[bone]

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

[Stephen McElroy]

In article ,
bone wrote:

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

The most promising brands I found on Google are Thorens and Denon.

Stephen

[Kalman Rubinson[_3_]]

On 10 Sep 2008 00:58:48 GMT, Stephen McElroy
wrote:

In article ,
bone wrote:

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

The most promising brands I found on Google are Thorens and Denon.

Not automatic. Try eBay for a good condit

[Harry Lavo]

"bone" wrote in message
...
I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

Very rare and hard to find, but a Dual 701 semi-automatic is about as good
as automatics ever got....6 lb platter and all.

[John Stone]

On 9/10/08 5:16 AM, in article , "Harry
Lavo" wrote:

"bone" wrote in message
...
I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

Very rare and hard to find, but a Dual 701 semi-automatic is about as good
as automatics ever got....6 lb platter and all.

You can also go with a 721 or 721Q. All basically the same table. They're
all pretty old now and parts are near impossible to find. I'm not sure it's
a very good way to go.

[Arny Krueger]

"bone" wrote in message

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega
Planar 2 with a couple upgrades and I have come to
realize that where I live is far too noisy to be worth
the hassle of having to lift the platter up and move a
belt every time I want to play a record of a different
speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit
groove for hours sometimes as I do listen to music while
I'm cooking/cleaning/on the net and not seated in my
comfy chair equidistant from my speakers turned slightly
in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I
can buy for $500 and under?

I am open to other suggestions as well.

Are automatic stylus pickup accessories still available?

As I recall some of them were pretty simple - like a couple of magnets, one
fixed one on the arm, that attracted to each other when the stylus reached
the end of the run-out groove.

[Harry Lavo]

"John Stone" wrote in message
...
On 9/10/08 5:16 AM, in article , "Harry
Lavo" wrote:

"bone" wrote in message
...
I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

Very rare and hard to find, but a Dual 701 semi-automatic is about as
good
as automatics ever got....6 lb platter and all.

You can also go with a 721 or 721Q. All basically the same table. They're
all pretty old now and parts are near impossible to find. I'm not sure
it's
a very good way to go.

As good as the 721 was, it was an entirely different beast with a platter
about 1/2 the mass of the 701, and an inferiror (in sound) arm. If you can
find the 701, that's the one to have although the 721 and the 704 were good
machines in their own right. I owned all three as well as a 604, and all
are still in operation between me, my kids, and a friend. So my comparison
is based on first hand knowledge.

Just for the record, I sold my Linn Sondek / Syrinx PU-2 arm combo after
doing a direct comparison with the 701 that surprised even me. Same
cartridge (actually two, swapped once t make sure cartirdge wasn't the
factor) and AC-2 moving coil feeding a modified PPA-2 headamp. The 701
matched the Linn in midrange, exceeded it in bass neutrality and extension,
and lost only slightly in treble smoothness. So away went the Linn via
eBay, and the 701 continues as my main turntable (with the 604 as backup in
my second system). The 704 is now my son's TT, and the 721 has found a home
with a friend.

[Stephen McElroy]

In article ,
Kalman Rubinson wrote:

On 10 Sep 2008 00:58:48 GMT, Stephen McElroy
wrote:

In article ,
bone wrote:

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

The most promising brands I found on Google are Thorens and Denon.

Not automatic. Try eBay for a good condit

Specifically the Thorens TD190 and TD170 (semi-automatic) and the Denon
DP-300F (fully automatic). I've never heard them but they will lift the
arm at the end of a side if I'm reading the descriptions correctly.

Stephen

[bob]

On Sep 9, 6:31*pm, bone wrote:
I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

Only one I've seen around recently is the Denon DP-300F. You'll want
to change the cartridge. Whatever you've got on the Rega now might be
fine.

bob

[bone]

On Sep 10, 6:16*am, "Harry Lavo" wrote:
"bone" wrote in message

...

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

Very rare and hard to find, but a Dual 701 semi-automatic is about as good
as automatics ever got....6 lb platter and all.

Hm, how does the Dual 1019 stack up next to 701? I have a 1019 I
picked up has to be 7+ years ago at a thrift store that needs a little
work and has sat under the workbench since then. The wires that feed
down the tone arm are broken so it needs some TLC.

[Sonnova]

On Tue, 9 Sep 2008 17:58:48 -0700, Stephen McElroy wrote
(in article ):

In article ,
bone wrote:

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

The most promising brands I found on Google are Thorens and Denon.

Stephen

A cheaper solution would be to buy an electronic speed control from ProJect
for about $150. That would take care of moving the belt.

http://www.needledoctor.com/Project-...2&category=647

Somebody makes (made?) a simple little teeter-totter device that affixes to
any turntable base via an adhesive pad. When the tone-arm touches it a short,
weighted lever swings around picking the arm-tube up and lifting the stylus.
Seems to me that said device was about US$30.

Looks to me like less than $200 would solve both of your problems (if you can
find the auto-lift gadget).

[John Stone]

On 9/10/08 2:38 PM, in article , "Harry
Lavo" wrote:

You can also go with a 721 or 721Q. All basically the same table. They're
all pretty old now and parts are near impossible to find. I'm not sure
it's
a very good way to go.

As good as the 721 was, it was an entirely different beast with a platter
about 1/2 the mass of the 701, and an inferiror (in sound) arm. If you can
find the 701, that's the one to have although the 721 and the 704 were good
machines in their own right. I owned all three as well as a 604, and all
are still in operation between me, my kids, and a friend. So my comparison
is based on first hand knowledge.

Just for the record, I sold my Linn Sondek / Syrinx PU-2 arm combo after
doing a direct comparison with the 701 that surprised even me. Same
cartridge (actually two, swapped once t make sure cartirdge wasn't the
factor) and AC-2 moving coil feeding a modified PPA-2 headamp. The 701
matched the Linn in midrange, exceeded it in bass neutrality and extension,
and lost only slightly in treble smoothness. So away went the Linn via
eBay, and the 701 continues as my main turntable (with the 604 as backup in
my second system). The 704 is now my son's TT, and the 721 has found a home
with a friend.


The 721 had basically the same Pabst designed direct drive motor as the 701.
The arm was slightly different cosmetically, but basically the same
mechanically. The platter was indeed lighter. I bought a 701 when it first
came out. A very nice table indeed. Replaced it with a Thorens TD126 and
Infinity Black Widow. Honestly, I don't think it was much of a step up, if
at all. When buying the old Duals you have to make sure the arm bearings are
in good shape. They had incredibly low friction when new, but they are prone
to corrosion. Buying one on ebay is risky, IMO.

[Sonnova]

On Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:56:08 -0700, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

"bone" wrote in message

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega
Planar 2 with a couple upgrades and I have come to
realize that where I live is far too noisy to be worth
the hassle of having to lift the platter up and move a
belt every time I want to play a record of a different
speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit
groove for hours sometimes as I do listen to music while
I'm cooking/cleaning/on the net and not seated in my
comfy chair equidistant from my speakers turned slightly
in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I
can buy for $500 and under?

I am open to other suggestions as well.

Are automatic stylus pickup accessories still available?

As I recall some of them were pretty simple - like a couple of magnets, one
fixed one on the arm, that attracted to each other when the stylus reached
the end of the run-out groove.



The one I was thinking of is even simpler than that. It consisted of a post,
affixed to the turntable base in front of, but near the arm's pivot point.
The actual location is such that as the arm enters the lead-out groove area
of an LP, the arm strikes the post.

Mounted on that post is a short, vertically pivoting lever that is weighted
on one end so as to be much heavier at one end than at the other.

To operate this lift, one grabs the weighted end of the lever with the finger
and rotates it so that the weighted end is up, which is its non-stable
position. The rotating lever is designed so that the weighted end cannot be
made to go past the upright position and thus can swing only one way. When
the tone-arm tube strikes the post, it upsets the delicate "in-balance" of
the standing weight. This cause the weighted end of the lever to fall back
down rotating the lever as it falls. The longer, lighter end of the lever
sweeps up under the tone-arm lifting it into the air, and the stylus with it.

[Harry Lavo]

"bone" wrote in message
...
On Sep 10, 6:16 am, "Harry Lavo" wrote:
"bone" wrote in message

...

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

Very rare and hard to find, but a Dual 701 semi-automatic is about as
good
as automatics ever got....6 lb platter and all.

Hm, how does the Dual 1019 stack up next to 701? I have a 1019 I
picked up has to be 7+ years ago at a thrift store that needs a little
work and has sat under the workbench since then. The wires that feed
down the tone arm are broken so it needs some TLC.

It is very different although at it's time it was excellent. First, it is a
changer and much more complex than a semi-automatic, which only has to turn
on the motor when the arm is lifted, and lift the arm at the run-out groove.
Simplicity is much better....Dual changers like all others have a complex
pattern of gears and levers that tend to get bound up with dirty grease over
time.. At the very least it will require partially dissassembly and
cleaning.

The platter is much smaller and lighter. The arm is much shorter and
thicker and therefore not as neutral from a distortion standpoint. I don't
remember whether or not it is much difference in mass, but believe not.
Most all Dual arms were designed to be medium-low mass.

The design is the biggest difference. The 1019 (and 1219) are idler-rim
driven, a design potentially contributing rumble, wow, and flutter compared
to either belt drive or direct drive. The dual 600's series were belt
driven; the 700 series were direct drive.

So if you got it all cleaned up and working, you would have a good changer
circa 68-70. It may be good enough depending on your uses and standards.
It would not be for me (but I used to own one when they first came
out....big improvement over the Garrard it replaced.)

[Harry Lavo]

"John Stone" wrote in message
...
On 9/10/08 2:38 PM, in article , "Harry
Lavo" wrote:

You can also go with a 721 or 721Q. All basically the same table.
They're
all pretty old now and parts are near impossible to find. I'm not sure
it's
a very good way to go.

As good as the 721 was, it was an entirely different beast with a platter
about 1/2 the mass of the 701, and an inferiror (in sound) arm. If you
can
find the 701, that's the one to have although the 721 and the 704 were
good
machines in their own right. I owned all three as well as a 604, and all
are still in operation between me, my kids, and a friend. So my
comparison
is based on first hand knowledge.

Just for the record, I sold my Linn Sondek / Syrinx PU-2 arm combo after
doing a direct comparison with the 701 that surprised even me. Same
cartridge (actually two, swapped once t make sure cartirdge wasn't the
factor) and AC-2 moving coil feeding a modified PPA-2 headamp. The 701
matched the Linn in midrange, exceeded it in bass neutrality and
extension,
and lost only slightly in treble smoothness. So away went the Linn via
eBay, and the 701 continues as my main turntable (with the 604 as backup
in
my second system). The 704 is now my son's TT, and the 721 has found a
home
with a friend.


The 721 had basically the same Pabst designed direct drive motor as the
701.
The arm was slightly different cosmetically, but basically the same
mechanically. The platter was indeed lighter. I bought a 701 when it first
came out. A very nice table indeed. Replaced it with a Thorens TD126 and
Infinity Black Widow. Honestly, I don't think it was much of a step up, if
at all. When buying the old Duals you have to make sure the arm bearings
are
in good shape. They had incredibly low friction when new, but they are
prone
to corrosion. Buying one on ebay is risky, IMO.

John, I agree with everything you say here. The one (and only one) I bought
on eBay was badly packed and damaged, and the seller refused to make good or
share the cost of repair. It cost me as much to fix as it did to buy, but
since 601's are fairly rare, I did it.

[Peter Wieck]

On Sep 9, 6:31*pm, bone wrote:
I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega Planar 2 with a
couple upgrades and I have come to realize that where I live is far
too noisy to be worth the hassle of having to lift the platter up and
move a belt every time I want to play a record of a different speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit groove for hours
sometimes as I do listen to music while I'm cooking/cleaning/on the
net and not seated in my comfy chair equidistant from my speakers
turned slightly in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I can buy for
$500 and under?
I am open to other suggestions as well.

Mpfffff...

I have seen lots of advice here.

For the kind of $$ you are suggesting, I would look for a good RABCO
ST-8, then ST-7, then ST-6. Then Revox B795, then B790.

In *ALL* of the above cases, make sure you can kick the tires and try
them out before putting down your money - but they will do what you
want, pick up at the end of the record and treat them very well. I
have driven linear turntables for over 30 years now, and still have a
purchased-from-new ST-8 that is 100% OEM but for the belt and
lubrication. And a Revox.

Unless you have considerable repair talents, however, DO NOT buy one
of these sight-unseen and untested. They are remarkably rugged
machines, but when they fail or are damaged, they are a major PITA to
repair.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[Rob Tweed]

On 11 Sep 2008 21:18:49 GMT, Sonnova
wrote:

On Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:56:08 -0700, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

"bone" wrote in message

I am pretty low end for this group, but I have a Rega
Planar 2 with a couple upgrades and I have come to
realize that where I live is far too noisy to be worth
the hassle of having to lift the platter up and move a
belt every time I want to play a record of a different
speed.

Also I end up leaving the needle spinning in the exit
groove for hours sometimes as I do listen to music while
I'm cooking/cleaning/on the net and not seated in my
comfy chair equidistant from my speakers turned slightly
in sometimes.

What would be the best (short list) automatic turntable I
can buy for $500 and under?

I am open to other suggestions as well.

Are automatic stylus pickup accessories still available?

As I recall some of them were pretty simple - like a couple of magnets, one
fixed one on the arm, that attracted to each other when the stylus reached
the end of the run-out groove.



The one I was thinking of is even simpler than that. It consisted of a post,
affixed to the turntable base in front of, but near the arm's pivot point.
The actual location is such that as the arm enters the lead-out groove area
of an LP, the arm strikes the post.

Mounted on that post is a short, vertically pivoting lever that is weighted
on one end so as to be much heavier at one end than at the other.

To operate this lift, one grabs the weighted end of the lever with the finger
and rotates it so that the weighted end is up, which is its non-stable
position. The rotating lever is designed so that the weighted end cannot be
made to go past the upright position and thus can swing only one way. When
the tone-arm tube strikes the post, it upsets the delicate "in-balance" of
the standing weight. This cause the weighted end of the lever to fall back
down rotating the lever as it falls. The longer, lighter end of the lever
sweeps up under the tone-arm lifting it into the air, and the stylus with it.

Yes this was the Monitor Audio Stylift. I think I still have one
somewhere! It was a very simple and surprisingly effective device, if
a little fiddly at times.

Here's a picture from eBay to jog peoples' memories :-)

http://cgi.ebay.pl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...m=260255128096

---

Rob Tweed
Company: M/Gateway Developments Ltd
Registered in England: No 3220901
Registered Office: 58 Francis Road,Ashford, Kent TN23 7UR

Web-site: http://www.mgateway.com