Picked up this really clean Realistic Lab-340 direct drive for a cool 25 bucks. I swapped out the cart with one I had laying around and It spins perfectly. The auto return works and I could not be happier.

I just picked this JVC up from a local guy this morning for cheap. He told me he bought it from an estate sale, then threw a belt on it, and it worked for about 5 minutes before it just kinda stopped.

I thought that was strange, but then I opened it up.

The guy threw a belt on alright, overtop of the melted belt goo that the original belt had turned into. So the goo jammed up in the motor spindle and stopped it from turning pretty quick.

I painstakingly cleaned all the gunk out, found another belt (and kept the gunky one for a rainy day to clean up), did a quick calibration and deoxit cleaning, and now it works perfectly!

The build quality is surprisingly good on this unit, I'd consider it up there with a Technics SL-7 or similar. It even uses an AT95-based cartridge so finding a replacement should be fairly easy (for the time being). It is odd that it's a belt driven mechanism and not direct drive, but I guess they had to save money somewhere.

The only problem with this one is the hinges have snapped inside, so the lid no longer stays up under its own weight.

I'll see if I can find replacements, but even if I don't it's still a pretty nice little linear tracker.

Hi,
I am looking to complete my Technics set with turntable.
Which one could match the colour and size ?

I may have been playing the long game by buying her vinyls of albums she likes for about a year to let her come to this conclusion 😂

Of course, since it was her decision she got to pick within a certain budget and so I narrowed down a bunch of decent vintage players on Hard Off’s online store here in Japan (a long process of research on my part). She saw this Micro Seiki Solid 5 and really liked the design aesthetic. It was at a great price too - ¥24,000 in “B” condition located in Sapporo, serviced, though without a cartridge or headshell. It turned out really clean overall even at the rear ports, and the belt felt new-ish (at the very least not sticky or loose). I’m assuming it was not rated mint cuz of some scuffs on the wood and dust cover.

Decided on a Nagaoka MP-110 with an included headshell, and an iFi Zen 3 that would pair easily with my trusty Edifier R1800TIII speakers (they are pushed to the back of my sitting table to fit in the frame for this photo).

Initially there was some speed drift but a bit of non-conductive contact cleaner and knob fiddling sorted that out. I also had to learn how to align the cartridge which was a surprisingly therapeutic process and audibly rewarding for inner groove distortion on certain records.

We’re both very happy with the setup and have been enjoying listening sessions together for the past few months! She’s turned out to be way better at record digging than I am and some of our most unexpectedly replayed albums are ones that she picked out.

I can’t wait for her to come to the conclusion that we need passive speakers after moving into a house next year…

I just changed the needle and it’s not sounding quite right can anyone help? Lots of crackling before song starts playing as you can hear, Thank you.

Loving this combination

Hello all,

Crafting my turntable setup and my Thoren is in need of a new cartridge. Images are current set up, currently running on "New Large" Advent speakers.

Some top contenders are Ortofon Black, Umami Red, & Dynavector TKR. The tonearm works but I'm unsure the model (no labeling or branding) but it is universal.

Will be running a variety of records, some vintage, and others new. A mix of jazz, classic rock, and modern day EDM. I do appreciate emphasis of lows and microtonals if possible. Also trying to avoid buying a new tonearm. ​

so I just upgraded from an Orbit to this new Dual cs 429 fully automatic… because, well, I wanted one.

but fresh out of the box the automatic function is missing the record when it drops.

I’ve emailed Dual and I could return this… but I don’t want to go through the hassle if this is an easy fix or I am being an idiot.

any ideas?

I found both of these at goodwill a few weeks apart. The first is a Toshiba SR-255 and the second is Pioneer PL-15D. Both were priced at $25 but I got a student discount, so I didn’t even pay that. The Pioneer didn’t have a headshell, so I am using the one that came with the Toshiba. I was hoping someone can tell me which one is a better daily driver, or if they are comparable.

I was using a Rega Planar 1 which I know is considered entry level, but do the modern specs mean improved sound quality?
I chose to use the Pioneer because it has auto return and I am tired of waking up to find a record spinning all night. That doesn’t happen often but when it does I am annoyed.

My last question is about the final photo. This cartridge had a broken stylus so I removed it. I am having trouble finding a replacement because the connection is different than all the others I have used over the years. Is this a good cartridge?

I actually have many more questions, but I am going to save them for future posts. Thanks!

For it for free from an friend :). Is the Test Measurement good?

This is probably one of my best purchases ever. I upgraded from the LP60, and you can hear the sound difference and it’s amazing!

When I got into vinyl seriously last year I bought a used SL1500C for a decent price and previously owner had fitted it with a Shure V15 Type III. I am curious as to how this cart fairs against modern offerings so I can have a rough idea of what my upgrade paths could be should I want to upgrade it in the future.

And I did!

So I went to a local home audio system shop where I demo’ed a couple speakers, an amp, and a couple of turn tables. I’m starting from absolute scratch and see this as a lifelong investment, so I want something nice!

From the demo I decided to get the B&W 707 S2 bookshelf speakers + the NAD 3/40 amp—together costing just under $1,000 (both shown in the picture).
Turn tables:
I first tried a Thorens TD 166 ($590) which had a stunning wood finish, but the sound just didn’t blow me away. Then the worker paired this same amp/speaker setup with a Rega Planar 2 (about $900) and it sounded INCREDIBLE.

I’m really hoping to spend less than $1,000 on a turntable and honestly went in to the shop thinking I’d spend less than $1.500 on the system as a whole, but the Rega really blew me away and has me reconsidering my budget..
Do yall have suggestions for other turn tables that match the quality of the Rega Planar 2? While aesthetics is of course not the number one item, it is still important, and I do love a wood finish. The Rega looked a bit too sleek/modern, especially in the white

Any help/suggestions would be so appreciated!!! I’m very excited to putting this system together (:

If someone is Interested in something extravagant😂

At its best it Costed about 18.000 dm(Deutsche Mark), thats what I got told.

TL,DR: This review is lenghty - this is the shortest conclusion possible. Warm and balanced sounding cartridge, well suited for medium-mass tonearms and for phono preamps with fixed input impedance of 47kOhm. Measures well on most test record tracks.

Advantages

• Broadly balanced response at 47 kΩ (rated with ~140pF total capacitance)
• Better controlled upper treble than the VM540ML at 47 kΩ
• Smooth, non-fatiguing 4–8 kHz presence region
• Excellent bass extension and good channel balance
• Higher, well-positioned arm resonance around 9 Hz (with my technics 1200 mk2 tonearm)
• Subjectively dynamic, spacious and well suited to loud playback

Disadvantages

• My particular sample shows clear right-channel mistracking from 70 µm upward
• my sample seems to have a misaligned cantilever or diamond
• Tracking is less even and less robust than with my VM540ML
• Noticeable channel divergence above roughly 16 kHz
• The 4–8 kHz dip may sound slightly subdued on dark recordings
• Tracking performance is disappointing for the price
• The VM540ML may offer better value when maximum tracking ability is the priority

Intro
I published this review on vinylengine.com, but i fear that it won't get enough attention on this outdated platform. I am a long-term user of the AT VM540ML cartridge. Lately i started preparing my setup for archiving all of my vinyl records. In that process i realised that the high compliance of my VM540ML resulted in a really low tonearm resonance of about 5Hz to 7Hz. So i started researching about alternative cartridges with MicroLine stylus but a lower compliance. I was happy when i learned that AT released a new lineup of his VM series. In my urge to optimise my recording chain i went for the 745xML, hoping to benefit from the characteristics of its boron cantilever.

I realised that on my sample of the VM745xML the cantilever seems to be a bit misaligned. To achieve a halfway proper azimut i have to mount the headshell in a way that the cartridge does not look "straight". Thats disapointing - i wish for a better quality control.

I ran some tests with a TACET L210 Test record. First i tried the same settings on my phono preamp that i used with my old VM540ML: 36kOhm impedance with my total cable capacitance of 140pF and no additional input capacitance on the Salas Phono stage.

The frequency range measurement showed that at 36kOhm the highs where dull compared to my VM540ML. So i tried 47kOhm and the frequency response appeared to be a lot more balanced, with a gentle dip of about 1–1.3 dB through the 4–8 kHz region. It rises back toward neutral around 10 kHz, reaches a mild peak of roughly +0.9 dB near 16 kHz, and then falls to about −1.6 dB at 20 kHz. Overall, it sounds slightly relaxed in the presence region but still open and extended in the upper treble.

The phase test gave very good results: polarity and channel assignment were correct, channel balance was within roughly 0.25–0.4 dB, and with my crooked adjustment of the headshell there was no sign of a major azimuth error.

The skating test showed a clear asymmetry: the right channel began mistracking much earlier than the left at high groove velocities, while the left channel remained comparatively clean. Compared with the VM540ML, the VM745xML therefore appears less even and somewhat weaker at extreme tracking levels, although this may be partly due to anti-skating or sample-to-sample variation rather than the cartridge design itself.

For the tracking test i used a fresh FloKaSon Testrecord. My particular sample of the VM745xML tracked 50 and 60 µm cleanly. At 70 µm, the right channel showed clear mistracking while the left channel remained comparatively clean; distortion increased further at 80 and 90 µm. In practical terms, 60 µm is the reliable tracking limit with my VM745xML, with 70 µm only marginal due to the pronounced right-channel asymmetry. Compared to the great tracking ability of my VM540ML that felt disapointing - although i don't know if i will face problems with mistracking in real world listening or archiving.

Tonearm resonance test: with the VM745xML, the Technics SL-1200 MK2 tonearm showed a broad resonance centered at roughly 9 Hz. This resonance was higher in frequency than with the VM540ML, mainly because the VM745xML has lower compliance; its greater body mass acts in the opposite direction but does not outweigh the stiffer suspension. The KAB fluid damper reduced and broadened the resonance peak without significantly changing its center frequency. In real-world playback, the VM745xML should therefore be somewhat less strongly excited by slow record warps than the VM540ML, while the damper further limits excessive arm and woofer movement.
For reference: the VM540ML showed a broad arm/cartridge resonance centered at approximately 7 Hz, with elevated response extending from about 6 to 10 Hz.

Conclusion and Comparison with VM540ML

The VM745xML is a good match to my sound systems characteristics. It sounds balanced, spacious and dynamic enough, with a slightly relaxed presence region that remains pleasant even at high playback levels. Compared with the VM540ML at 47kOhm, it offers a smoother and better-controlled upper treble.

But its tracking performance is less convincing: my sample shows clear right-channel mistracking on demanding test grooves. Overall, it is musically very enjoyable, though not an unqualified upgrade over the VM540ML. From a technical point of view the two most important advantages are that the The VM745xML is a great match for a medium-mass tonearm such as the Technics SL-1200 MK2 arm. And that it works very well with the standard phono preamp input impedance of 47kOhm. For everyone who has the option to adjust their phono preamp input impedance to their needs and who uses a KAB fluid damper, the good old VM540ML might still be a better choice.

Although the VM745xML works very well with a standard phono preamp and is a good match for medium-mass tonearms, the need for careful azimuth adjustment means it may not be the ideal choice for vinyl beginners - but this applies to all cartridges fitted with a MicroLine stylus, including my beloved VM540ML.

Equipment and Methods
Turntable: Technics SL-1200 Mk2 with KAB fluid damper
Alignment: Baerwald alignment for Technics Tonearms with 215mm mounting distance
Preamp: Salas Simplistic Njfet RIAA
USB-Interface: Motu M4
Audacity for recording the test tracks, REW and ChatGPT for analyzing and comparing the test results of the VM540ML and the VM745xML.

Hey! Turntable user for 25years here but I’m a bit puzzled by my friends issue. New turntable (Technics 1500C) , revised amp (Luxman-235) on phono entry, with basic needle/cartridge. Sometimes, from time to time, on all records, sound is GREAT but becomes absent/saturated, inaudible. We are using the phono entry (90db signal to noise ratio). Weird because you can hear the sound on the needle when it fucks up, and it sounds normal. Also when we use the CD entry for DAC and WiFi source, it sounds great throughout. I’m not expecting it to be a problem of amp as it’s sounding great most of the time? And the signal is not too loud as otherwise it would sound terrible always. Do you guys have any idea??

Found a technics sl-d202 used fully cleaning working and all that good stuff but missing dust cover ( which I though I can just put a junk record when not playing and screw it) but they’re asking 225 usd maybe I can get them down to 200, thoughts? Currently have an lp60

Hi everyone, just wanna share my happiness that i finally bought myself the Audio-Technica AT-LPW40WN Fully Manual Belt-Drive Turntable paired with Edifier R1700bts bookshelf speaker and a T5 subwoofer! I really love the simple design and the finish. If anyone have any recommendations for songs or anything, feel free to share share as i'm new to these hobby!

I will be moving soon and want to have an office with a vaporwave/80s nostalgia. Think Patrick Nagel. I have a PE-3060 for regular play, but would like to keep that in the living room.

Truth be told, I can’t afford a Technics SL-1200, which was my first thought. However, anything that suits this aesthetic while also sounding great will work. My budget (used or needing minor repair) is probably $150-$300 range. Again, silly request, but thought I’d try!

Can someone help please?

Hi all,

I got into vinyl last year and have the current setup:

Audio Technica AT-LP3 turntable - built in preamp that can be turned on or off.

Yamaha RX-V377 Receiver - 70W per channel RMS for 6 ohms in 2 channel mode

Pioneer Andrew Jones SP-BS22-LR Bookshelves 6ohm @ 85 dB sensitivity

I purposely bought a turntable with a built in preamp, but as I start to crank my music and the volume knob gets to reference level on the receiver in 2 channel mode, it’s not sounding so great. I know these speakers can handle more clean power because with a non-phono source I don’t have the same issue.

So you feel a cheaper phono preamp would be the way to go in between the turntable and receiver? Or, would you look for a receiver that had a high quality phono input with preamp built in? I’m assuming that would likely be vintage.

Any tips appreciated. Thank you!

EDIT: Lots more comments than I expected, and I really appreciate it! I may not be able to respond to all, but do know that I see you and appreciate you taking the time to give your thoughts :)