beatcomber
AK Member
I can't comment on the German market, but I have never paid more than $30 for an unrestored Dual.
School me on Dual Turntables
- Thread starter turbomustang
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I can't comment on the German market, but I have never paid more than $30 for an unrestored Dual.
Don't hear rumble on mine
May be deaf too. Can't hear rumble on 1219,1229, or even my bottom of the line 1010S. Have a belt drive BIC 960 running next to the 1010. Can't hear any difference between them. Guess I am deaf??? Expected to hear it on the 1010. Run a lot of classical here. Best way to test a turntable....again good luck.
May be deaf too. Can't hear rumble on 1219,1229, or even my bottom of the line 1010S. Have a belt drive BIC 960 running next to the 1010. Can't hear any difference between them. Guess I am deaf??? Expected to hear it on the 1010. Run a lot of classical here. Best way to test a turntable....again good luck.
I can't say I hear it a lot on my 1229 either, it's only faintly noticeable between tracks and in the very quiet passages. OTOH it's been a constant nuisance on my 1019's. I say "my" because not everyone seems to notice it and I've received a couple of files recorded from other people's 1019's that seemed much quieter than mine. It is my understanding that the condition, especially the condition of the idler wheel's rubber, matters a lot. The 12xx series were improved in several ways (e.g. larger idler wheel) that made them less prone to transmitting noise from the motor.
Duals were also often sold with Ortofons.
A Dual 1229 with a V15 type III was neither marketed nor perceived as midfi. I don't think it was all that affordable either, but I was a kid back then. I'd need to find a price list of that era to make a comparison.
h3ll0
Active Member
I got a dual 1214 for free and (almost) completely serviced it. The only thing I did not lubricate was the motor bearings.
It works flawlessly but there is that 100 Hz rumble everyone is talking about so I solved it by making a cork and felt mat combo and it seemed to get rid of most of it. I ended up using the dual as a general use turntable upstairs instead of a listening turntable as I can't stand the rumble and platter noise as well as the flat sound of a shure m75 cartridge.
The thing duals have going for them is that they're built like tanks and will run for ever as long as you service them. They will also last forever as the only electronic component in them is a capacitor or two.
It works flawlessly but there is that 100 Hz rumble everyone is talking about so I solved it by making a cork and felt mat combo and it seemed to get rid of most of it. I ended up using the dual as a general use turntable upstairs instead of a listening turntable as I can't stand the rumble and platter noise as well as the flat sound of a shure m75 cartridge.
The thing duals have going for them is that they're built like tanks and will run for ever as long as you service them. They will also last forever as the only electronic component in them is a capacitor or two.
The M75 is not necessarily a dull cartridge (I guess it's what you mean by "flat"), it all depends on what stylus you give it and how you load it. Now if you want a really lively cartridge that works well on your 1214, you can try a Stanton 500. Cheap, and very enjoyable :thmbsp:
There is a cheap & dirty way to get rid of the 100 Hz rumble on those turntables, and that is to use it in mono. That's right, just sum the two channels, either electronically if your amplifier has a "mono" knob (preferred) or by wiring the cartridge in mono. The 100 Hz hum is out of phase so it will be almost completely cancelled out.
There is a cheap & dirty way to get rid of the 100 Hz rumble on those turntables, and that is to use it in mono. That's right, just sum the two channels, either electronically if your amplifier has a "mono" knob (preferred) or by wiring the cartridge in mono. The 100 Hz hum is out of phase so it will be almost completely cancelled out.
h3ll0
Active Member
I bought a new N75-6 elliptical needle for it.
I never said it was a dull cartridge it is just not musical and sounds more detailed, but flat compared to my audio technica AT 3482p cart on my technics SL-DL1.
I think the 1214 has the simple motor with the 2 C-shaped bearing/motor braces, whatever they are called. It should be fairly easy (2 screws) to part them and apply some oil. My 1225 had a broken bottom bearing, I just glued it back together and added some oil and it was dead quiet again.
beatcomber
AK Member
The 1219 retailed at Radio Shack for $175 in 1971, which is the same as $1028 in 2014 dollars. The base, dustcover and cartridge were optional extras.
Certainly a replacement stylus then, the N75-6 was a conical. The replacement stylii are all over the place in terms of quality and sound, and some can sound very good indeed - I mostly think about the Jico SAS but the cost is higher than the tunrtable itself. Non-SAS Jico is said to be good too at much more reasonable cost, although not in the same league. OTOH Ed Saunders is no longer a decent option since it was sold to Trisha Horn, and the others are entirely a mater of luck.
Thanks a lot beatcomber, that revives memories :thmbsp:
I have limited, but positive experience with Duals. The CS-5000 I bought new in the late 80's has required no service other than belt replacement and sounds great. The 1019 I got last year and had serviced by Bill at fixmydual.com sounds wonderful in my console with it's V15 lll SAS. No rumble issues with it.
ssmith3046
Super Member
I own three restored Duals. A 1019, 1229Q, and 701. The direct drive 701 is probably my favorite but I'll never part with the other two.
I have a Dual 521 that I picked up as a fixer-upper a while back. It's not high end but it's been a reliable workhorse for me. I decided I didn't need my 1246 changer anymore since I had no interest in the changer function and the 521 seemed just as good but simpler. I do think it deserves a better plinth though.
h3ll0
Active Member
It's not a conical the original n75-6 stylus was a conical however I bought a tonar elliptical replacement stylus. I'm not going to invest $130 (Jico SAS) in a free and lower end dual turntable that cost $120 in 1972 and has no dust cover,multiplay spindle, and is in a cheap plastic base.
I could however see in investing a jico stylus for dual 1216 or higher as generally those are the better duals.
Like I said in a previous post the shure M75 is detailed but overall the sound signiture sounds dry,flat or uninspiring.
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jsg1469
Member
Old thread, I understand. Having owned many new and old belt and DD, the 1219 being my first idler drive has a very spacious, deep sound that's hard to explain. I'm not sure what makes it sound so good. I've got tables that cost 6 times more, but the Dual is my favorite. My newer DD tables almost have a sterile sound compared to the lively Dual. I guess it a combination of the spring ride, tonearm and idler. Who knows but it just sounds fantastic! Don't let anyone tell you that idlers are noisy, because a properly serviced, with the right cartridge and proper setup is very good. Mine was serviced by Bill at "Fix My Dual"
After spending the last year or so stuck in the streaming world, I was inspired to get a turntable back in my main system. Even though I have a couple old classics on hand, I lucked into a nice 1229 locally. I spent some time going through it, cleaning and lubing with the help of the online guide. I have an old Ortofon LM body with an aftermarket "30" stylus mounted. I'm running at 1.75g, antiskate about the same. It seems to work fine in single play mode, speed stays true. It sound great, now to dig out some records I have missed for a long while!