Hi. The Technics 1100 is interesting because it shares the drive unit from the first SP-10, seems to have a heavier platter than a SL-1200 and has the removable armboard. Other than that, would this table be a good candidate for a nice plinth, other arms/carts and provide a nice contrast to belt and idler drives as an example of a 70's direct drive Japanese design?
I don't believe it shares the same drive. As far as I know all SP-10s used PLL-based speed control that was referenced to a quartz oscillator. The SL-110/1100 does not seem to work that way. I've never seen a schematic but I've had one since 1974, and have been inside it; all indications are that it is some sort of open-loop design.
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Brian! Thanks for replying...food for thought...
Since you've had a 1100 a long time, do you think it would benefit from mounting in a high mass plinth? What arms/carts have been especially successful in your opinion? Any tricks or tweaks that in your estimation would make this table real winner?
Since you've had a 1100 a long time, do you think it would benefit from mounting in a high mass plinth? What arms/carts have been especially successful in your opinion? Any tricks or tweaks that in your estimation would make this table real winner?
Unless I am mistaken, the one advantage of the SP-10 Mk2 over the first one is the quartz control. Looking at a SP-10 Mk1 side by side with my 1100, they appear to have the same motor, and their schematics are similar.
This 1100 seems to be locked in solidly. It just needed to be oiled. I'm running 1.5g on the cart with the stock arm and suffering no speed fluctuations.
The midrange is scooped. Lots of treble. It sounds like disco. With a heavy plinth, some arm/cart changes and a new mat, this table will be really cool.
It is really easy to listen to--'musical' (like a 'drinkable' bottle of wine). Compared to my TD-124, there is just more to the 124, but they do things differently and the Technics is running the stock arm which looks like a prop from Star Trek.
This 1100 seems to be locked in solidly. It just needed to be oiled. I'm running 1.5g on the cart with the stock arm and suffering no speed fluctuations.
The midrange is scooped. Lots of treble. It sounds like disco. With a heavy plinth, some arm/cart changes and a new mat, this table will be really cool.
It is really easy to listen to--'musical' (like a 'drinkable' bottle of wine). Compared to my TD-124, there is just more to the 124, but they do things differently and the Technics is running the stock arm which looks like a prop from Star Trek.
My Technics table had the arm replaced a few years after I purchased it as the stock arm was a club. The 'new' arm, a unipivot design, met with a mishap when a toddler bumped the dustcover - never did like the set-on-top non-hinged dust cover. It hasn't been used since then. When I was using it, I coated the underside of the platter with silicone rubber to dampen it and used a Sorbothane mat. Both improved sonics.
I never found the speed control to be rock solid as measured by the neon strobe light. Speed tended to wander slowly up and down by a small amount. I'm not sure that sort of thing would be audible and I never investigated in detail.
I never found the speed control to be rock solid as measured by the neon strobe light. Speed tended to wander slowly up and down by a small amount. I'm not sure that sort of thing would be audible and I never investigated in detail.
Brian. Sorry to hear about your mishap. An unhinged dust cover once destroyed a cantilever of mine.
The bottom pan does resonate on my 1100. It will eventually be left off with the new plinth design. Your silicone rubber idea for the underside of the platter is a good one, this way the balance of the platter less likely to be upset as opposed to using modeling clay, for an example.
My speed control is fine after a few good oilings. The manual say 3-4 drops, but this one took a lot more. If I wait until the table is nice and warmed up to set the speed using the strobe, it usually stays. I'm sure you do this too. My trick is when I turn it on the next time, I resist the urge to adjust the speed as will be slightly off until it warms up completely. After that, it seems to be a set 'n forget type of thing.
The arm is indeed very strange, but I like it. I think it's growing on me.
The bottom pan does resonate on my 1100. It will eventually be left off with the new plinth design. Your silicone rubber idea for the underside of the platter is a good one, this way the balance of the platter less likely to be upset as opposed to using modeling clay, for an example.
My speed control is fine after a few good oilings. The manual say 3-4 drops, but this one took a lot more. If I wait until the table is nice and warmed up to set the speed using the strobe, it usually stays. I'm sure you do this too. My trick is when I turn it on the next time, I resist the urge to adjust the speed as will be slightly off until it warms up completely. After that, it seems to be a set 'n forget type of thing.
The arm is indeed very strange, but I like it. I think it's growing on me.
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I just acquired an SL1100 and have posted questions about replacing the Tonearm. Mine still has the original...EPA-100 if I'm not mistaken. It seems like its working just fine. I was lucky enough to have found this one with the base and arm board with no defects. No strobe either. I had to sand some dirt or corrosion off the strobe dots. And the cover had a groove on the inside of the top surface...obviously from being knocked off the base while the platter was spinning. I was able to sand and polish the groove out and surprisingly it has no chips or cracks in it....though it does have swirls but nothing out of the ordinary for a 40 year old turntable.
Mine seems stable as far as speed goes...and I haven't done anything more that clean it up and polish it.
I'd really like advice on swapping out the Tonearm to perhaps a better design or more modern or whatever ...
Blake
Mine seems stable as far as speed goes...and I haven't done anything more that clean it up and polish it.
I'd really like advice on swapping out the Tonearm to perhaps a better design or more modern or whatever ...
Blake
I like the stock arm. I'm keeping it in the 'rotation'.
Seems like it would be a snap to make other armboards, and switching arms would be easy enough.
There is the popular choice of the SME III which I will soon try, along with a high compliance cart which it needs...Another cool idea might be a Audio Technica At1100 arm.
Blake, what cartridges do you think you might want to try?
-Gabe
Seems like it would be a snap to make other armboards, and switching arms would be easy enough.
There is the popular choice of the SME III which I will soon try, along with a high compliance cart which it needs...Another cool idea might be a Audio Technica At1100 arm.
Blake, what cartridges do you think you might want to try?
-Gabe
Ah, yes! Total piece of junk! Chuck it my way when you replace it, please
.Jokes aside, if it is the one below, you have hit the jackpot, my friend.
I, too, have an SL-1100 for a project. Drop-kicked that ugly clunker of an arm and replaced it with an Acos Lustre. I don't know if the original EPA-110 is bad at all; I just could not stand the looks of it. If anyone wants it, I'd be happy to ship it to you at your cost.
Digressing somewhat: I'm not quite happy with the Acos Lustre, though it's been months since I played vinyl. I'm missing the lateral balance weight, and I'm skeptical about the goodness of the on-the-fly VTA clamping mechanism (sorry for drifting OT).
Thanks for asking...though to be honest I haven't given it much thought. It has a Shure V15T3, which is what I had on my Yamaha turntable I bought in 1977.
I'd like to either build or buy a decent tube phono preamp and if I can find one that works well with MC cartridges I'd like to try one out...though to be honest ill need to some research on one I'd like.
I was hoping to keep my costs low but everything is relative.
Back before I found the SL-1100 I was considering either a Thorens, though which one I don't know, or an SL-1200. The more I play this LP's with this turntable the more I like it. Even with the cheap ART DJpreII phono preamp it doesn't sound bad with the rest of my tube stuff.
My main justification to buying a turntable was the 400 or so LP's I have. Unfortunately roughly 350 were damaged in a flood so to be honest I'm not really sure I want to hang onto this turntable and spend money upgrading it. Though the few LPs I have sure sound far better than the identical CD's, other than the clicks and pops. I'm debating on whether they are tolerable for the overall better sound quality.
I still think I'd like to find a decent more modern Tonearm for a reasonable price.
Blake
Thanks for asking...though to be honest I haven't given it much thought. It has a Shure V15T3, which is what I had on my Yamaha turntable I bought in 1977.
I'd like to either build or buy a decent tube phono preamp and if I can find one that works well with MC cartridges I'd like to try one out...though to be honest ill need to some research on one I'd like.
I was hoping to keep my costs low bit everything is relative.
Back before I found the SL-1100 I was considering either a Thorens, though which one I don't know, or an SL-1200. The more I play this LP's with this turntable the more I like it. Even with the cheap ART DJpreII phono preamp it doesn't sound bad with the rest of my tube stuff.
My main justification to buying a turntable was the 400 or so LP's I have. Unfortunately roughly 350 were damaged in a flood so to be honest I'm not really sure I want to hang onto this turntable and spend money upgrading it. Though the few LPs I have sure sound far better than the identical CD's, other than the clicks and pops. I'm debating on whether they are tolerable for the overall better sound quality.
I still think I'd like to find a decent more modern Tonearm for a reasonable price.
Blake
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Blake, your table looks like it might be in pretty good condition. Those arms are pretty goofy looking (Star Trek), but cool in their own way especially since mine mounted with an At-15s cart sounds pretty good! Not 'shure' if the high compliance V-15 would work though, but the beauty is that changing arms is easy, and the afore mentioned AT or SME arms as well as a Grace, Mayware or Black Widow might be a good match. I have a V-15 IV w/ Jico SAS and find it pretty modern sounding.
Like many people, I've had some experience with the SL-1200, but like the 1100 much more. Heavier platter, easy to change arms, SP-10 lineage and it might work very well in a heavy plinth.
I ended up with my 1100 in order to have something to compliment my TD-124.
Like many people, I've had some experience with the SL-1200, but like the 1100 much more. Heavier platter, easy to change arms, SP-10 lineage and it might work very well in a heavy plinth.
I ended up with my 1100 in order to have something to compliment my TD-124.
Considering that I saw a few wooden arm boards for sale on eBay I was wondering if anyone might have or know where I could find dimensions of the arm boards. I have all kinds of woodworking tools but since the one on my turntable looks like its made from aluminum I'm thinking I can machine one from aluminum on a CNC mill. I can program them and run them so to make one is a piece of cake. Who knows...maybe I can find a market for them since the wooden ones are going for $100.
Anyway...I think I'd be a lot happier with mine if I had a different arm on it. Perhaps one that you've suggested.
Anyway...I think I'd be a lot happier with mine if I had a different arm on it. Perhaps one that you've suggested.
Hi,
that circuit is called a E-Servo, as it is controlled by electromotive forces.
This means that similar to a Bike dynamo coils are wound onto the stator into which the turning-with-the-platter magnet induces voltages that are proportional to the speed of the platter.
The three ac voltages are rectfied and summed up by Diodes D10, D11 and D12.
As this signal is compared to a constant reference voltage but has a rather high ripple content, massive lowpass filtering is required to smooth it.
The filtering adds considerable delay (large time constant).
Typically these systems require heavier platters with higher inertia than the later FG-servos and Quartz-PLL servos.
This kind of servo has lower speed precision and stability and is sensitive to ageing, temperature and parameter drift.
It doesn't need a external speed sensor though and the electronic circuitry is simple.
It doesn't match an FG- or PLL-servo, but outperforms most belt drives and is certainly sufficient for happy listening.
jauu
Calvin
that circuit is called a E-Servo, as it is controlled by electromotive forces.
This means that similar to a Bike dynamo coils are wound onto the stator into which the turning-with-the-platter magnet induces voltages that are proportional to the speed of the platter.
The three ac voltages are rectfied and summed up by Diodes D10, D11 and D12.
As this signal is compared to a constant reference voltage but has a rather high ripple content, massive lowpass filtering is required to smooth it.
The filtering adds considerable delay (large time constant).
Typically these systems require heavier platters with higher inertia than the later FG-servos and Quartz-PLL servos.
This kind of servo has lower speed precision and stability and is sensitive to ageing, temperature and parameter drift.
It doesn't need a external speed sensor though and the electronic circuitry is simple.
It doesn't match an FG- or PLL-servo, but outperforms most belt drives and is certainly sufficient for happy listening.
jauu
Calvin
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