge was a fairly lightweight cart/headshell combo ... if you look at Andrew's picture you can see how far back on the stub the counterweight is positioned with a separate cart/headshell fitted.
 
Van_Isle said:
I see a Lab 400, a Marantz 6200 and a Fisher MT-6225 all with the same seller on Cleveland's craigslist. Reasonable prices too.

That Fisher is a nice turntable!

There's also a Toshiba with a separate seller .... a SR-F770 I do believe .... I've had one of those .... solid build and pretty good performer. Very reasonable price for that one as well.

So it seems a few solid choices there!

By the way I've had a couple LAB 500s pass through my hands (I think actually the one posted up by Montycat) ... the only thing I didn't really like was that the stock cartridge was a fairly lightweight cart/headshell combo ... if you look at Andrew's picture you can see how far back on the stub the counterweight is positioned with a separate cart/headshell fitted.
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I don't think that one was yours. I kept your lid and my other 500 and passed on the other combo. And yes, they do use a very lightweight headshell/cartridge combo. I have the original style on mine at the cabin.
 
My other user is a Lab 390, it came to me very cheaply; also a really nice table, but silver plastic, so not as pretty as the 400 (which is vinyl wrapped wood but looks nice). Build quality is there though.

390.jpg
 
That's got quite a bit of Technics flavor to it. Does it have the 'rotor in the platter' set-up? I've seen that before on a Realistic model.
 
Great info all ... although I would like a Thorens 160 ... it may be more than I want to spend (although I am still looking) - it looks like the Realistic TT's will fit my system nicely. I do have a lead on a 440 - but I am keeping my options open - When it comes to TT's - I am watching, reading, & learning. Thanks Again
 
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