I inherited an old BSR changer and an old DUAL changer from my dad's estate. I never really liked either. But..since the days I lived there he apparently upgraded both cartridges to a V15-III and an SM91E. So...I wanted a turntable. I never really liked any of the Phillips 212 I used to own (somehow I ended up with several). But I didn't want to spend a lot either. I considered a U-Turn. Music Hall and Sota etc. over my budget. But for $49 I got this Hitachi. I don't want to be trying to find a belt for something 40 years old, so I liked that it was direct-drive. It's no Denon, that's for sure. Light plastic case. There was a version with quartz lock, this one is not. But supposedly the big feature is a direct drive motor that doesn't 'cog'...they call it constant torque. I like some of the features of a changer, like there's an automatic cue to place and drop the arm, as well as lift and return it. They tend to hold up really well, though obviously built to a price and vulnerable to feedback just by virtue of being light and cheap. But...it will probably work better than anything I've owned before. Anybody got any advice or comments?
You can find service info and specs for this model on the VinylEngine website:
Hitachi HT-40S Manual - Direct Drive Turntable - Vinyl Engine
I once found one of the cheaper Technics direct-drive models for like $20 (SL-Q3, I think). It was a present for a young friend who was just getting into vinyl. To dampen resonances, I stuck some duct seal to the underside of the cheap-feeling plastic deck, being careful not to gunk up or obstruct any of the moving parts. I aligned a cartridge in its arm and gave it a spin. It actually sounded pretty decent. Very close to the sound of the much more expensive Pioneer PL-540 I have as a spare 'table, but definitely not as full-bodied as my SL1200.
You might want to try sticking some duct seal to the underside of your Hitachi's plinth. It might help damp some resonances, and the added mass helps make the 'table feel more substantial and 'deluxe.'
I also briefly had a Pioneer PL-440 (also very cheap). It wasn't horrible either. I didn't give that one the duct seal treatment, because I wound up selling it off pretty quickly.
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Hitachi HT-40S Manual - Direct Drive Turntable - Vinyl Engine
I once found one of the cheaper Technics direct-drive models for like $20 (SL-Q3, I think). It was a present for a young friend who was just getting into vinyl. To dampen resonances, I stuck some duct seal to the underside of the cheap-feeling plastic deck, being careful not to gunk up or obstruct any of the moving parts. I aligned a cartridge in its arm and gave it a spin. It actually sounded pretty decent. Very close to the sound of the much more expensive Pioneer PL-540 I have as a spare 'table, but definitely not as full-bodied as my SL1200.
You might want to try sticking some duct seal to the underside of your Hitachi's plinth. It might help damp some resonances, and the added mass helps make the 'table feel more substantial and 'deluxe.'
I also briefly had a Pioneer PL-440 (also very cheap). It wasn't horrible either. I didn't give that one the duct seal treatment, because I wound up selling it off pretty quickly.
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