Fast_Eddie
Upper-middle fi
I've been looking at pics of that Sony for a couple of days- it has the near relative of my PUA-7 arm that I'm planning to use on my Thorens. That is one amazing looking TT. Would love to have one.
The top ten best TT in 1980
- Thread starter Ken Boyd
- Start date
I have to say IMO their is nothing more impressive in the audio rack then a fine TT. I know their are good looking amps, preamps, and I use to think that the speakers were the most artistic part of a sound system, but after seeing all the fine looking TT's I have changed my opinion and would rather watch a nice TT spining than watch a speaker which for the most part just sits there and looks good. I guess its kind of like two beautiful woman, one just sitting there looking good, which is nice, and one that knows how to really move! I hope that no one takes this wrong.
phildoc
Well-Known Member
Certainly no shortage of Japanese DD on the list. Yep, there's a lot of and nothing like a beautiful TT. I love the looks of RTRs as well, but all components are drool worthy. Some more than others. I even like the looks of my Snell Type As, as boxy as they are. Getting back to TTs, I could drool after anyone on the list, but the TT I'm really lusting after right now is a Yamaha GT-2000. I just need to save some money or sell some gear. Heaven forbid.
Really I was just checking out one for sell right now, looks like a very nice TT.
I see one for sell right now, only its a GT-2000L, in near prefect condition. has a YSA-39 tonearm. All the orginal tools and box, only offered in Japan. Its operating voltage is 100 volts as the listing says you need a convertor. That is a real nice TT. I am pretty happy with the TT's I have for now, but in the future I want one with a wood base. I don't know what they are worth but its pretty expensive to me, I would hope it sounds way better than any of the TT that I have.
phildoc
Well-Known Member
The one on Audiogon? That looks like a nice one. I'm pretty sure that's about the going rate for one. Iirc they usually sell them for about $2000 in Japan and then you have to pay for shipping. I've never heard one but from what I've read they sound fantastic. That is a lot of money though. If you buy one of those I may just have to kill you. You already had some of my dream speakers and then the TT you just picked up. If you get the GT-2000 it may be more Than I can stand.
Fast_Eddie
Upper-middle fi
All of the Sony PS tables are really nice. I have a PS-X50 that I found in tough shape in a thrift store. It worked fine for a bit and it was a very nice table. But it's missing parts and it won't hold speed now. But it's PUA-7 is going on my TD 124.
Sony wasn't kidding around when they did those TTs. I read a pretty good write up about that whole era in Sony TT production on another forum and it was clear a load of effort went into those things. There was just a branding problem- nobody could accept that Sony made turntables that good. To this day, you can pick up a PS table for laughable money when you look at what you're getting, especially compared to some of the belt drive alternatives that get so many positive reviews. So many of those Japanese DDs are just great machines.
But I'm a direct drive fan. I think they kidna had it figured out pretty well. In a way it's unfortunate that the SL 1200 became such an icon of the DJ culture. It's the AE86 of turntables. But like it's Toyota brethren, strip away the cultural overtones and you're left with a fine machine in it's own right that was revolutionary for it's time and can still more than hold it's own.
Take care,
Ed
Sony wasn't kidding around when they did those TTs. I read a pretty good write up about that whole era in Sony TT production on another forum and it was clear a load of effort went into those things. There was just a branding problem- nobody could accept that Sony made turntables that good. To this day, you can pick up a PS table for laughable money when you look at what you're getting, especially compared to some of the belt drive alternatives that get so many positive reviews. So many of those Japanese DDs are just great machines.
But I'm a direct drive fan. I think they kidna had it figured out pretty well. In a way it's unfortunate that the SL 1200 became such an icon of the DJ culture. It's the AE86 of turntables. But like it's Toyota brethren, strip away the cultural overtones and you're left with a fine machine in it's own right that was revolutionary for it's time and can still more than hold it's own.
Take care,
Ed
Pio1980
AK Member
I think the PS-X70 is the "most" TT I've acquired on a single package tho' I am partial to Linear trackers. It is certainly more TT than, say, my SL-1600 MkII which is no slouch. Only my SL-7 and SL-10 rival it for overall solid design and construction, if only the REVOX and PL-L1000 had a base structure as solid and non-resonant as the Sony.
Arkay
Lunatic Member
The "L" on the end means that this TT has the auto arm-lifter, which automatically lifts up the tonearm when it reaches the end of the record side. It also will have a brown wood (walnut) veneer finish, instead of a black stained (ash, I think) wood veneer finish. (Incidentally, the black finish matches the NS-1000M speakers).
100V is common with these, but they actually operate on 24V. Yamaha offered an external power supply upgrade option, and the TT has a connector (it looks like a Neutrik female connection) on the back to feed in that power directly. A lot of Japanese owners make DIY power supplies for theirs, often based on the same design. I was pleased to discover when I opened mine up, that they'd used a British-made toroidal hi-fi transformer inside with multiple taps, making the conversion to our local 220V power supply quick and easy. You might similarly get a power supply that feeds off your local voltage (110/115V, I assume) and puts out 24 volts (at suitable amperage). A laboratory power supply might be fine, with the right settings.
Will it sound better than what you have now? Almost certainly, unless you have an exceptional or "exotic" high-end TT. To give you an idea, the local distributor for VPI turntables and SME arms stopped talking to me about his products and said they'd be "different, not better --at best, a sideways step", when he heard that I had a GT-2000.
Soren Hammer
B&O-infected
I had two rather lack luster TT's one rather junky Toshiba, and a Denon DF47, I think, until last week when I got two more new TT's of better quality, probably considered midgrade units, a Yamaha PX2, and a Phase Linear 8000 II. Considering how much better they sound compared to what I had I can only imagine what a really good TT must be like. To be fair to the Denon, it sounded pretty good, probably would be much better with a better grade Cartridge, as I think it overall was an ok TT.
thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
I am surprised to see these absent from the list.:scratch2:
The upper Denon models should be on here, as well as the JVCs- they had some serious decks out at the time.:scratch2:
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
FYI, the Beogram 8000 is no slouch. But it is more middle class than the other entries. While it has excellent specifications when new, they aren't as bombproof. And not flexible enough to do it all. Many of the turntable options on this list all can accept separate tonearms save for few, most of them can even be mounted in plinth of choice. And they can handle a wide variety of record playback desires. On Denons, there is one model of Denon which should be on this list automatically. It was their state of the art broadcast style turntable and competitive with the EMT 909, Technics SP-10 Mk II, Trio-Kenwood L-07D, and the TOTL Micro-Seiki. Some of the other better of the more approachable Denons would make Class III on the list. There is at least one Sony which is in this upper end flight.
Pio1980
AK Member
The Denon DP-80. http://www.thevintageknob.org/denon-DP-80.html
I couldn't justify the cost of this TT and the separate laminated plinth, or it's smaller sib, the DP-75 with separate laminated plinth, so went with the considerably less-costly DP-55K on it factory-supplied base and never regretted it.
I couldn't justify the cost of this TT and the separate laminated plinth, or it's smaller sib, the DP-75 with separate laminated plinth, so went with the considerably less-costly DP-55K on it factory-supplied base and never regretted it.
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thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
I respect their choices. They have heard some tables I have not, and wish I could. I do take their opinions in with keen interest and intrigue and, again, respect.
But in the end, it's just the opinion of two men. Educated, and experienced, but it is still just the opinion of two men.
I know of a friend with the DP-75 and he says it's the bees knees. I'll let him discuss if he'd like, but won't spoil his fun. These tables had some excellent advances going for them, as did the JVCs.
The plinthless JVC TT-101 and the plinthed model, the QL-10 should be on this list over some other choices, i feel.
some of these top dog tables had some neat innovations- platters made of multiple layers with suspension built into the platter, liquid filled mats, magnetic floating bearings, air-pump platters to suck-down the record flat to couple it to the platter, push-pull servo, magnetic strip speed control circuitry, beefy bearing housings with silky bearings, etc.
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