Hi,
Please don't shoot me down, my audio knowledge is quite limited.
Just want to throw out an option and appreciate some feedback.
I have a PL12d that to my ears is pretty good and has been well tuned.
My question is, Any Merritt in acoustic foam in the plinth ( I have Dyno Matt, but loath to use it as it's messy)
My platter has gorilla tape underneath deadening it slightly and a leather Matt and then an acrylic at the top for further deadeing and VTA
Many thanks.
Please don't shoot me down, my audio knowledge is quite limited.
Just want to throw out an option and appreciate some feedback.
I have a PL12d that to my ears is pretty good and has been well tuned.
My question is, Any Merritt in acoustic foam in the plinth ( I have Dyno Matt, but loath to use it as it's messy)
My platter has gorilla tape underneath deadening it slightly and a leather Matt and then an acrylic at the top for further deadeing and VTA
Many thanks.
A reasonable very basic table. How fresh is the belt?
The plinth can be improved, but acoustic foam will do nothing.
dave
The plinth can be improved, but acoustic foam will do nothing.
dave
I don't see that it can improve much by changing the plinth, too much work and when you finish it, you may feel disappointed. -
Do not change the position of the lateral weight (it should not be crooked as in the photo), it is calibrated at the factory, just drop it by loosening the screw ( the TT must be perfectly level) and adjust it again
Do not change the position of the lateral weight (it should not be crooked as in the photo), it is calibrated at the factory, just drop it by loosening the screw ( the TT must be perfectly level) and adjust it again
Not change, just improve.
One thing that is important is to align the cartridge with a proper tool. The cartridge needs to be twisted in the headshell to get it into alignment.
Is this the semi-auto? (PL10 should be the manual, PL15 the full-auto. Might make a bit of a difference if you removed the auto feature.
dave
One thing that is important is to align the cartridge with a proper tool. The cartridge needs to be twisted in the headshell to get it into alignment.
Is this the semi-auto? (PL10 should be the manual, PL15 the full-auto. Might make a bit of a difference if you removed the auto feature.
dave
" Not change, just improve " .
Understood, let's say a few "tweaks" to lower the resonance, etc.
What would you propose?
" The cartridge needs to be twisted in the headshell to get it into alignment."
That is a problem (or not) depending on the alignment you choose. Certainly, if you choose to align a cartridge for minimum distortion in the last groove, it cannot be rotated far enough to find the two null points.
Denon DL 103 (spherical needle) and a Baerwald configuration (it is an average distortion in all grooves) fit "just right" in the headshell of my Micro Seiki's MA707 tonearm.....I chose the simple one....😉
By the way, what "proper tool" do you mean? I never saw one of them, I just reworked the parallel slots on the headshell.
" Might make a bit of a difference if you removed the auto feature."
I never accepted that reasoning, sorry. All the mechanisms involved are released and are detached from the tone arm when the needle has already landed on the vinyl.....what am I missing ? 🤔
Understood, let's say a few "tweaks" to lower the resonance, etc.
What would you propose?
" The cartridge needs to be twisted in the headshell to get it into alignment."
That is a problem (or not) depending on the alignment you choose. Certainly, if you choose to align a cartridge for minimum distortion in the last groove, it cannot be rotated far enough to find the two null points.
Denon DL 103 (spherical needle) and a Baerwald configuration (it is an average distortion in all grooves) fit "just right" in the headshell of my Micro Seiki's MA707 tonearm.....I chose the simple one....😉
By the way, what "proper tool" do you mean? I never saw one of them, I just reworked the parallel slots on the headshell.
" Might make a bit of a difference if you removed the auto feature."
I never accepted that reasoning, sorry. All the mechanisms involved are released and are detached from the tone arm when the needle has already landed on the vinyl.....what am I missing ? 🤔
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Belt is correct and new, I've never suffered from a bad belt like others on the pl12d.A reasonable very basic table. How fresh is the belt?
View attachment 1084354
The plinth can be improved, but acoustic foam will do nothing.
dave
Like I mentioned it's well tuned and I've had it many years just trying to talk myself out of upgrading it I guess.
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Not sure his going to understand what you mean by the reply?
https://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-alignment-protractors.shtml
An improper aligned cartridge is about as much use as a chocolate tea pot, you definitely need to do it if you haven't
Not sure who is asking the questions here anymore.
https://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-alignment-protractors.shtml
An improper aligned cartridge is about as much use as a chocolate tea pot, you definitely need to do it if you haven't
Not sure who is asking the questions here anymore.
In 1978 I bought a PL12D with an Empire 1000LS cartridge, which was quite an improvement over my really poor BSR HT70/P144 with a Shure M75/6 cart. I used the Pioneer for about 12 years, when I replaced it by a Thorens TD360 with AKG P8ES Supernova. Finally, I gave the Pio away for free in 2001, still in it's original packaging material.
The PL12D was a semi automatic TT. You had to start the motor by the right handed switch, swing the still raised arm over the outer groove and lower it. After the record was finished, it raised the arm and shut down the motor automatically.
Sadly, the motor wasn't overly quiet, always producing some faint hum during the reproduction. And yes, it's the motor that was the culprit, as the TT hummed even when the belt was off, the motor was running and the stylus war on the record.
Anyway, yes, it's a basic belt driven TT, and I think by it's overall quality it exceeds many Chinese TT's that are produced nowadays.
Best regards!
The PL12D was a semi automatic TT. You had to start the motor by the right handed switch, swing the still raised arm over the outer groove and lower it. After the record was finished, it raised the arm and shut down the motor automatically.
Sadly, the motor wasn't overly quiet, always producing some faint hum during the reproduction. And yes, it's the motor that was the culprit, as the TT hummed even when the belt was off, the motor was running and the stylus war on the record.
Anyway, yes, it's a basic belt driven TT, and I think by it's overall quality it exceeds many Chinese TT's that are produced nowadays.
Best regards!
In 1978 I bought a PL12D
In 1976 we were moving out the last of those, we sold many, many more PL112D (and PL110, not to many PL115D. They were the entry level table we sold. Then into the Graces and COnnisour, Rega, Linn, Oracle, Unamco, ERA...
dave
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I'm a bit late in the day here Kay, but are you sure it was a PL12D. I've had several, and still have one as a second TT, and they're definitely not semi automatic. To play a record is as you describe, but when the record finishes it's all manual, the platter will continue to revolve with the stylus in the the run out until you manually lift the arm, again with the right had switch, swing the arm back to the armrest, then manually turn the motor off.In 1978 I bought a PL12D with an Empire 1000LS cartridge, which was quite an improvement over my really poor BSR HT70/P144 with a Shure M75/6 cart. I used the Pioneer for about 12 years, when I replaced it by a Thorens TD360 with AKG P8ES Supernova. Finally, I gave the Pio away for free in 2001, still in it's original packaging material.
The PL12D was a semi automatic TT. You had to start the motor by the right handed switch, swing the still raised arm over the outer groove and lower it. After the record was finished, it raised the arm and shut down the motor automatically.
Sadly, the motor wasn't overly quiet, always producing some faint hum during the reproduction. And yes, it's the motor that was the culprit, as the TT hummed even when the belt was off, the motor was running and the stylus war on the record.
Anyway, yes, it's a basic belt driven TT, and I think by it's overall quality it exceeds many Chinese TT's that are produced nowadays.
Best regards!
The other bit that makes me wonder is that I've never heard any motor noise, and that includes holding my ear to the motor with the platter off after servicing. All have had completely silent motors.
PL12, 112 were manual, PL15, 115 were semi-auto, and there was a fully auto one (we sold VERY few of those).
dave
dave
Yes, probably you're right, patrickblue, and my memory has faded wrt. the manual PL12D. But mine's motor definitely was noisy despite of the rotative oiling procedures.
Best regards!
Best regards!
Hi I'm Barry(Bazza), I have a thorns td150 mk1+mk2. The plinth is bad on the mk2 as it fell down when I was serviceing it. Gave it some glue and tackkit Bach
together just for quick listening.. The mk1 is in stunning condition appart from
a twisted stylus, mother is dead quite and has original lid with metal strip/bar to rest lid on. Mk2 has Alphason Opel arm and Nagoya cart with m10 stylus all works appart from plinth any suggestions as what to do. 1 was to swap cartridges but that means quick service and set up? Or shall I start from scratch and get new plinths for both and fdo proper job. So any thoughts on going forward?
Thanks for any help
together just for quick listening.. The mk1 is in stunning condition appart from
a twisted stylus, mother is dead quite and has original lid with metal strip/bar to rest lid on. Mk2 has Alphason Opel arm and Nagoya cart with m10 stylus all works appart from plinth any suggestions as what to do. 1 was to swap cartridges but that means quick service and set up? Or shall I start from scratch and get new plinths for both and fdo proper job. So any thoughts on going forward?
Thanks for any help
Hi Bazza!
What cartridge is fitted to the MK1? Do you not think it worth buying a replacement stylus for it?
The Nagaoka cartridge on the MK2 sounds like an MP10 and it may be time for a stylus replacement. The MP100 stylus (JNP100) provides a compatible spherical replacement: https://shop.mantra-audio.co.uk/acatalog/Nagaoka_Stylus.html
Apart from simple styli replacements (meaning you wouldn't have to worry about changing the set up of the tonearms), I would focus on either renovating or replacing the plinth on the MK2.
What cartridge is fitted to the MK1? Do you not think it worth buying a replacement stylus for it?
The Nagaoka cartridge on the MK2 sounds like an MP10 and it may be time for a stylus replacement. The MP100 stylus (JNP100) provides a compatible spherical replacement: https://shop.mantra-audio.co.uk/acatalog/Nagaoka_Stylus.html
Apart from simple styli replacements (meaning you wouldn't have to worry about changing the set up of the tonearms), I would focus on either renovating or replacing the plinth on the MK2.
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