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Underrated turntables....Share Your Knowledge !!!!!

ebk231 said:
I dont know the value of the cart, but clean functioning ps-x50's usually go for $250 range on ebay. I would try to get that one for around $150 depending on what you value the cart at. I might have a spare set of hinges, if not they pop up all the time.
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Cool. I promised my wife I wouldn't buy any more turntables until I sell the current excess stock so hopefully it's still available when that happens. I'll be in touch about the hinges if I end up with it.
 
Following up several years later, Sonys have gone up a little bit on the used market like almost every other vintage table good or not, but they remain under-valued compared to other tables.

The most under-rated IMO is the AR-XA/XB. Given its historical importance AND performance, it's amazing that it doesn't sell at Thorens/Denon pricing. Or that a cottage industry of rehab/modders doesn't exist except a paltry few, considering how much easier it is to work on compared to many other high end tables.

Beyond that, the underrated tables are now largely the rebranded types with less familiar names and tables made from ~80-83, since they tend to be mistaken for plastic crap (Aurex, Sony LX, Pioneer PL-X/X50s,etc).
 
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Very late in, a few may know I have always been a big proponent of BICs, particularly the original 900 series (940, 960, 980, 981, 1000). My original 980 I got in March of 1976 is still great with only routine maintenance. My 1000 is wonderful, too.

Doug
 
Well heck, I think it would be really hard to lose with an Audio Technica AT-PL120 at the prices they sell for. Under $200 used. The non-USB version. I received one in a trade recently and I like it. It's a heavy Quartz DD with a nice metal tonearm, switches and platter. 24 pounds. It's got to be the best sub $500 SL-1200 Mk II clone out there I've seen. Sure the top plinth is plastic but it's no featherweight like some of the other SL-1200 knockoffs I've seen. Sounds pretty damn good too after you put a thicker rubber mat and a decent cartridge on it. Speed is dead on, the motor has a lot of torque and seems robust, background between tracks is silent with no motor noise and tracking is superb with no detectable igd. I'm using a Technics P-24 at 1.25g. I've never heard any w & f, feedback or bias to either channel sibilance wise with this deck. I think it's pretty under rated and under appreciated. This is a workhorse that sounds good enough in my opinion. You just have to get over it not being an SL-1200 MK II... LOL. But if you can't find or afford the real deal, this is a great option. Don't get me wrong.. I like the SL-1200 Mk II better in every way but I will say I prefer the AT over a few of the semi-auto and fully auto SL-1x00 models. I prefer a fully manual table so that's part of it.
 
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onwardjames said:
Besides, I have 6 tables now, and it's become a real problem, lol.
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That's not a problem. 27 tables might be though. I just tallied mine up this morning. I've got some work to do to listen to them all and thin the herd. Ugh. Montana is a definite problem if you are an addicted audio guy or gal. It is very easy to collect this stuff but so hard to find it a new home.
 
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onwardjames said:
It'd have to be Bartertown. Ebay frightens me anymore, and always kind of did. Besides, I have 6 tables now, and it's become a real problem, lol.
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Actually, I understand. I generally had good luck (it has been a long time since I bought a table) with eBay but I did get one once packed decidedly below standard. It had minimal damage and I was able to restore it but...

Doug
 
Light platter Lencos like the B52 lurks in the low price shadows behind the hyped heavies like L75. Really nice sounding decks after some maintenance which is easy to do on these pups.
Bought a complete one for 30 bucks last fall.
Just needed a new idler tyre and tonearm v-blocks plus a relube to rock again. Made a great Xmas gift for our daughter.
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One of the weirder brands to slip thru the cracks and is often found for relatively cheap is Mitsubishi. The DP-EC20 (aka EC1MKII) retailed in Japan 1978 for 128,000Y! That's over 2x price of a Denon DP-1200 or a Pioneer PL-550, and same price as a Denon DP-70L.
 
Way back in like 2012 when I first signed up for this place, I bought a Dual 502 off of fellow member "Chicks". It's a semi-auto (just has auto-stop) belt-driven table, and this one had a really cheap plastic plinth (they also came with nicer wooden plinths.) Whenever people talk about various Dual TTs to look out for, no one mentions the 502, because it's really nothing special.

I don't remember what he sold it to me for, but it wasn't much as I was really over there to pick up a 1019 and this was just kind of thrown in as something else to mess with for few bucks more (maybe $50 or something). I ended up putting a really cheap cartridge on it; I don't remember what it was, but it was red and had no identifying marks.

I listened to so many albums on that table. It ended up being my primary TT for a good little while, but I ended up upgrading to a "good" one because that's what you're supposed to do I guess, and the 502 ended up in the basement for a few years before I gave it away. I still miss that table.
 
I have a 502 right now, and it has the dreaded double speed problem. Someone gave me a dead 510 a couple of weeks ago, and it uses the same motor. I tried
swapping them around last night, to no avail. Still has doublespeed.

I like the build of it though. It is basic, but has a nice tonearm. I’m hoping I can eventually get it going.
 
The Empires are beautiful, possibly the most beautiful tables ever made, but I wouldn't call them underrated. That being said, thanks for posting your gorgeous one.

:D

Doug
 
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