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#1
11-01-2009, 11:23 PM
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My TT options: QB by committee?
There is an old saying that goes: if you have two quarterbacks, then you have none. Similarly I have three TTs and I may have none.
The three were not specifically sought out by me, but were rather acquisitions of opportunity. So if you tell me none of them are better than a playskool record player one could have purchased from Kiddie City 30 years ago, my feelings won't get hurt. However, I will need to use one for the time being so I'm kind of curious if one of them will be a decent model to go with until such time I can afford to upgrade. I'm not quite in a position where I can play them all for myself right now and trust my own ear. And even in that case, I wouldn't know that the best of the three is still selling the medium short. So without further blathering, here are my options: A Sony PS-LX2 with what appears to be the stock cartridge. It works, but stylus is of unknown condition (most likely it has done some bouncing on the deck). Assumption is a new cartridge/stylus would be necessary for this option. A Gemini XL-BD10 with what appears to be a stock cartridge. I don't know, is this a "DJ turntable"? Again, I know it works. It has a protective cap over the stylus, so I suspect that it has not done any naked dancing on the deck (plinth?). But I can't speak for certain to it's condition. And a Philips 437 with what appears to be an Acutex 415 STR cartridge. This seems to be a rather old model of cartridge (1980-ish?). I have not hooked this TT up yet but the assumption is that it's functional. The previous owner had a penny taped to the top of the head of the tone arm. I can't imagine that's a good thing. 
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#2
11-02-2009, 12:15 AM
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I'd vote for the Sony as the keeper. I always thought of the Geminis as being complete junk, I welcome further education on the matter.
And don't dismiss the PlaySkool players, although not "HiFi" they were built like a tank and keep going and going...
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#3
11-02-2009, 12:41 AM
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If you can round up a new stylus I would not dismiss the Philips. There's an eBay seller that seems to have that sort of thing.
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#4
11-02-2009, 01:40 AM
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I can only speak to the Sony, as I picked one up myself last week. It seems to be a nicely made TT, solid aluminum tonearm assembly, very little plastic, operates quietly, nice big motor. Definitely not high end, but decent enough.
Unless you can determine otherwise, assume that all of the carts will need a new stylus. The catch to that is that a new replacement stylus will cost almost as much as a whole new cartridge.
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 MADE IN DETROIT
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#5
11-02-2009, 02:21 AM
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My only experience with a Gemini TT was just as MelodyMaster suggests - it was JUNK! About on a par with the USB things sold to transfer LPs into digital formats at the lowest cost. That doesn't mean that another TT from the same brand might not be much better than the one I've seen, but if that one was anything to go by, forget about the Gemini. [Maybe it would help if you posted a pic, so we could see what this model looks like.]
The Sony should be a decent workhorse, good enough to use until you can find something better to upgrade to. I'm not familiar with the Phillips model mentioned, but Phillips made some decent mid-fi TTs, too, so it may be another good option. I'd suggest comparing the Sony and the Phillips head-to-head, passing the same headshell and cartridge between them, to see which sounds better to you. Of course, you might just be testing cartridge compatibility, but if you are going to start out with just one cartridge anyway, you might as well have it on the TT it sounds best on. Sound is what matters most, but of they are close in sound, you might also look at the design, construction quality, tweakability, etc... before making a final decision between the Sony and the Phillips. One thing I will say: I started out going through a series of ordinary, lower-to-mid-fi tables like those, and gradually over several years moved "up the chain" to some really nice TTs. Looking back, I think I should have saved all that time spent listening to inferior sound, and just gone straight for the best thing I could afford, even if I had to save up for a year to get it, first. So my advice would be: choose one of the three that you have, and start setting aside money until you have more than you ever dreamed you'd be willing to spend on a TT. Then go out and get the best deal you can on a REALLY NICE one. Then repeat the process for a really nice cartridge and a really nice phono preamp. The sonic rewards will be worth it!   Good Luck, have fun and enjoy the music!
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This space has been reserved...
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#6
11-03-2009, 05:59 PM
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Thanks Arkay, sounds like good advice. The Gemini has pretty much eliminated itself. The speed function must be broken because it only plays at 45. The Philips needs a new belt so I can't really evaluate it until that gets taken care of. So I will check to see if I can get that done and then choose between the two. Then save my pennies for the future. Thanks to all for your feedback.
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#7
11-03-2009, 06:06 PM
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The Philips GA-437 was a decent very basic European belt-drive tt with a suspended subchassis and a decent low-mass arm. A little more plasticky than the best Philips offerings of the 1970s, but not bad at all. Not bad at all. A Grado cartridge works nicely in Philips tts (in general). The ubiquitous Shure M95xe should also be a good match.
 Its predecessor, the GA-427 was also kind of nice; a little better built -- only drawback was a 10" platter. The predecessor of the GA-427, the GA-308, was nicer still. A used example of the latter was my first good tt (appropos of nothing).  (the '477' in bold print is a typo!) The Sony (if I am recalling correctly) is a close to entry-level DD semi-auto tt. I think there's one in the basement :-) My son used it for a little while. If you like that sort of tt, it's definitely one of them (to paraphrase the late Julian Hirsch)! Not bad in any way, but nothin' special, either.
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all the best, mrh Last edited by mhardy6647; 11-03-2009 at 06:19 PM.
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#8
11-03-2009, 10:12 PM
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Great info, thanks. Yeah and the Philips looks better too. I mean my specific Philips. The dust cover is near immaculate while the Sony....not so much. Just need a belt and I should be close to being in business. Haven't looked yet, but I'm sure I can find one at one of the 'usual suspect' sites.
Man this place is great. I'd be lost other wise.
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#10
11-04-2009, 08:05 AM
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I have a friend who does drops with a Philips and they sound great.
The Gemini DD tables have lots of torque and make good RCMs, but I'm guessing that the "BD" in the model number designates belt drive. If so, probably not really good for anything.
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In a mass-market economy, a revolutionary song is any song you choose to sing for yourself. - Utah Phillips
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#11
11-04-2009, 08:06 AM
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I know which one you are talking.
Yes its a keeper for a good while. I would buy it but I don't have the money right now
__________________
Receiver: Realistic Sta-2100. TT:Dual 1225/m75 type d. Speaker: Ohm Walsh 4.Tape deck: Technics rs-tr232. R2R: Akai gx-255.
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#12
11-04-2009, 09:57 AM
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Quote:
http://www.theanalogdept.com/images/...Cinfosheet.jpg 
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all the best, mrh Last edited by mhardy6647; 11-04-2009 at 10:57 AM.
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#13
11-04-2009, 11:59 AM
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Quote:
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