Today's 'little' score was....

Vinylmasters

Vinylmasters

Super Member
A clean, working Technics SL-B250 with a Grado cart (blech!), but a snapped off stylus. No cover however - any ideas what would fit on this one?

I actually went for the stack of records - 63 total, mostly mint - classic rock, jazz :music:

I also brought home the rest of that Technics system (SU-Z550 amp (70 WPC), ST-Z550 tuner, and a RS-D550W cassette :yes:

AND - a brand new, never used Panasonic compact system (SC-AK29), still in the box!

A set of RCA/Radio Shack "Minimus" style speakers (Model #40-5001). And a 100 ft. spool of 12 gauge speaker wire, all the cables and even a brand new battery for the remote. :banana:

All for...... $50.

Yea, not a bad haul. Now if I just hear back from that guy with the Dual 505-2 table with a Digitrac 300SE on it ($100) it'll be a VERY merry Christmas indeed!!!
 
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Wow, nice score! I'd have been tempted to spend that for the speakers and wire, not to mention that Technics amp and the other goodies. Add a decent sub, and you've got a patio system to be proud of.

Hm, the SL-B250 is one of several that Technics made with straight P-mount tonearms and controls in front. You might find one of their more popular models, like the SL-BD20, with a cover still on it, but it'll take some patience. Sellers on eBay tend to want more for a minty dust cover than I've ever paid for a whole turntable. And the hinges... well, I hope your deck still has them.
 
wgibso said:
Wow, nice score! I'd have been tempted to spend that for the speakers and wire, not to mention that Technics amp and the other goodies. Add a decent sub, and you've got a patio system to be proud of.

Hm, the SL-B250 is one of several that Technics made with straight P-mount tonearms and controls in front. You might find one of their more popular models, like the SL-BD20, with a cover still on it, but it'll take some patience. Sellers on eBay tend to want more for a minty dust cover than I've ever paid for a whole turntable. And the hinges... well, I hope your deck still has them.
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Nope, no hinges either (and sometimes those darn things are harder to find than the covers themselves!
 
Vinylmasters said:
Nope, no hinges either (and sometimes those darn things are harder to find than the covers themselves!
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Yeah, that's why I'd be looking for a complete deck as a parts unit. You can still find Technics with this form for fair prices, once in a while, if they're beat up enough. Then, settle down with a bottle of Plast-X and some Game of Thrones re-runs, and by the time the Lanisters start getting what was coming to them, you've got a shiny new cover...
 
Blech? I think I'd be more excited about the Grado cartridge than a belt drive Technics with no cover. Good score though, especially including those records. :music:
 
If it came as a system with the other Technics pieces, the turntable may not have come new the dust cover and hinges, and have been intended to live in the rack that came as part of the system.
 
I just don't understand this Grado dislike....
Feel free to get it out of the garbage and i'll pay shipping for it.
 
grafxdesin said:
I just don't understand this Grado dislike....
Feel free to get it out of the garbage and i'll pay shipping for it.
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OK, I'll explain it for all...

I'm all about sound - as much as you all are. I've made my living by my ears, and the sound they hear. And simply Grado's (and Ortofon's) have never 'made the cut'. They just sound 'dead'. I know many like them - swear by them. But I have a large variety of carts and styli that I have used over the years (now just P-mounts for a couple of reasons). When I took a job on, one of the first things I do after cleaning the record was to listen to it with a variety of carts and styli to get the best possible sound I can from it. Not once did I ever pick the Grado (or Ortofon). In fact the ONLY time I ever used them was when someone asked for them specifically, and then they usually complained about the sound quality. Go figure....

Now the Grado I had was a P-mount. I use a universal adapter. It won't even fit in the darn thing unless you shave the top of it off. So what good is it to me? It needs a stylus - and for the price of the cheapest stylus I can buy a new AT92e that will sound better anyway - and it will be to P-mount spec as well, which Grado, well, is not.

Do I need to go further? Grado to me is a vastly overrated cartridge on the lower end of the spectrum (and honestly even the ones at the top don't do a thing for me either).

That's MY personal opinion anyway - yours may vary :yes:

EDIT - Tomorrow I'm picking up that Dual with the Digitrac/Ortofon on it. That one will go with the table ;)
 
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grafxdesin said:
I just don't understand this Grado dislike....
Feel free to get it out of the garbage and i'll pay shipping for it.
Click to expand...

Totally subjective : I had ( I broke it) a grado red on my Thorens and in spite of the "grado " hum it had a wonderful warm sound. Look at all the posts by marc morin. Grados are awesome IMHO
 
Overrated? Maybe... But I think the people who like them like them for the sound. They have obviously heard them in a well-matched tonearm and took the time to set them up properly. A Pmount adaptor will not do them justice. I also use one on a Thorens, and love it. (Listening now, in fact.)

Now, my ATs have a special place for me, too... That is- in the corner of the shelf, gathering dust. :D

I will say, however, if you are looking for Pmount spec, Grados will not be for you. They can work well, but it will take a little additional ingenuity.
 
Multiplex said:
Overrated? Maybe... But I think the people who like them like them for the sound. They have obviously heard them in a well-matched tonearm and took the time to set them up properly. A Pmount adaptor will not do them justice. I also use one on a Thorens, and love it. (Listening now, in fact.)

Now, my ATs have a special place for me, too... That is- in the corner of the shelf, gathering dust. :D

I will say, however, if you are looking for Pmount spec, Grados will not be for you. They can work well, but it will take a little additional ingenuity.
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It isn't like I didn't match it. My main table is a JVC QL-Y55f, so it isn't like it's on 'junk. I also have a Denon DP-51f and a few different Technics. And as you just noted, a P-mount adapter 'won't do them justice' (if you can find an adapter to work with the one I had, because this one will NOT fit in a standard universal mount either) - and yes, they aren't to spec- which is EXACTLY what a P-mount is supposed to do - plug and play, no additional 'ingenuity' need apply. So I applied it- right in the trash can. :yes:
 
I like Grados with my current setup but completely understand the OP's disdain for them as they can fail to impress on many setups - including on an Akai belt-drive I once owned. Unlike Shures, and many other brands which do well with a large range of tonearms, the Grados can be downright finicky.

I'm a fan of most Ortofon carts but some of them can be as finicky as the Grados. My LM15 is wonderful on my Pioneer PL-570 (DD) but the OM10 in my kit not so much. The OM tracks beautifully but is rather bass heavy whereas the LM15 is smoooooth and accurate, with great extension. The OM10, however, does stellar duty on my Dual 1249.
 
beatcomber said:
Congratulations on your score.

Do me a favor... Give this short clip a listen. I want you to hear what an optimized Grado is supposed to sound like:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39332736/cartridges/8MZ_8MZ_47_PF.aiff

If you still are unimpressed, that's cool, but I suspect you haven't heard one on the 'right' tonearm.
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WHY would you say I haven't heard one? I've OWNED them! I have had a LOT of tables I have tried them on as well. Didn't like them then - don't like them now. And I KNOW the setup was done correctly. You shouldn't need a 'right' arm (or a left one for that matter!) to make them sound 'right' - they should be 'right' out of the box (OK - a little wear in, but that's it).

I would only use them if someone asked for it specifically - then I even stopped doing that (I am a grumpy old man in my 'retirement'! lol!).

And it sounds like a Grado - dead as a doornail. I'm sorry, but that's my opinion anyway. I know many like them - I'm just not one of them.
 
It's funny how we perceive things differently. (And/or strive to confirm certain biases...) I sure wish my vinyl rig sounded as "dead" as Beatcomber's clip! Lol! :D
 
That is a very nice rig. :yes:

Well, pretty sure we trashed the OP's thread quite enough for one day. :stupid: Each of us has things we prefer that require approval from no one. I hope he enjoys the Digitrac on his new TT. If you are enjoying what you hear, that is the only important thing!
 
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