Turntables ... new and old to me!

[O au-d11mK2]

I have had a Elac Miracord 50 H II for some time now, it is quite nice but I think I may have to invest in a new stylus and possibly look into the idler wheel. But not sure it is worth dooing the full assortment of mods that are practiced on the Lenco 75/78 s.

Is the miracord capable of similar achievement?

But and sydenly a ERA 444 came my way with a Sansui AU9500 amp, is it worth changing the stylus and band or should I sel it on? Is there a market for this revolutionary French turntable?
As I understand the turntable had an “upside / down” construction and it is no deeper than the platter it self. I understand a shure 75G or a nagoka 110 compliments this player quite nice.
Any thoughts about this player would be most welcome as well...

Thanks and looking forward to get back to vinyl properly!

 

[johnjhazel]

IMHO, the Miracord 50H is excellent and worth restoring. There are many Lenco fans and wonderful advice and pointers on LencoHeaven.net. The French turntable....I have no idea. I once owned a Renault Le Car(stop laughing !!!) and got 96K miles out of it before trading it in.

 

[62vauxhall]

I sold cars at Volvo/Fiat/Renault dealership in the 1970's. We got free demo cars to use and I asked for an R5 (LeCar) every time. They were a hoot to drive.

Never heard of an ERA turntable before, but I've had several Elac's. Still have a first edition Elac 50H and currently doing battle with a Miracord 10.

Elac's are absolutely worth restoring/repairing but modify....sacrilege!

I like vintage things to work as they were originally intended.

When at car shows the "hot rods" are of no interest what so ever and I give them a complete miss. Too common to the point of....who cares? But I can spend an hour or more talking to the guy who did a resto on a 1950 Plymouth flat head six, 3 on the tree and all.

 

[Nat]

Do what is needed to bring your ELAC up to snuff. Good solid tables. It is possible that bolting it down to a massive plinth would have similar improvements to the sound as with Lencos, so I'd consider it.
ERAs are very cool tables, and can sound excellent. I remember some question about spindle wear, but if yours has a nice tight bearing with no wobble, I wouldn't worry about it at all. Some ERAs came without an arm mounted, others with the fascinating 'virtual pivot' arm, and, I assume, there were other ERA arms, too. How good the table sounds probably depends on what arm is on it.
I've been looking for one since 1973, when I read about them in Stereophile in the Swarthmore Music Library, but they are uncommon in the US, and I've never seen one.

 

[johnjhazel]

I sold cars at Volvo/Fiat/Renault dealership in the 1970's. We got free demo cars to use and I asked for an R5 (LeCar) every time. They were a hoot to drive.

Never heard of an ERA turntable before, but I've had several Elac's. Still have a first edition Elac 50H and currently doing battle with a Miracord 10.

Elac's are absolutely worth restoring/repairing but modify....sacrilege!

I like vintage things to work as they were originally intended.

When at car shows the "hot rods" are of no interest what so ever and I give them a complete miss. Too common to the point of....who cares? But I can spend an hour or more talking to the guy who did a resto on a 1950 Plymouth flat head six, 3 on the tree and all.

I like things 'stock' too. On my Le Car, I did put BF Goodrich TA radials and high pressure gas shocks. It was a blast to drive that little car. I only traded it in because at 96K miles it needed a new clutch which would have cost more than the car was worth. I traded it for a 1977 Lincoln 4 door. LOL. My Garrard Lab 80 and AR 77-XB are stock. My Rega was an RP1. Only the plinth, dustcover, on/off switch and platter bearing well are original. With the Rega, it was more dollars than sense. If I wanted to trade it in....it is still officially a RP1. Sounds nothing like an RP1 though.

 

[johnjhazel]

Do what is needed to bring your ELAC up to snuff. Good solid tables. It is possible that bolting it down to a massive plinth would have similar improvements to the sound as with Lencos, so I'd consider it.
ERAs are very cool tables, and can sound excellent. I remember some question about spindle wear, but if yours has a nice tight bearing with no wobble, I wouldn't worry about it at all. Some ERAs came without an arm mounted, others with the fascinating 'virtual pivot' arm, and, I assume, there were other ERA arms, too. How good the table sounds probably depends on what arm is on it.
I've been looking for one since 1973, when I read about them in Stereophile in the Swarthmore Music Library, but they are uncommon in the US, and I've never seen one.

Swarthmore...I was born in Center City but grew up in Delco. Small world.

 

[Nat]

I didn't go to Swarthmore - I went to Haverford, but a friend was at Swarthmore and I went over to see her. Found the music library, which was just lovely, and had all the back issues of Stereophile, perhaps not surprisingly since the magazine was from Paoli at the time.
My wife went to Penn, and was working at the Welcomat, a Center City alternative paper, when I met her.

 

[johnjhazel]

I didn't go to Swarthmore - I went to Haverford, but a friend was at Swarthmore and I went over to see her. Found the music library, which was just lovely, and had all the back issues of Stereophile, perhaps not surprisingly since the magazine was from Paoli at the time.
My wife went to Penn, and was working at the Welcomat, a Center City alternative paper, when I met her.

Penn State ? Me too.

 

[O au-d11mK2]

Thanks, I will refurbish the miracord, the ERA stil not sure... I have on hand e Lenco L78 (not SE) that I might get for day to day. My best catch just last night was a Garrard 401, no plint but an SME 3009 v2 and 2 cartridges.
This will be my priority, plinth and setup.

 

[O au-d11mK2]

And since we are derailing, my wife had a R5 baccarat, 90bhp full leather, electric windows climat control etc. It was quite a car. I personally have always lusted for an original Alpine5. Blue with gold decals... and of course as Turbo2 !!!

But at the moment I’m prioritising AUDIO

 

[illinoisteve]

I have had a Elac Miracord 50 H II for some time now, it is quite nice but I think I may have to invest in a new stylus and possibly look into the idler wheel. But not sure it is worth dooing the full assortment of mods that are practiced on the Lenco 75/78 s.

Is the miracord capable of similar achievement?

But and sydenly a ERA 444 came my way with a Sansui AU9500 amp, is it worth changing the stylus and band or should I sel it on? Is there a market for this revolutionary French turntable?
As I understand the turntable had an “upside / down” construction and it is no deeper than the platter it self. I understand a shure 75G or a nagoka 110 compliments this player quite nice.
Any thoughts about this player would be most welcome as well...

Thanks and looking forward to get back to vinyl properly!

The beginning of the first post confuses me. The problems with the Elac Miracord 50H seem to be limited to needing a stylus and perhaps some sort of attention to the idler wheel.
* First, needing to replace a stylus is not a turntable problem. It is a normal part of using any turntable or record player.
* Second, unless the idler wheel needs replacement or rebuilding by a professional, things like cleaning the tire edge and the surfaces it rolls against ( motor pulley and inner platter rim), light resurfacing with fine sandpaper, or lubing the idler bearing, are all very minor turntable maintenance processes that hardly rise to level of "mods" or "refurbishing." Even replacing the idler wheel doesn't rise to that level, though it is more expensive than the maintenance procedures I mentioned.

Perhaps the original poster left out a bushel of other complaints about the 50H, but from what was listed, I just don't get the problem.

 

[O au-d11mK2]

The beginning of the first post confuses me. The problems with the Elac Miracord 50H seem to be limited to needing a stylus and perhaps some sort of attention to the idler wheel.
* First, needing to replace a stylus is not a turntable problem. It is a normal part of using any turntable or record player.
* Second, unless the idler wheel needs replacement or rebuilding by a professional, things like cleaning the tire edge and the surfaces it rolls against ( motor pulley and inner platter rim), light resurfacing with fine sandpaper, or lubing the idler bearing, are all very minor turntable maintenance processes that hardly rise to level of "mods" or "refurbishing." Even replacing the idler wheel doesn't rise to that level, though it is more expensive than the maintenance procedures I mentioned.

Perhaps the original poster left out a bushel of other complaints about the 50H, but from what was listed, I just don't get the problem.

Hi and thanks for your implied question. The essence of my question was more along the lines of:
Will the miracord be better player if I do upgrades and is it worth spending money on it, I have it through family so not planing to get rid of it. And to my understanding it is an excellent charger...

Now with my other potential lenco l78 I understand from lenco forums that it is quite capable. My recent purchase is by some regarded as the best...
I had been Loking for a linn lp12 and also others. But really like the look of the Garrard 401, and i had de possibility to audition a 301 next to annlp12, I fount the 301 more involving and dynamic. It may be the motor and construction or also the pickup.....

 

[Nat]

I would guess that if you have a 401 and an SME, the other tables might seem less exciting. A massive plinth, and you are off to the races. Of course, if you like stacking records, the Miracord still serves a purpose, and it would be worth investigating tightening it down on a massier plinth.

 

[fiddlefye]

The ERA looks like a very good table in that type. I'd be getting it in fine shape and giving it a whirl.