what was your favourite deck?

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cressy
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#1 what was your favourite deck?

Post by cressy »

hi guys, having just had a hi fi related row with the better half over turntables, i got to thinking about what id had and what id actually liked. the question posed was 'why do you keep buying them when you were happy with that red jvc thing?'
good question that. heres a rundown of what ive actially had
linn lp12
pro-ject debut
trio kd1500
jvc ql y5f direct drive, 2 of
sony ps11 dd
jvc jlf 50
technics sl 3110 dd
trio kd1033
technics sl150 dd
luxman pd 290
lenco gl75
plus the several ive built from bits. looking at the list the only one ive been happy with and left alone was the 2 jvc's. great sound, lovely looks, great build and the missus could use it too.
the ones ive made have been 2 based on the lp12 bits, one was a monster that was painted red, was pig uply and sounded ok. it had a project carbon arm on it and a decca international. it was the first i made. it was supposed to be made from the kd1500 bits but the platter was warped so those bits were chucked. it then used the lp12 bits in their place. a real learning experience as neither me or mi dad had any machine tools drill press ect so it was all done with hand tools. i then made the one i fetched to eggborough that was birch ply and perspex and sounded lovely, greg said at the time that it was the best hed heard a dl103 on with the super high mass unipivot id made for it. i really liked that and so did the better half.

i then made the idler out of the lp12 and a lenco gl69 that was brilliant on a good day but bloody awful the next. that one really was frustrating. looked fantastic though.

i then made the dd one i fetched to the first owston that was really good, but the cart was by then knackered. then came the jvc y5 that i like so much. then i made the lenco plinth and carbon fibre unipivot which im using currently. i love this deck as it has so much potential.

my favourites have been the jvc's, the perspex/ply lp12 and the lenco. the ones ive disliked have been the lp12 as bought as it was so finicky and the lp12 lenco idler for the same reason. the rest have been sold on to make the money to build things like the amp and the tts.

whats other peoples favourites? the jvc's werent the best sounding ive had but were the nicest to use look at and actually play music on. my lp collection grew rapidly after getting the first one and there was a real sense of satisfaction in building and using the others. have a think about your favourites and i think you'll be surprised at what you come up with!
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Toppsy
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#2

Post by Toppsy »

For me in my youth the deck I lusted after was the Mitchell Hydraulic Reference.

I remember it took me several months to save up for it and go along to Nottingham HiFi and buy one. The pity is the Mitchell arm didn't get that much praise from the then hifi press and the arm to have was the SME 3009. I couldn't afford this so opted for a Formula 4 MkIII and Grado cartridge with the view of upgrading to a MC when funds permitted.
Wish now I'd gone for Mitchell arm as with the deck they fetch better money as a combo.

My second regret was selling on the Formula 4 to Paul.

I still have the deck but it is collecting dust in the loft.
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#3

Post by Scottmoose »

Wish I had the room / money to make you an offer for it. Those things are one of the great examples of sculptural engineering. Doesn't matter what they sound like.

My favourite deck: a cheap Sony DD from the late 1970s that my parents had when I was a youngker. Sound quality was not exactly great -I don't care. I still remember it with affection, because this deck was largely responsible for my love of music.
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#4

Post by floppybootstomp »

First decent deck I bought was a Pioneer PL12D with a Shure 75ED cartridge. Completely Manual, possibly the best turntable I've ever had.

Then had a Dual 505-3 for years which I sold about three years ago.

The only reason I have a turntable now is to record from vinyl to digital (is it sacrilege to say that here, lol) and it's me Mum's old Hitachi HT350 DD with a Shure SC35D cartridge.
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cressy
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#5 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by cressy »

A very old thread this one, it came up in Google when i was looking for something about the jvc ql-y5f deck I bought recently.
I was trying to see if anyone had modified one and to what degree. Turns out not much has been done to them, or what has been done hasn't made it onto the information super highway. ( remember that term from the mid 90's?)

Tbh i cant remember a few of the decks mentioned in my first post, bit of nostalgia for this hobby though.

I got to thinking about the question, I remembered the argument quite clearly for some reason.

I still think the jvc's are one of the favourites, along with the jbe direct drive for becoming my benchmark by which all others are judged. And the yamaha pf 800 which i still kick myself for letting go of. By far the best belt drive deck I've ever had.
And of course the lenco's for being a wonderful piece of engineering.
Any other favourites?
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#6 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by gninnam »

Favourite overall was my old Michel Gyrodek - great looks and great sound.

Currently got 3 Lenco 75's and 1 Garrad 25 - love the sound of the Lenco's

Well resurrected :mrgreen:
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#7 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by Greg »

I think I have been simply progressive in terms of sound performance. I went from a basic Thorens TD150 to an improved TD150 (after tweaking) to an early (disastrous) Origin Live kit to a Michell Gyro SE, followed with all the hook up improvements (including fitting the Orb kit) to my current good condition (properly serviced) Garrard 401 sunk into a fat slab of Welsh Blue Snowdonian dense Slate. Apart from a few insignificant arm and cartridge changes, I've never looked back. My current Garrard 401 based TT is my favourite, and nothing will change. It does what I want and what I like. I can't see any need to change, apart from sampling what Ant might do with my Lenco. If what he can do will match my 401 set up, I'd seriously consider moving over to the Lenco because he has made it oh so much smaller in terms of support space for the TT, and of course, it looks wonderful. I'd appreciate some feedback on this from Cressy Lenco Convertion users. How do you guy's now consider you vinyl output after he has worked his magic?
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#8 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by simon »

It's a good question Greg, and my answer hasn't changed since I last answered you. The 75 in Ant's plinth is more musically rounded than my 401 in a twin slate plinth, which has more apparent attack, probably because it's not doing some of the other things the Lenco is. But I used a 12" Schroeder-type arm with a 103 pro with the 401 and an Ekos and Kontrapunkt b with the Lenco, so very different.

I'm inclined to think the Schroeder and 103 pro with the Lenco could be something very special but haven't tried it.

I'm not sure which you'll prefer TBH Greg, I wonder if you might miss some of the attack of the 401. Personally I prefer the more effortless sound of the Lenco - it reminds me of the musicality of direct drives, like Nick's SP10. But it would be nice to be able to set up both the 75 and 401 next to each other and try them both.

That's my opinion FWIW anyway.
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Paul Barker
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#9 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by Paul Barker »

Wish I'd never sold my marble plinth gyrodec. Had more delicate top end than the 301 all other things equal. 301 had more solid bottom end. You couldn't fit the skin of your teeth between them overall. Was simply down to personal taste.

At the event where we mostly compared deca in an abismal listening environment the dd's and the garrards went neck and neck in my thinking. Probba;y the garrards were more weighted i.e. great at so much but emphasised some elements beyond linear representation. Again you would have to hammer a sharp thin blade between them or just throw a die to decide which you would want.

I haven't heard One of Anth's lenco conversions at the same time as a garrard. But hearing it alone at Steve's house left me quite sure it was up there in that tightly knit group of excellence that needs a fine wedge to seperate them.

Outside that circle of excellence are the stock lencos and the Linn Sondec and AR Legend and the Thorens version of the same method.

That's my very limited experience.
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#10 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by Michael L »

I was quite happy with my Pink Triangle PT1 but an opportunity arose to buy a Funk Firm 'vectored' PT1 cheaply on eBay. This gives me something approaching the SQ of the Anniversary. I nearly didn't proceed as the seller was a PITA as far as communication went. He told me the day before we were due to meet up that he had dropped the TT but offered a decent price reduction. It was quite easy to repair. I'm completely happy with the deck. I have a Zeta arm on it and would love to try an Audio Origami PU7.
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#11 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by Thermionic Idler »

Michael L wrote:I was quite happy with my Pink Triangle PT1 but an opportunity arose to buy a Funk Firm 'vectored' PT1 cheaply on eBay. This gives me something approaching the SQ of the Anniversary. I nearly didn't proceed as the seller was a PITA as far as communication went. He told me the day before we were due to meet up that he had dropped the TT but offered a decent price reduction. It was quite easy to repair. I'm completely happy with the deck. I have a Zeta arm on it and would love to try an Audio Origami PU7.
Can definitely recommend the PU7 - it's one of a very select group of arms that I've never heard a bad thing said about - I love mine, it just disappears into the background and gets on with the job of ensuring the cartridge gives the best it can.

Favourite deck? The one I have now. Granted there's not a lot of the original 301 left, just the motor and linkages - chassis, platter, main bearing all new courtesy of Ray and Shaun of CTC and SMD Acoustics respectively, all put together a few years ago when I still had money :lol: . Couldn't afford to do it now. With the recently added VdH cartridge paid for by the sale of two old Koetsus (possibly the most overrated cartridges on the planet) I'm done, as far as my front end is concerned.

I'm quite flattered that Audio Origami has been using a picture of my deck as their cover picture on Facebook for some time now... https://en-gb.facebook.com/AudioOrigamiTonearms/ . That same pic also played some part in bringing me and my wife together. :D
Deck: Garrard 301 - Audio Origami PU7 - NW Analogue DH3S
Phono: Pete Millett LR, Lundahl SUT, AMB σ22 PSU
Linestage: Bruno Putzeys Balanced Pre + Hans Polak relay mod, LCDuino control
Power amps: 300B PP 'Symmetric Reichert'
Speakers: FF225WK Big Mets
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#12 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by Neal »

The issue comparing any deck is having the same arm and cartridge combo on both and where changeable; the same plinth! Good luck with that.
Only the Sith deal in absolutes.
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cressy
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#13 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by cressy »

Must get the thorens td150 i have stashed rebuilt. Ive compared decks with the same arm and cart a number of times, only because I only have 2 arms available. One is the modded rega thing and the other the Un modded rb250. The lenco is cut for them and so is the jbe so i just lift the entire arm and cart assembly.

When i rebuild the thorens Im not sure wether to junk the subchassis and build it as a solid plinth instead. Im not a big fan of the linn, a/r pattern, from an engineering point of view it looks unstable. All the mass is up high as the platter is the heavy bit. As the subchassis is lightweight the centre of gravity will be higher than the pivot point if the system which is the base of the springs. Its always going to want to try and tip over in one direction or another. Its in a constant state of trying to fall over which is why the springs all have to be set at different heights

True, they can sound nice, but i think the configuration is fundamentally flawed. Unless the subchassis is heavier than the platter assembly it's always going to be intrinsically unstable.

Look at the sme 20 configuration and the mass is all below the pivot point of the system so is much more stable. It hangs from the pivot point rather than standing on it.

I might look at an sme style rebuild.

On another note, looking at Daves 301, i didnt know that the lenco wot I built with that mi dad has was sort of up against that beast when dave listened to it. Quite chuffed that he was impressed with it compared to his own :D
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#14 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by Thermionic Idler »

cressy wrote:On another note, looking at Daves 301, i didnt know that the lenco wot I built with that mi dad has was sort of up against that beast when dave listened to it. Quite chuffed that he was impressed with it compared to his own :D
Your Lenco build is a serious bit of kit. I think it's quite capable of embarrassing a lot of so called high end commercial decks.

The design puts me in mind of the Teres turntables:

Image

... but what you have is effectively a 'plinthless' idler-drive deck, like this one:

http://www.peakhifi.co.uk/cgi-bin/ecom. ... db_pid=709

... only yours doesn't run nearly £7k !
Deck: Garrard 301 - Audio Origami PU7 - NW Analogue DH3S
Phono: Pete Millett LR, Lundahl SUT, AMB σ22 PSU
Linestage: Bruno Putzeys Balanced Pre + Hans Polak relay mod, LCDuino control
Power amps: 300B PP 'Symmetric Reichert'
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#15 Re: what was your favourite deck?

Post by DSJR »

So many turntables, so little time...

The very best deck of all for me was the Notts Analogue Mentor with Mentor arm and Decca Microscanner, which was head and shoulders over the springy stuff I owned previously.

The deck I miss the most is the Dual 1229 I had. A wonderful piece of production engineering and musically very satisfying. I 'lent' it to a pals son for a couple of years, who left it in the UK with his ex-wife when he emigrated to the US :( The 701 I've had for thirty years may well be better, but it's not the same.
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