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The top ten best TT in 1980

Ken Boyd

Ken Boyd

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Was checking out some old turntable reveiws and came across this list of the top turntables

In 1980 at the peak of all things analogue, when the Japanese major manufactuers were still trying to come up with the perfect statement product to take on the rest of the world, Stereo Sound Magazine journalists Fuyuki Segawa and Keizo Yamanaka reviewed the best of the best with honours...

And the finest turntables in the world were

1st = EMT 930st (German Idler Drive)
1st = Pioneer Exclusive P3 (Japanese Direct Drive)

2nd = Sony PS-X9 (Japanese Direct Drive)
2nd = Micro RX/RY-5000 (Japanese Belt Drive)

3rd = Linn Sondek LP-12 (British Belt Drive)
3rd = Pioneer Exclusive P10 (Japanese Direct Drive)
3rd = Micro RX-3000 (Japanese Belt Drive)
3rd = Marantz TT-1000L ( US / Japanese Direct Drive)
3rd = Yamaha PX-1 (Japanese Direct Drive)
3rd = Thorens TD-126 mkIIIC (Swiss / German Belt Drive)
3rd = Technics SP-10mkII (Japanese Direct Drive)
3rd = Luxman PD-555 (Japanese Direct Drive)
3rd = Kenwood L-07D (Japanese Direct Drive)


What would the rest of you think. I have seen some pretty expensive looking transcript looking things that I would think would sound better, but I for one have never heard one or any on this list.
 
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Like anyones list, there will be some debate over what should or should not have made it...

There were other competitors:

Revox
Michell
Goldmund


I'm sure others could add to the list...

Also worth keeping in mind that some of these tables are only at their best with specific cartridge types...

The Revox fitted with a 30cu+ compliance cartridge is superb.... fit it with a 17cu cartridge and it is very good, but not superb

Fit a 15cu cartridge to it, and you might ask what is the big deal.

So if the reviewer preferred a specific type of cartridge... that would drive his TT preference as well!

bye for now

David
 
Someone could probably add a few more TOTL turntables from other Japanese mfgs to the list like Denon, Victor/JVC. 1980 was a vintage year to say the least and was probably the high point of the golden age of analog. Not to say that there hasn't been some excellent tables mfg since that year but with the Japanese mfgs concentrating on CD players many of the major players were now out of the turntable game and it leaves one to wonder what they could of created if they continued to design/mfg turntables. Few mfgs today have the capabilities of the large Japanese mfgs and the Japanese infrastructure and government agencys that supported these mfgs. Most of todays turntable mfgs are a mom and pop/cottage industry in comparison to the major Japanese mfgs.
 
EMT 930st is King of these. Second would be Technics SP-10 Mk II or Kenwood L-07D. The Pioneer Exclusives would be nice but would like more information and pix of these. The Sony would be third in this esteemed line but still superb. The only turntable I ever thought was really better than a Technics SP-10 Mk II for my needs is the EMT overall.
 
Beogram good but not by that standard TOTL. The ReVox in the Linear tracking class would be superior to the Beogram 8000 by a little.
 
Like the B&O, the S-R Linatrack is sort of a closed system if the limited selection of optimum carts is considered outside of it's otherwise compromised design.
 
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Maybe a litle, but not much. The W&F specs are very good (>0,04%) as the whole drive system is a couple of coils controlled by a computer which gets feed back from an optical sentor mounted on the subplatter. The platter assembly hub is very precise, if the electronic "brake" wasn't activated the platter would continue spinning freely for a minute after turning the Beogram off.

The electronic arm transport servo is computer-controlled, the processor keeps record over exactly where the arm transport is, thus keeping tracking error under 0,04 degrees.
Optical sensor system from the earlier Beogram 4000-series made a comeback and ensures that any person could use the Beogram, without taking special care, the stylus can't be accidentally broken by human error.

Furthermore, it is equipped with B&O's signature 3-point floating suspension which totally eliminates the need for acoustical dampening.

The stylus/cartridge is integrated into the arm to lower the resonance, and the arm would be shorter as a tangential tracker and traditional radial tracking setups. 4 cartridges were made for the special socket and their most expensive, the MMC20CL (fine contact line diamond, 0,3um ETM) was fitted as standard.

The light platter assembly has of course a colouration of the sound, but IMO not a negative way.
 
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I've seen every TT on that list, and heard about half of them.

The first two on the list I would agree with. Both are exceptional TTs, although one is "industrial" and the other "luxurious".

The Marantz probably doesn't belong on the list, although it is very cool.
Not sure that I'd put the Luxman on the list, either.

I'd also probably demote the Thorens TD-126 to a lower position on the list (bottom).

I think the Kenwood on the bottom should be moved up a few places; maybe swap it with the Thorens.

The only thing I'm not sure about, in making these comments, is WHEN the list was compiled and WHEN some of the other models I'm thinking of were made. There are better vintage TTs out there than some on the list, but if we're talking about ones being sold IN 1980 (not earlier or later models), then I guess that's not a bad list at all. The Yamaha GT-2000 bests most of the ones on that list (except the top 2; the 2000X probably ties with them), but it hadn't been made yet. Obviously, a few super-exotics like the Rockport Sirius 3 beat all of those, too, but they either weren't made yet, or probably don't belong on the list because they were made-to-order or in extremely limited production, not relative mass-market production items.

Interestingly, 1980 was 32 years ago, yet if you were to make a list of the best TTs from then AND NOW, half that list would remain; we haven't exactly advanced much in the top end of the TT world. I assume that's because the world shifted its R&D focus and investments to CDs, computers, game players, flat-screen TVs, HT surround sound...

Anyway, that's an interesting list; thanks for sharing it!
 
Well at least I didn't start a firestorm on this thread like the one I did with JBL speakers. On the orginal article I think they stated something to that effect of 1980 being on the verge of the beginning of the end of the anolog technology as the major manufactors started shifting toward digital media. It is great to see that many of these TT are still being used by individuals who really enjoy the quality and techonolgy that the manufactors put into making some really good TT's which will probably be around hopefully for another 30 years.
 
Tieing for 3rd of the top turntables of 1980 is not bad! If I am not mistaken they didn't list the Kenwood last they actually only had three positions, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Plus one has to condside that maybe they used the same equipment to score them all with. You know how some stuff sounds better with other amps and preamps, maybe alot has to do with I don't really know the correct spelling but it synergy of some componts paired well with others that just seem to bring out the best of each other. Maybe that was not taken into account.
 
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Ken this shouldn't turn out to be a firestorm since few people here own any of the turntables on that list. As for JBL speakers I'll agree you lit a fire under the loyal JBL fans. Team a pair of large JBL monitors with just about any of the turntables on that list and you will be transported to another audio world few have visited.
 
Soren Hammer said:
Maybe a litle, but not much. The W&F specs are very good (>0,04%) as the whole drive system is a couple of coils controlled by a computer which gets feed back from an optical sentor mounted on the subplatter. The platter assembly hub is very precise, if the electronic "brake" wasn't activated the platter would continue spinning freely for a minute after turning the Beogram off.

The electronic arm transport servo is computer-controlled, the processor keeps record over exactly where the arm transport is, thus keeping tracking error under 0,04 degrees.
Optical sensor system from the earlier Beogram 4000-series made a comeback and ensures that any person could use the Beogram, without taking special care, the stylus can't be accidentally broken by human error.

Furthermore, it is equipped with B&O's signature 3-point floating suspension which totally eliminates the need for acoustical dampening.

The stylus/cartridge is integrated into the arm to lower the resonance, and the arm would be shorter as a tangential tracker and traditional radial tracking setups. 4 cartridges were made for the special socket and their most expensive, the MMC20CL (fine contact line diamond, 0,3um ETM) was fitted as standard.

The light platter assembly has of course a colouration of the sound, but IMO not a negative way.
Click to expand...

I gotta go with Soren on this.

Yes, I agree there isn't the amount of metal in this Beogram 8000, but the engineering canceled much of the need for massive, machined parts. If you ever see a Beogram 8000, turn off the power and spin the platter. How long does it spin for? A long assed time. It has a superb bearing. The drive. The drive consists of a couple of windings on either side of the aluminum sub platter. The coils induce eddy currents into the aluminum sub platter, rendering the sub platter as part of the motor. There is very little side loads on the platter bearing, adding to a very low W&F reading. The arm mass is very and the floating chassis is maybe one of the best decoupled out there.

B&O engineers are sort of typecast as making "pretty things", but some of the things B&O did were amazingly hard to pull off. There tables were pretty, but excellent.
 
Never been inside a B&O LT yet, the 1800 I have here is a nicely made elegant spinner that I'll probably never get around to doing anything with due to dead cart and too many others more interesting like the recently arrived REVOX B795 LT. If a B&O LT showed up cheap I'd have a hard time saying no just out of curiosity.
 
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