Did Philips ever make a good turntable?
- Thread starter kdryan
- Start date
voltcontrol
Fizheuer Zieheuer
Some of those original R&D facilities still exist (some in use, some not) on what is currently called the 'Philips High Tech Campus' in Eindhoven (then called NatLab), but that aside, cool that you got it dkryan!
There you go :thmbsp:
FWIW, I've got about 5 or so of these out in the garage in various stages of repair. Usual failures are the lights, the on/off switch and the cueing mechanicals can go wacky too.
I ran one for a couple years as my main table and thought it was fine; the only reason it went is because I scored a Thorens TD-160and a Dual 1229. in fact, the question of which to keep may have been my 1st post here :yes: and
kdryan
Pioneer Addict
pmsummer
simul justus et peccator
Not that one.
j free
Active Member
To resurrect somewhat. I just acquired my dad's old GA202. He's had it since new, used to work for Philips in the research lab. It has a Norelco 412 cartridge on it. I assume that's a Shure M97xE you're talking about. Is that a direct fit or mods required? Good results?
cheers
cheers
If I remember correctly, the touch switch bulbs on the 212 are actually part of the circuit and they have to work for the circuit to work correctly. IMO, it's a very decent turntable. Not the equal of many of the higher priced Japanese and other tables that came later, but it was great for the money. Years ago I think I replaced my AR XA with a 212 and considered it an upgrade, but today one might argue either way.
vintagefanbe
New Member
Don't ever believe in brands : just try it out yourself. Your ears are your best guide. Even the best turntable sounds awfull with the wrong element.
Just picked up one for $25 at a flea market
I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but I just picked up this Phillips 212 at a flea market for $25 bucks! I was a little concerned about the "bouncing around" of the platter and tone arm as another posted said, and I'm releaved to hear it is the way they were made. No cartridge though
Anyone know what the best cartridge and stylii would be for this table? Willing to pay $100-$150 if it would make it sound awesome.
Got a lot of cleaning to do first. Plastic is actually in great shape, a lot of dust, but I'd rather have that than swirls from cleaning with paper towels.
I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but I just picked up this Phillips 212 at a flea market for $25 bucks! I was a little concerned about the "bouncing around" of the platter and tone arm as another posted said, and I'm releaved to hear it is the way they were made. No cartridge though
Anyone know what the best cartridge and stylii would be for this table? Willing to pay $100-$150 if it would make it sound awesome.
Got a lot of cleaning to do first. Plastic is actually in great shape, a lot of dust, but I'd rather have that than swirls from cleaning with paper towels.
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mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
Grados work well in the GA212/GA312.
AMPHEAD
Active Member
I had a Philips GA212 back in the day ( 1975 ) with a Stanton 681EEE mounted on it. Sounded pretty darn good. Like most Philips products, the engineering is good, build quality decent, but the materials are pretty cheap. It's suspension is pretty active so sturdy placement is a must. The tonearm, although it looks light and flimsy, has decent performance. It allowed the 681EEE to track very well.
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mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
The GA-222 was the top of the line in the mid 1970s before the AF-777/867/877 (and, ultimately 887... and beyond) lineup came along.
It's a pretty nice but seldom seen piece.
It's a pretty nice but seldom seen piece.
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