The Incredible Technics SP-10 MK3 Thread

No, you can't, though I picked up an NOS P205CMK3 at the beginning of the year. Rather hard to find, expensive, and also very prone to early suspension failure, even without use. Not an avenue for most people - it's a bummer when the expensive cartridge you spent years trying to find fails after a few dozen hours of use.
 
I believe even the Grado Gold is available in p-mount. I doubt there's enough demand to justify better offerings than what are already available today. I don't think they were all that popular in their day, though I was 4 in 1980.

My interest in p-mount is solely due to specific cartridges that interest me, and it just happens that p-mount versions of those are what I can find. That, and I tend to go all-in. I figure if I'm going to explore p-mount, may as well try the best supporting equipment that was available at the time.
 
Here's what my motor drive looks like - all three are pretty much the same.

attachment.php


attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • DS1Z_QuickPrint2.png
    DS1Z_QuickPrint2.png
    35.8 KB · Views: 933
  • DS1Z_QuickPrint23.png
    DS1Z_QuickPrint23.png
    32.5 KB · Views: 929
...doesn't suggest its high end AT, unless of course they just bump up profit margins for the more expensive stuff...

Phono cartridge margins are all over the map. A store where I worked long ago sold almost every turntable with the same AT cartridge, which was quite good and dirt cheap (AT110 maybe? They were blue...). They came in trays of 50 or so, list price was "respectable" (I'm guessing around $50 each), store cost was less than $10 each. While I worked there I bought an AT125LC cartridge, which I could just afford with the store discount. Then someone else's child got their fingers on it and broke the cantilever, but I couldn't afford the replacement stylus, which cost the store more than I paid for the cartridge!
 
Anyone have any hands-on experience with the SH-10B5 plinth? I've read some comments that it's not made of the same cast resin/ground obsidian material as the SH-10B3, but something more akin to what the SL-1200 MK+ sub-plinth is made of.

I've on in Japan that I'm trying to get shipped out, but the proxy shopping service has proven the don't know how to pack large, heavy objects, and they won't accept any packing instructions. They've offered to have a "professional" company pack it, but won't pass instructions to them, or ask them how they'll pack it. It's very frustrating - it seems all they're capable of is saying no.

I'm trying to decide if I keep arguing with them, or punt and take my chances that it actually makes it. I'd feel better if the material isn't as fragile as what's used for the 10B3.
 
.
Although not meeting the Technics rather ambitious flutter specification or that of the debatable "Audio" review February 1985, this is the best flutter result I have ever measured. There was a fair amount of noise and I think the results could be even better.

This is a fantastic result !!

But I have a suspicion that a new heavy platter for the SP-10 MkII might perform as well, if not better ?
.
 
Last edited: