Turntable?

kpsingh0

Member
Hi looking to get a turntable to get into analog sound. I don't want too sped too much though would love to get pro-ject debut or essentials down the road. But to start of I'm thing vintage. I have track it to several I like
1. akai ap b20 $50
2. Harmon kardon T40 $120
3. Dual cs 505-2 $100
Do those prices seem fair. What table would you recommend. Any other recommends would be great. The hk is a bit out of what I want to send. Oh and how do the stack up against the pro-jects?
Thanks
 
What features would you like to have in a turntable?

Would you like a manual, automatic, semi-automatic type of turntable?:scratch2:

The description of the turn table in the library would tell you what type it is.
 
The Akai is an S-arm mid-mass arm table, The Harman Kardon T40 is a straight low mass arm, as is the Dual. All are belt drive, the Harman is from the best period of Harman turntables....

My guess is the Harman is the best TT of the three.

They are very similar in technology, market segment, etc...

Really depends on your intentions, and your budget.

Do you have any idea of what type of cartridges you would want to try on your table?

If you are interested in MC cartridges (which are mostly lower compliance) then the Akai has the edge, as the heavier arm will match better.

If you are interested in MM high compliance cartridges, then the HK and Dual are better due to the low mass arms.

Budget MC cartridges of note: Denon Dl103, Benz Ace, Dynavector DV10x5
For an MC based setup, you will also need a phono stage that properly supports MC's (higher gain, appropriate loading)

MM/MI catridges - these are mostly high compliance with a couple of exceptions... examples: Shure V15, M97xE, Ortofon OM & 2M Series, Grado (any), Audio Technica AT120/440/150, Stanton 680 & 880 series, Pickering XV15 & XUV/XSV series etc...

Low compliance MM's that would suit the Akai would include: Audio Technica AT95, Ortofon Omega, most Nagaoka's

Many of the MM cartridges can be upgraded by ugrading the stylus fitted - if the turntables come with a cartridge already fitted, you might decide partly based on the fitted cartridge (if something really nice and suitable is already fitted, then for the price of the stylus you would have an excellent setup)


more food for thought?

Bye for now

David
 
Question on that Dual ... does it use the proprietary cartridge mounting system? I know the 'CS' stands for 'Complete System' that I thought means it uses an Ortofon cartridge custom made for Dual and hence hard to convert to a regular mount. If so that probably would be a significant consideration for the OP.

kpsingh0, you should find out, if you can, what cartridges come on each of these tables. There might be a real gem there that sways your decision.

Also does the T40 have the record weight with it (HK calls it a 'disk stabilizer')?
 
The differences in manual, Semi auto and auto are as they sound. A manual table you have to cue up the arm and lower it onto the record to play. Then at the end you will need to raise it up and place it back on the tonearm stand. A semi auto, you will need to cue the arm onto the record, but at the end, it will raise itself off and lower itself back onto the tonearm stand. The auto table will do all this by pressing a button. So, if you fall asleep listening to records or are doing other things around the house, then a semi auto will be good. Full autos are nice (My fiance loves it as its less scary :) ) because you don't have to do much. Manual tables are usually prefered by audiophiles as these are your basic tables with litle to go wrong. Project and Rega tables are all manual as far as I know. Thorens has some auto tables.
 
I like the idea of a manual it seems more my style. maybe semi at the most.
-The hk has the original Ortofon cartridge
-The Dual also a Ortofon
-not sure on the akai, i stopped getting responses from this guy. Too bad casue i was leaning towards it. loved the price.
 
I like the idea of a manual it seems more my style. maybe semi at the most.
-The hk has the original Ortofon cartridge
-The Dual also a Ortofon
-not sure on the akai, i stopped getting responses from this guy. Too bad casue i was leaning towards it. loved the price.

You could look for a Technics SL-1700 Mk2. It's semi-auto with the ability to operate as a manual, essentially a suspended SL-1200Mk2 with semi-auto capability and without the premium price.

John
 
You could look for a Technics SL-1700 Mk2. It's semi-auto with the ability to operate as a manual, essentially a suspended SL-1200Mk2 with semi-auto capability and without the premium price.

John

The original (Mk1) version of the SL-1700 is also worthy. The differences between the Mk1 and Mk2 versions are FG servo direct drive on the Mk1 vs. quartz lock on the Mk2 and a tonearm with a height adjustment on the Mk2 that allows the user to tweak VTA more easily. The Mk1 also didn't have the cueing belt issue that's common on the Mk2, which can be a bit messy or inconvenient to repair.
 
The original (Mk1) version of the SL-1700 is also worthy. The differences between the Mk1 and Mk2 versions are FG servo direct drive on the Mk1 vs. quartz lock on the Mk2 and a tonearm with a height adjustment on the Mk2 that allows the user to tweak VTA more easily.

A very worthy turntable!

The Mk1 also didn't have the cueing belt issue that's common on the Mk2, which can be a bit messy or inconvenient to repair.

That's literally a 5 minute & 75 cent fix. Maybe 10 minutes if you have a lot of belt goo to deal with.

John
 
... Go manual! There are less moving parts, thus less propensity for failure. Returning a tonearm back to its perch after play is no big deal. Actually, it is part of the ritual.

After thirty years of hand-cueing my AR XA and picking the tonearm up manually at the end of each side, I got tired of that part of the ritual. There is nothing wrong with wanting semi-auto or even full auto turntable operation. I'm currently using a fully-automatic Technics SL-230 in my main system, and I have a semi-automatic SL-1700 waiting in the wings that will replace the SL-230 if it sounds as good or better.
 
After thirty years of hand-cueing my AR XA and picking the tonearm up manually at the end of each side, I got tired of that part of the ritual. There is nothing wrong with wanting semi-auto or even full auto turntable operation. I'm currently using a fully-automatic Technics SL-230 in my main system, and I have a semi-automatic SL-1700 waiting in the wings that will replace the SL-230 if it sounds as good or better.

Unlike the AR XA, most manual tables have cueing devices, and that makes it much simpler. Everybody at my house, children included, have been instructed how to lift the cueing arm up once the record is over (but leave everything else alone)

Anyway, I'd pick the HK as well. It looks like it has auto-lift at the end of the record in any case.
 
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