Idler turntables have cult following. I was wondering if there are any comprehensive reviews in Vintage Magazines (Online Archives) of
Garrard 301/401, Lenco 75/78, Thorens TD-124, Empire 598, I am talking about magazines from '50s and '60s. Would be fun to read
.
Amongst these which one had a high quality motor ?
Regards.
Garrard 301/401, Lenco 75/78, Thorens TD-124, Empire 598, I am talking about magazines from '50s and '60s. Would be fun to read
. Amongst these which one had a high quality motor ?
Regards.
Documenting the History of Radio TV and FM broadcasting
There you can find a lot of vintage magazines. With luck something you are searching for..
There you can find a lot of vintage magazines. With luck something you are searching for..
With the current trend of re plinth and up grading besrings etc I dont think it would very relevent.
If you are want to try idlers, I whole heartedly endorse it )
I took the plunge about 6 years ago. First with a Rekokut Rondine and then a Lenco.
i love my Lenco for sure. But the only thk g left is a motor and platter. The rest is diy or after market..
If you are want to try idlers, I whole heartedly endorse it )
I took the plunge about 6 years ago. First with a Rekokut Rondine and then a Lenco.
i love my Lenco for sure. But the only thk g left is a motor and platter. The rest is diy or after market..
Hi-Fi News and Record Review has more recently published reviews of "vintage" audio equipment by Ken Kessler. Others have also.
Here is a link to a lot of Audio Engineering , High Fidelity, and HIFI Stereo Review: Magazines 1952-1962 | Vintage Vacuum Audio
As much as it begrudges me to say so, I think Sreten is right in this regard.. Stereophile was founded in the 1960s to bring a subjective approach to reviewing audio equipment.
I believe it would have been very similar in the U.K. at the time as well.
I was a big fan of H&H Labs until I started to realize that the great measurements of gear they reviewed did not always seem to correlate well with what I was hearing at home. (Sometime in the mid 1980s I guess)
I own two Thorens TD-124, a mid run original series transcription unit, and a relatively late TD-124 MKII. Both of these tables are now in good running order. Eventually I will add my early Garrard 401 transcription motor to that list. I like the 124s a lot, definitely keepers, got my first in Sept of 2010. (There is a very long lived thread about it and subsequent things in this forum) All of these tables use fairly torquey induction motors and eddy current brakes for speed adjustment - were I to guess I suspect the Garrard has the better motor overall, but the 124 is slightly quieter mechanically speaking. For me there is no going back to the sort of mediocre belt drives I've owned in the past, the only exception was a slightly technically challenged SME 20/2 I had for a while. (Very nice in its own right)
As much as it begrudges me to say so, I think Sreten is right in this regard.. Stereophile was founded in the 1960s to bring a subjective approach to reviewing audio equipment.
I believe it would have been very similar in the U.K. at the time as well.
I was a big fan of H&H Labs until I started to realize that the great measurements of gear they reviewed did not always seem to correlate well with what I was hearing at home. (Sometime in the mid 1980s I guess)
I own two Thorens TD-124, a mid run original series transcription unit, and a relatively late TD-124 MKII. Both of these tables are now in good running order. Eventually I will add my early Garrard 401 transcription motor to that list. I like the 124s a lot, definitely keepers, got my first in Sept of 2010. (There is a very long lived thread about it and subsequent things in this forum) All of these tables use fairly torquey induction motors and eddy current brakes for speed adjustment - were I to guess I suspect the Garrard has the better motor overall, but the 124 is slightly quieter mechanically speaking. For me there is no going back to the sort of mediocre belt drives I've owned in the past, the only exception was a slightly technically challenged SME 20/2 I had for a while. (Very nice in its own right)
Thanks gentlemen. Those links by DieterK and kevinkr are great. Will browse through them and update. Didn't knew empire was belt drive. Sorry about that. But in the past I once saw an empire idler turntable so I mixed up. As for motors all seems induction motors. Did vintage model had hysteresis synchronous motor ?
Regards.
Regards.
Found this article on Thorens TD-124 in December 1961 Audio Magazine. Probably when it was introduced. December 1961 Audio Magazine
Some kind soul has put subject index of Audio/Audio Engineering Magazines. Subject Index of Audio Magazine I found mention of Lenco L-75 in July 1952 magazine. I have downloaded PDF file but Lenco Article is not there. Will search some more and update. Nice to browse through old magazines.
Regards
Some kind soul has put subject index of Audio/Audio Engineering Magazines. Subject Index of Audio Magazine I found mention of Lenco L-75 in July 1952 magazine. I have downloaded PDF file but Lenco Article is not there. Will search some more and update. Nice to browse through old magazines.
Regards
Found one more article. 'Test results Garrard 301'. Link is given below; its on page no. 3 of the Magazine.
January 1957 Audio Magazine.
Regards.
January 1957 Audio Magazine.
Regards.
The 124 was introduced in 1957 and I've worked on several made that year including one that was about the 12th one manufactured. It had some differences in main bearing and spindle design beyond the usual nylon bushings fitted at that time.
Yes those ads have nice graphics. Rek-O-Kut, Miracord, Garrads had full page ads. If that is any measure of companies. A full page ad of Bell laboratories congratulating team of John Bardeen, William Shockley and Walter Brattain receiving Nobel prize was nice too. Interesting things is some topics in discussion today like amplifier negative feedback, light and heavy turntable, Karlsonator speakers etc. were discussed in 50s. Sixty years is a long time.
Regards.
Regards.
Lots of info here, not sure about old articles but look in the History section.
http://www.lencoheaven.net/
The early ones did, but the nylon bushings in some cases reacted with the lubricant and swelled, resulting in scoring of the spindle and ultimately seizing up so that the turntable would not run. Possibly there were other causes like running dry as well, but the end result was the same.
They switched to oilite at some point although I am not exactly sure when that happened. I've seen both types of bearing assemblies, none of the nylon bushed ones were serviceable.
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