Realistic LAB Series - are all created equal?
- Thread starter 70cst
- Start date
tuffstuff1
Super Member
I have a Lab -400 and really like it. It is all original and smooth as silk. It has the original cart installed and still sound great! I may try to upgrade the cart. It is a very nice looking design and mechanism are very smooth too. It's not clunky at all. You will get better performance from the Thorens if set up properly but the realistic is a great simple machine for a whole lot less $$$. Realistic. Sounds cheap but noooo.
alteclipsch
Super Member
I would love to know if the 390 is a Technics. I always had a special feeling for Technics ever since my 1972 SLB 302 (?) belt driven, Van Alstine modified one with the Grado Longhorn cartridge.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
The top deck and controls are different, but the tonearm on that Lab 390 is identical to the one on my MCS 6601, which was made by Panasonic and shares many parts with the Technics SL-2000. The MCS 6601 is a nice, inexpensive, reliable, semi-automatic, direct drive turntable.
The Technics SL-D series used a different tonearm.
I had a chance to buy a very nice LAB 400....but then the old man told me his son had always coveted it.
I told him to give it to the son (whom I never met) because that should be his to own.
I should have given him the 100 bucks and ran.
I told him to give it to the son (whom I never met) because that should be his to own.
I should have given him the 100 bucks and ran.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Awesome! Does it come with a cartridge? If so, what kind?
Mine was a Goodwill find that looked like it had been kept in a bar for about 10 years. I was absolutely filthy when I bought it about 3 years ago. It came with what I believe was the original R47XT cartridge that was detached from the headshell and missing the stylus.
I finally got around to cleaning it up and getting it working over the weekend and ordered a NOS Shure Ne95ED stylus for the R47XT cartridge. While waiting for the new stylus to arrive, on Monday evening, I installed a Signet TK10ML on it and have been enjoying it very much. Seems like a well made, dependable machine and the low mass tonearm seems like a good match for my Signet cartridge.
Good luck with yours. I'm sure it will bring you many hours of listening pleasure and dependable service.
So, what are the differences between the LAB-400, LAB-420 and LAB-440? The former two look alike, but I'm guessing there are differences. The latter definitely looks different.
If I were in the market for one of these, what are the similarities, differences, pros and cons of each (so I could decide which one to chase after)?
If I were in the market for one of these, what are the similarities, differences, pros and cons of each (so I could decide which one to chase after)?
70cst
70cst
Good question: All made by CES I believe - the 400 is a 1st cousin to the Marantz 6300 which brings big bucks but is basically the same. I'll defer to others as to the differences ...
Actually I think it is almost dead-on a Technics SL-2000. Platter, strobe and tonearm look identical (I have 2 though not in use). Position of the controls in front rather than on top (and inside the dust cover when closed) is the only difference. The controls on front is very Technics SL-D series (I have one of those too).
Balifly
Listening
70cst
70cst
eb2jim
Super Member
Great choice.
And, yes, having owned a 390 I can assure you it is a Technics made turntable. It's an odd one as it uses d series arm and platter in the smaller format base. Very great little deck, and a sleeper under the radar Technics along the lines of the SL-H Panasonics and MCS machines.
The CEC Realistics are built almost the same as the Marantz decks. I think people paying several hundred for the Marantz tag is goofy but not that they aren't great machines. It's really in that the Realistic ones are undervalued. Lafayette sold similar decks but with blander vinyl covering.
And, yes, having owned a 390 I can assure you it is a Technics made turntable. It's an odd one as it uses d series arm and platter in the smaller format base. Very great little deck, and a sleeper under the radar Technics along the lines of the SL-H Panasonics and MCS machines.
The CEC Realistics are built almost the same as the Marantz decks. I think people paying several hundred for the Marantz tag is goofy but not that they aren't great machines. It's really in that the Realistic ones are undervalued. Lafayette sold similar decks but with blander vinyl covering.
alteclipsch
Super Member
Thanks for the info. The Lab 390 really is a sweetie, and plays very nicely.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
And some other notes: The belt driven, AC motor LAB 300 is a very excellent belt drive model with very similar styling and performance to the Marantz 6100. I like this CEC built classic a great deal. I think of this one as part of this series. The LAB 400, and LAB 420 I rank highly as among the finest Japanese built DD automatics ever built. The LAB 440 is another similarly built relative but with the more modern lower mass straight tonearm. The Mitsubishi built LAB 500 is also very nice. Another further note. Today I became the proud owner of a LAB 420 of my very own (scored for $5, had a Grado cartridge with a duff stylus on a Nagaoka bespoke headshell). Speed pots need contact cleaning. I will install another headshell on it to test it. The armrest is missing, hope to find one off of a CEC similar donor deck. I think I did very well. It's in reasonably good condition. Agree highly with the statement that the LAB 300, 400, and 420 being on par with their Marantz cousins in build and performance.
I'd put anything CEC made up against any comparably specced table from the same time period any day. My DD-8200 is a very nice table and under the surface appears to share much with the LAB-420.
I have an eBay alert setup for the lab-500. That is one sexy looking table.
I have an eBay alert setup for the lab-500. That is one sexy looking table.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Listening to mine now. Still impressed by the sound quality of this inexpensive, under the radar, fully automatic, direct drive turntable. Mine looked like it had been stored in someone's barn for 20 years when I got it, but it cleaned up nicely and has been 100% reliable since I put it into service.
What cartridge are you running with yours? I'm currently running a Signet TK10ML on mine. The lightweight tonearm on the LAB-440 is a good match for this high compliance cartridge. It tracks flawlessly at 1 gram with everything I throw at it.
DustyOldPile
Vinyl Goddess
To answer your question directly, NO...not all Lab XXX turntables are created equal. Radio Shack sourced their turntables from a number of suppliers at a number of price points and quality levels. Many came from CEC, BSR/MacDonald, Garrard, Elac/Miracord and perhaps even others. The CEC tables were great, I personally love the Elac "Lab 60" and would love to get my hands on one. The BSR's and Garrards are pretty obvious as to their heritage. Few of the LAB series tables were complete turds and the quality level of the CEC's matched the offerings of other Japanese tables from an equivalent model year. The Elacs were the best of the changers, followed by the Garrards and BSR.