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Why are the older idler wheel turntables so highly regarded?

The spring tags
This is the idler arm one. Move the tag to the side even a bit increases the spring pull on the idler and increases the speed.
Chris
 

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All things being equal, I prefer BD and DD to ID. Had a restored TD-124MKII and still have a 401. Both are nice tables.
 
nailer said:
All things being equal, I prefer BD and DD to ID. Had a restored TD-124MKII and still have a 401. Both are nice tables.
Click to expand...
Much of the differences are the arm cart and plinth all things being equal ie good idler drive good belt and good DD.
That said no belt I ever owned sounded as good as the Commonwealth or as good as one of my SP10mk2s or indeed my G.
That does not mean there are not great belt drives that will equal or come close.
Re the 401, they are a good turntable, I have serviced many, but the motors, bearings ect do not come close to a Commonwealth. If one came up at the right price I would buy one just for completness (I collect turntables), but it would be with eyes wide open re limitations.
Chris
 
cafe latte said:
Much of the differences are the arm cart and plinth all things being equal ie good idler drive good belt and good DD.
That said no belt I ever owned sounded as good as the Commonwealth or as good as one of my SP10mk2s or indeed my G.
That does not mean there are not great belt drives that will equal or come close.
Re the 401, they are a good turntable, I have serviced many, but the motors, bearings ect do not come close to a Commonwealth. If one came up at the right price I would buy one just for completness (I collect turntables), but it would be with eyes wide open re limitations.
Chris
Click to expand...
:dunno: ... :thumbsup:
 
radiokom said:
W&F maybe, but not rumble, DD will always win.
Click to expand...
True, the SP10MK2 the rumble is so low you can hardly measure it, but my Commonwealth is silent in respect of rumble even in between tracks inches from the speaker with the volume up loud so even though the Technics measures better in this respect the Commonwealth rumble is low enough not to matter.
Chris
 
As soon as the rumble is lower than the noise of the needle on the vinyl surface (not the signal of course!) with e.g. well-maintained Jeton direct-to-disk - records all is good. A goal my Dual 1228 nearly reaches and the Lenco L78 clearly achieves. So I think Chris is right and the discussion for me is a bit - well - without meaning.
 
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