What is the best all around Vintage Turntable?

[AudioSoul]

I have owned several vintage TT's. The best lowest price one is a Technics SL-1100A with Jelco 750D tonearm. The best most expensive is a Thorens TD-124 with Jelco 750D arm. The ones in between are. Thorens TD-150 and a Thorens TD-125 with guess what? Jelco 750D arms mounted.........

 

[JazzVinyl]

+1 on the Well Tempered tables....

My vote would be for the Well Tempered Lab if sound was THE ONLY criteria. But I truly like my AR XA and Thorens TD166 MKII for their ease of use and sound with a quality cartridge installed. I know Thorens made better tables, but on the used market today the 166 is an absolute bargain. And for someone just getting into vinyl for the first time the 166 will likely need less work to get up and running correctly than the older AR.

 

[jon56]

Bets For Me

I just love my LAB 440. It handles allof my needs and more.

Jon 56:thmbsp::thmbsp:

 

[Vinylcalle]

I love your table!:thmbsp::My vintage table is a Micro Seiki BL-91. I just bought an Ortofon TA-110 tonearm and a Cadenza Black cartridge for it.

Thats a great turntable too. I haven´t any real experience with your arm but once had a Jelco SA-750E which I liked. Your cartridge is a real top performer, myself I kind of like the Bronze´s a bit more laid back aproach but thats just my taste in the systems I have compared them in.

Since I showed mine (TT) its time to show yours .

 

[PureQuill]

I always love when folks post any what is the best (fill in the blank) on any given subject question online:headscrat

It is pretty simple for me to answer...
It’s the one I can afford & I am enjoying listening to at the present time!
There is no right or wrong answer.
Maybe a better question to ask is what is your favorite vintage TT & why is it your favorite?:scratch2:

 

[JazzVinyl]

Yes, when you get one up and singing properly, they bring so much joy, it is hard _not_...to be enthusiastic about it.

I always love when folks post any what is the best (fill in the blank) on any given subject question online:headscrat

It is pretty simple for me to answer...
It’s the one I can afford & I am enjoying listening to at the present time!
There is no right or wrong answer.
Maybe a better question to ask is what is your favorite vintage TT & why is it your favorite?:scratch2:

 

[chuck r]

I had a DD40 for 25 years, I should never ever have let it go. That Ma 505 tonearm was great.
Not Mine but a picture from on line.

 

[vinyl fiend]

BSR McDonald's are great because they are changers with three speeds. Plus, if yours goes kaput, they are dirt cheap to replace.

 

[tcdriver]

Maybe, just maybe, this is the best all around vintage turntable? Four speeds, automatic functions and no exotic, irreplaceable chips that go bad. :thmbsp:

Garrard RC 88/4

 

[Whaddup]

And the results, in order of most times mentioned, then alpha (slow day at work )

Table # Mentions
AR XA/XB 13
Dual 1019 9
Thorens TD-124 9
Linn LP-12 7
Technics 1200 series 6
Technics SP-15 6
Thorens TD-125 5
Thorens TD-160 5
Garrard 401 4
Lenco GL75 4
Sansui SR-838 4
Dual 1219 3
Dual 1229 3
Garrard 301 3
Pioneer PL-518 3
Pioneer PL-570 3
Pioneer PL-630 3
VPI HW-19 3
Yamaha GT-2000 3
Ariston RD11 2
BIC 960 2
Denon DP-60L 2
Denon DP-62L 2
Dual 701 2
Empire 598 II 2
Garrard Zero 100 2
Kenwood L-07D 2
Marantz 6300 2
Realistic LAB-420 2
Technics SP-10 2
Thorens TD-126 2
Thorens TD-145 2
Yamaha PF-800 2
Yamaha PX-2 2
ADC 1600 1
Aiwa AP-2600 1
Akai AP-002 1
Ariston Q Deck 1
Beogram 1700 1
Beogram 4002 1
Beogram 4004 1
Denon DP-47F 1
Denon DP-59L 1
Denon DP-72L 1
Denon DP-80 1
Denon TOTL Broadcast (DP100M?) 1
Dual 1009 1
Dual 1209 1
Dual 1228 1
Dual 721 1
Dual CS-5000 1
Empire 398 1
Empire Troubadour 1
Garrard Z2000 1
Goldmund Reference 1
Harman Kardon Rabco ST-7 1
Harman/Kardon T-55C 1
JVC QL-A5 1
JVC QL-A75 1
JVC QL-Y7 1
Kenwood KD-3055 1
Kenwood KD-500 1
Kenwood KD-5070 1
Kenwood KD-5077 1
Kenwood KD-550 1
Kyocera PL-901 1
Lafayette PK-245 1
Lenco L78 1
Luxman PD-264 1
Marantz 6110 1
Marantz 6200 1
Micro-Seiki DQX-500 1
Oracle Delphi MK II 1
Panasonic SP10 1
Pioneer Exclusive P3a 1
Pioneer PL 12D 1
Pioneer PL-90 Elite 1
Pioneer Rondo 2000 1
Realistic LAB-400 1
Realistic LAB-450 1
Rega P2 1
Revox B790 1
Revox B795 1
Rockport Sirius III 1
Rotel RP3000 1
Sansui 3050 1
Sansui SR-939 1
Sansui X-Q7 1
Sanyo TP-825D 1
Sony PS-2251 1
Sony PS-X70 1
Sony PS-X75 1
Sota Sapphire 1
Systemdek 1
TEAC TN-400 1
Technics SL1100 1
Technics SL1600 MK2 1
Technics SL-B303 1
Technics SL-BL3 1
Technics SLQL-1 1
Technics SP-1350 1
Technics SP-25 1
Thorens GD-301 1
Thorens Prestige 1
Thorens Prestige 1
Thorens TD150 1
Thorens TD-165 1
Thorens TD-320 1
VPI scout 1

All those great TT's and not one mention of the Dragon...

 

[deaninkl]

Has to be the Akai AP 006...... But I may be biased, and certainly don't have e knowledge to judge... Got the Akai yesterday, my first turntable in 35 year, so I'm right now drowning in phono...

 

[zimmer50]

Sanyo TP-80sa and Elac Miracord 50H

Would love Thorens, SystemDek and other classics, but these are my best so far.

 

[kirk57]

The question you pose has no one true answer, but wisdom may be gained in seeking it.

Or not.

 

[twiiii]

Of all the turntables I installed the Technics SP-10 mkII with the obsidian bass was the best I ever heard. Followed by a SL1100 with a Rabco Sl-8E and a Grace Cartridge. Its not that my TD 125 is bad, it just isn't as solid and steady as the Technics. But as far as being able to tack warped records, the B&O 4000, 4002 and 8000 were just amazing. They could track with v-15's of any vintage and in addition keep the needle in the groove while tracing warped LP's.

 

[OldPolishGuy]

Wow...lots of fun reading here. If unique is what you seek I would nominate the Transcriptors Skeleton with Vestigal arm. For it's time it was quite good; not so much now. The Vestigal arm, which I had on other units, is a major pain in the backside to set up but when it is it's wonderful. Just my $0.02. OPG.

 

[rdka]

Another vote for the A/R. What a cornerstone that table has been. Didn't everyone seem to copy things from it? If someone had big money, then it was the Micro Sieki.

 

[bluesky]

1980 Sansui SR-838. (DD) TOTL.

Really fine TT. Total Joy. Perfect! :yes:

And they love $250 to $500 (Ortofon) carts! Lesser carts also sound fine of course.

Piano shiny black. Looks like it belongs on the Space Shuttle.

Hard to findbut not impossible. But you may have to wait quite awhile to find one. Highly sought after TTs. About $500-$550 for a good one, great price really considering the price of TTs now-a-days. Make SURE it comes with the original aluminum headshell,with adjustable azimuth. That cost $65 alone.

And it weighs a ton, it's large, it's immune to vibrations. It's a manual DD TT. Super fine ton arm.

Google Image it.

The SR-929 (1979) is super fine too but a bit more expensive. The 838 & 929 are of the same quality. I like the SR-838 better so I own an 838. But the 929 is mighty fine!! Those were Sansui's top 2 TTs, ever.

:thmbsp:

 

[Daunia 70]

IMHO,the best ever TT's were DD's like the Kenwood L0-7D,plus a few others listed on TheVintageKnob (link below).






http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CC8QFjAEahUKEwi70uz3-InHAhXCbRQKHdviAZs&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thevintageknob.org%2Fkenwood-L-07D.html&ei=_s-9VbvbFsLbUdvFh9gJ&usg=AFQjCNGHRrzVhrmSJ1FFPuZw658I97NtTw&bvm=bv.99261572,d.d24&cad=rja

 

[trackball02]

I really like my Phase Linear 800 Series Two. Phenomenal sounding with a direct-induction linear tonearm that is a joy to watch and listen. Nice DD motor.

A breeze to set up...just set the overhang and VTF, and let it play. Removable headshell. No protractor and anti-skate to deal with. Never any problem with IGD or sibilant sounds. I'm in heaven

From the manufacturer's literature:
"It's as close to perfect as you can get. Signal/noise -78db, Tracking error: 0, Wow and Flutter: 0.013%, Skating force: 0"

Currently have either a Grado Reference Master with a Sound Smith ruby re-tip, or Denon DL-S1 playing on this table.

 

[mmann68]

How about a second vote for the Sony PS-X75? A little dicey in terms of things that can go wrong, but if we are going strictly on things that work, this is an incredible table.