No idea of the thickness of my Achromat, as my arm has almost a full inch of VTA adjust. Were I to guess, it's the thick one.
I do know it's the specific SL-1200 diameter. FWIW, the SL-1200 has quite a bit of VTA adjust so it's not a big deal if you change the thickness a bit.
(Also, really dialing in the VTA is unimportant will all but the line-contact stylus profiles, so it's not a huge concern; proper leveling of the TT and exact cartridge alignment will give far bigger and much more tangible benefits than exact VTA adjustment)
I do know it's the specific SL-1200 diameter. FWIW, the SL-1200 has quite a bit of VTA adjust so it's not a big deal if you change the thickness a bit.
(Also, really dialing in the VTA is unimportant will all but the line-contact stylus profiles, so it's not a huge concern; proper leveling of the TT and exact cartridge alignment will give far bigger and much more tangible benefits than exact VTA adjustment)
This just came in the mail today -- excited! 🙂 The thing in the small white box is the Technics overhang gauge thingy.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Super!
Don’t do everything at once. Try to understand what each thing does by itself.
Post photos in situ, would be fun to see how you’ve got your rig set up.
Don’t do everything at once. Try to understand what each thing does by itself.
Post photos in situ, would be fun to see how you’ve got your rig set up.
I did everything at once btw 🙂 It's ok I'll revert back and do it one by one again 🙂
Biggest difference I hear in sound is the weight and also AFTER I trimmed the cork down to proper smaller size for this deck. Still haven't made my mind up about the cork.. switching back and forth between cork and rubber mat.
I haven't done anything with the VTA and overhang alignment stuff yet. It was out of balance according ot the weight. I raised up the back feet by about 1/8th of an inch to level it out.. used some chipboard under the vibrapods. Don't know if the feet are adjustable yet.
Biggest difference I hear in sound is the weight and also AFTER I trimmed the cork down to proper smaller size for this deck. Still haven't made my mind up about the cork.. switching back and forth between cork and rubber mat.
I haven't done anything with the VTA and overhang alignment stuff yet. It was out of balance according ot the weight. I raised up the back feet by about 1/8th of an inch to level it out.. used some chipboard under the vibrapods. Don't know if the feet are adjustable yet.
I was fortunate enough to get an SL-D2 in really good condition, including dust cover.
However, there is a 3 inch wide 2 inch tall plastic sticker (with some strong adhesive) on the front of the dust cover.
Any suggestions how I can remove this without damaging the dust cover?
Also is it possible to get some sort of polish for the dust cover to polish it up like new removing all the light scratches?
However, there is a 3 inch wide 2 inch tall plastic sticker (with some strong adhesive) on the front of the dust cover.
Any suggestions how I can remove this without damaging the dust cover?
Also is it possible to get some sort of polish for the dust cover to polish it up like new removing all the light scratches?
Extremely happy here! I got the original Technics cartridge overhang tool. (says Technics on it). Turns out my overhang was a little shy -- it's right on now.. sounds much better! Also the cartridge wasn't perfectly parallel with the head shell , it is now. Much less distortion now.
This fix, combined with the cork mat (trimmed down to fit the SL-D2) , the weight , and perhaps the vibrapods.. makes me feel like I don't ever need to upgrade this table. And this is with $50 BBE Pre.. can't wait to try the Salas!
Oh, it turns out I have the Audio Technica AT1100E cartridge. I see some original stylus on ebay for this cartridge for like $40 -- maybe I should buy one or two. I really have no idea what condition this stylus is in .. guess I need a magnifying glass. Do they last years and years if taken care of?
Thanks for all the help guys!
This fix, combined with the cork mat (trimmed down to fit the SL-D2) , the weight , and perhaps the vibrapods.. makes me feel like I don't ever need to upgrade this table. And this is with $50 BBE Pre.. can't wait to try the Salas!
Oh, it turns out I have the Audio Technica AT1100E cartridge. I see some original stylus on ebay for this cartridge for like $40 -- maybe I should buy one or two. I really have no idea what condition this stylus is in .. guess I need a magnifying glass. Do they last years and years if taken care of?
Thanks for all the help guys!
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Anyway, my current rig is a SP-10 that I restored (and painted black) with another Graham 2.2
It's insanely good. 😀
I'm drooling... 🙂
I would love to try a classic high torque DD turntable, but they seem to
command quite a bit on the used market. The price of the new SP-10R
has left me breathless, but the SL1200GR might not be too bad if it is
a meaningful upgrade over the old SL1200.
Of course, getting another turntable gives one an excuse to build more
phono stages. 🙂
Jennifer,
If your like your cartridge, by all means consider getting a replacement stylus.
It's hard to assess the condition of your currently stylus without fairly high
magnification. Stylii do wear out from use (I've seen numbers quoted from
hundreds to a couple thousands of hours of use).
BTW, very nice to hear the improvement you've made with proper setup.
Cheers,
Dennis
If your like your cartridge, by all means consider getting a replacement stylus.
It's hard to assess the condition of your currently stylus without fairly high
magnification. Stylii do wear out from use (I've seen numbers quoted from
hundreds to a couple thousands of hours of use).
BTW, very nice to hear the improvement you've made with proper setup.
Cheers,
Dennis
Folks,
Is worth it to replace diodes in the TT power supply to some schottky or other part swaps like upsize cap valus a bit and for lower ESR caps. Generally clean up or stiffen the power supply and other control circuits.
Thanks
Paba
Is worth it to replace diodes in the TT power supply to some schottky or other part swaps like upsize cap valus a bit and for lower ESR caps. Generally clean up or stiffen the power supply and other control circuits.
Thanks
Paba
For a DD turntable, I would leave the (working) electronics alone. Every once in a while you see non-working DD tables on eBay because someone attempted to "upgrade" the parts. Generally at that point only a full PCB replacement will repair the table.
Power supply noise is not normally a problem. Note the power consumption on your compliance label ... a few watts. If it bothers you for some reason, use an external noise filter and plug the 'table into that.
Power supply noise is not normally a problem. Note the power consumption on your compliance label ... a few watts. If it bothers you for some reason, use an external noise filter and plug the 'table into that.
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Any SL-1200 headshell will fit your SL-D2 perfectly. There were a few variations on headshells that came with a SL-1200, some are identical to the original on a SL-D2.
I also agree with 6L6, don’t fall into the superstitions that belt drives are superior. Many belt drives are far less speed stable than your current turntable.
I also agree with 6L6, don’t fall into the superstitions that belt drives are superior. Many belt drives are far less speed stable than your current turntable.
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Thanks! I've been thinking I'd get another head shell or two so I can try different cartridges without having to set them up on the head shell each time. What do you guys think about this knock off sl 1200 headshell for $10.49 (free shipping) on ebay? NEW STANDARD HEADSHELL FITS Technics SL1200 TECHNICS SL1210 Series Headshell | eBay
I've been reading a lot of good things about the SL-D2, how although it isn't built as rugged as SL-1200, it still is a superb home unit. I can mod the SL-D2's shortcomings , e.g. put modeling clay in the hollow places in the turntable etc. Although I don't know if I could go through with that mod 🙂. Some people said between stock SL-D2 and stock SL-1200, there might not be really perceivable differences, or at least significant improvements to sound.. I don't know. I really like the way this sounds; I can't imagine a Rega Planar 3 sounding significantly better (gasp). [For that matter, I can't imagine Salas sounding better than this $50 BBE preamp but I ordered it anyways 🙂 We'll see.] Just got the ortofan stylus brush in the mail today. I still need to get either the Magic Eraser or that $40 fancy alternative.
I've been reading a lot of good things about the SL-D2, how although it isn't built as rugged as SL-1200, it still is a superb home unit. I can mod the SL-D2's shortcomings , e.g. put modeling clay in the hollow places in the turntable etc. Although I don't know if I could go through with that mod 🙂. Some people said between stock SL-D2 and stock SL-1200, there might not be really perceivable differences, or at least significant improvements to sound.. I don't know. I really like the way this sounds; I can't imagine a Rega Planar 3 sounding significantly better (gasp). [For that matter, I can't imagine Salas sounding better than this $50 BBE preamp but I ordered it anyways 🙂 We'll see.] Just got the ortofan stylus brush in the mail today. I still need to get either the Magic Eraser or that $40 fancy alternative.
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Another thing I've read about is the Moongel Damper pad:
Moongel Damper Pads- Blue: Amazon.ca: Musical Instruments, Stage & Studio
As I've mentioned I cut the diameter of the cork mat I received to 11.22" (285mm) so it is just inside the chrome lip of outer edge. That helped a lot.
However the mat is 3mm thick and well the stock mat is 4mm thick. I just put 1.5mm of medium weight chipboard under the mat (using the mat to trace it), so it is sitting at 4.5mm. It seems to sound even better now. I am eyeing the VTA and it seems the bottom of the arm is parallel to the record to slightly angled down by hair.. so it's good.
However the mat is 3mm thick and well the stock mat is 4mm thick. I just put 1.5mm of medium weight chipboard under the mat (using the mat to trace it), so it is sitting at 4.5mm. It seems to sound even better now. I am eyeing the VTA and it seems the bottom of the arm is parallel to the record to slightly angled down by hair.. so it's good.
The only downside to those cheapie headshells are that they are about a gram heavier than the real thing, but that shouldn’t be an issue at all for your situation.
The two most noticeable sound quality differences between a stock SL-D2 and a SL-1200MK2 would be caused by the rubber dampening base, and the quartz locked motor.
The improved dampening can be addressed with the aforementioned clay mod and your foot isolators.
Your SL-D2’s motor is a DC servo type, there isn’t much you can do other than making sure your speed is correct and steady by checking the strobe dots on the platter.
Looks fine.
Good idea. Mass is your friend.
Says nobody who has actually listened to an SL-1200. They are worlds apart in quality - the -1200 motor is better, the plinth is better, the arm is better. (Which, however, is NOT saying that the SL-D2 is in any way bad...)
I would agree!
Correct. It's doubtful the Planar would sound better.
The difference will be shocking. Seriously.
Thanks guys 🙂. I see myself actually upgrading to SL-1200 later on 🙂 Is there a particular year range of that line which is best?
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