As for me... My first that I can remember was a Webcor - part of their Holidy package. then... Garrard, Benjamin Miracord, Dual, Bogen, Thorens TD 124, and 121, Rek o Kut, LinnSondek, Grado, Rega, SME, VPI... I probably have forgotten a few
My first turntable was a Thorens TD125 MK II. I sold that away some years ago to top up money for a Klipschorn. I now have presently 7 turntables. It all started with me rebur my Dads Lenco L75 after his passing. And the bud went on to a Sota Sapphire, SME20/2A, Garrard 301 rebur, Linn LP12, Michell GyroDec and a Linn Basik given to me by a friend. It's fun trying to tweek each of them which keeps the hobby alive.
I currently own 2 Sota Star Sapphires, 3 Oracle Delphis, 1 VPI HW19, 1 Oracle Alexandria, 3 Sony TTS3000 and 1 Sony 2250. I have previously owned other Sotas, Rega P3 and various Japanese direct drive turntables.
my first was a pioneer PL-12D, then a technics SL1800 DD, linn sonndeck LP12, thorens TD124 with SME 3012 which i still have, now out of storage and kicking out tunes once again :)
btw is this a good place to sell vintage carts and styli ?, i recently rediscovered a tupperware box of late 70's and 80's very low milage stuff that i'd forgotten about (mainly shure, adc, akg, grado, audio technica, technics, etc) must have been in the box for 20+ years!
I agree with you on the old JVC higher end units. I drooled over them as a young teen back in the day. I finally bought myself a JVC QL-Y5F last year and love it for its design, looks, usability and yes outstanding sound quality. I'd put it up again most anything made in the sub $2000 range today. Remember back in the day it sold for around $600-$650. Factor in inflation and it would sell for something like $1200+ as new today.
I keep an eye out now for such classics, not just from JVC but from its peers at the time.
I have not owned many turntables in my lifetime. I had a Thorens 160 for a couple of years in the early 70's. I then bought a Linn LP12 in about 74. I still own the Linn LP12 but I now exclusively use a VPI Aries I instead which I bought a while back.
First was a Clarion and The Doors LP. Jr. High School. Pioneer, Rega, Music Hall, then got hooked on the fabulous Lenco idler-drive. Listened to many more from audio clubs to CES, and still feel the Lenco stirring my soul more than others. I am considering going to the dark side- the Fat Bob S. I love the look and I think it might, key word is MIGHT, be a contender. Then again, it sells for 3-15 times more than a Lenco!!!
Probably a dozen, counting the 5 I currently own now.
4 vintage JVC DD's (2 QLY-5F's a QLY7 and a QLY-3F). What can I say I have a thing for this series of early 80's DD's from JVC. They compete with almost anything current today.
In my main rig I've downsized to a MMF7 with a Grado cart. Frankly I prefer the ease of use of the JVC's. The thing with TT's is if you've a half dozen of them (they're my kids) they take up a lot of space, which is critical when your room is already on the small side like mine. But we always seem to find room to store the things we like now don't we!
Andromedaaudio, I have never seen or heard one, but the Orient sure raves about them. I have been looking for a Seiko/Epson tt for years. I have heard one of these.
And ?. so many thorens ref tables , i have seen the insides of them during restauration and its not exactly rocket science , i prefer rockport or continuum and for the poorer persons a sme or something of the same quality
When i was very young a cheap dual , than the so called " better format" arrived , a couple of cd players including a wadia 581 ( biggest waist of money in my high end career probably only bettered by 2 inch thick cables ) I then found happpines with a VPI scoutmaster sign. (currently) found out that the phono amp is the key. Some where in jan 2011 i ' ll be getting the newest SME the 20/ 3 A (picture in my system)
Beinging 54 I owned record player pre 1980. I got back into vinyl around 1998 when I bought a use VPI aries extended. Around 2000 I sold the aries and replaced it with a VPI hrx, what a step up. In 2007 I ended my search with the walker black diamond. To me, it is not how many you have owned but how few you had to go through to get to your final destination. I use to spend all my time on this site going through the adds, now I rarely look. What a relief not to churn. Now if you ask how many vinyl records do you own or buy we have a whole different story. A little off topic.
Hi Soren, Do you like your L07D? Since this thread started, I bought one and am using it regularly after having the electronics refurbished and upgraded. I absolutely love it. The tonearm has a lot wrong with it in theory, but sounds wonderful in combination with my Koetsu Urushi (after I carefully cleaned and enhanced all the contacts in the signal path, of which there are too many).
Lustre, Micro Seiki 1500, Oracle, Sota, Ariston, B&O, Fons. Sold last in 1990 but got back into vinyl recently. Currently own; Marantz TT1000II Kenwood L-OD7 Sony TTS-8000 Denon Direct Drive Lenco L-77 (two of them) Thorens 124II (four of them) Sony TTS-6000 EMT 930 Sony 2250 Stromberg & Carlson Thorens 126
I like the Kenwood best for sound and the Thorens 124 for looks.
In 1970 my dad brought back 3 new things from the London to Caracas: A little Bimmer, a KLH Model twenty and me. The bimmer was sold to buy our house, the KLH Grazed our living room where I used to slide some of Dad's Petula Clark/military marches records...uhh, no. Good taste in Cars & Gear, not so great in Music...so I was buying records since I was 6. Some of the Kiddie stuff in Latinamerica was pretty great, made by some of the same guys who wrote grown up music (many Broadway's covers tough). The Model Twenty behaved Admirably. Finally, became a teen, changed music tastes (first Pop, then Rock) so I boxed the KLH and got Two Technics SL1200 and a mixer. Changed the Technics cartridge for Shure but it didn't made as big of a difference as I tought it would...also my I tought that my speakers weren't great, so started a long quest for better speakers. When I figured I liked my speakers but my amp was at fault, changed many amps until I settled on a 60's rebuilt Scott. Got a ARXA and tough things could be better...so I got a Rega 3 but got floored by a Linn...while I saved for the Linn, I found a VPI Scout and I liked it as much (or more, after we got the settings/cartridge right). The VPI got damaged in transport and I was too broke now to replace it, so I was recommended to go the Lenco route...I bought a L59 to trade the arm and found out how good it was with the original arm. And I was happy... Until a friend broke his old crummy TT. I kept my eyes open and I found a ... KLH Model Twenty in a Junkshop. Free 'cause it was damaged. I looked like it would make a nice Low end Record Player for my buddy. After a few days in my bench, I plugged in the KLH and found out...that it wasn't too different sounding from my Lenco/Scott setup...
But I am sure that some of you aren't surprised at all...
I recon I have new found respect for those old Brown Boxes...after all, they probably sound good because of the very same reasons why my L-59/LK72 kicks...much better engineering than what I tough my first time with them, idler wheels and sprung arms an all of that "low end" tech...
Ok, excluding any Fisher-Price models I had as a kid, when I was a freshman in high school I had a Sony Direct Drive and an old Kenwood with a marble base (wish I still had that one), then I quickly bought two Technics 1200 which I had for about 5 years. Sold those when going off to college and used a Technics SL Q200 (have it for sale on CL now) that my wife gave me. I briefly used a Sansui FR-5080 but it had speed problems so I took the plunge and bought a modded Technics 1210 with fluid damper and OFC wiring. This might be my last turntable, unless I find a really good deal on something high end like a VPI or Linn.
1974-present; Pioneer PL 12-D Sony PS X-7 DD; (bought on 'Gon last year. It's circa 1976 and it's in my "vintage" system). 2007-present; VPI Scoutmaster.
4 in 30 years: A Sony direct drive PS 515 in 1978(still working !). Project Debut bought in 2001. Clearaudio Emotion - 2002 ( the vinyl bug was starting to bite). Michell Gyro - 2007. In 16 months this has been upgraded from a Gyro SE all the way to an Orbe. Cheers
I CURRENTLY OWN 5 TECHNICS OF VARIOUS MODELS. MY FIRST BETTER TURNTABLE BEFORE THE TECHNICS WAS A GARRARD, MODEL SL 40 I THINK. A PRETTY GOOD TURNTABLE, WAS BOUGHT CHEAP IN 1978 BUT WORKED WELL. MY FIRST TECHNICS WAS BOUGHT FOR $250 IN 1979 AND I STILL HAVE IT AND IT STILL WORKS BUT THERE IS HUM FROM THE RIGHT AND LEFT CHANNEL CORDS AND NEEDS FIXING. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TECHNICS TO ANYONE. THERE IS VERY PRICEY STUFF OUT THERE THAT I REALLY CAN'T IDENTIFY WITH BUT TECHNICS IS VERY GOOD "MID LEVEL" TURNTABLES AND LAST A LONG TIME.
Went from a basic, cheap Gerard to a Techniques SL3300 to a Benjamin 4000 linear tracking, front loader, to a Dual CS5000 to a Rega P3 to my current modded VPI TNT.
The old cassette recordings off the old Philips 312 may well sound clearer today 30 years later on my current system, normal tape hiss aside, than the original vinyl did on the original system I had around the 312 at that time.
I determined years later that the Hitachi Class G receiver I used in that old system then was the weak link. It delivered a lot of power out of a small box that fit well inside a dorm room at the time, but distortion levels with the Class G amp left something to be desired.
The mention of early Thorens TT brings back memories.I think it was the mid to late 60's.I was at the long gone Newmark & Lewis chain looking for a new TT.The salesman said he was selling his personal unit.A Thorens with Supex MC cartridge. Instead I bought a Marantz table which was then owned by Superscope. Just one of many audio errors.Live and learn
By the way, the Philips 312 was a way cool looking table in its day and had a nice sound as well. I regret selling it years ago and not keeping it around. I still have some cassette recordings around that I made with it back then that remind me what a nice sounding table that beauty really was.
Here are pictures of a Philiops 312 if anyone is interested:
That's a pretty good place to start! How old were you?
Ever own a ceramic cartridge and replaceable needle as your main rig?
Back in college days when I used to work at a well known NY based hifi chain, the Thorens were the bomb! Mapman (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers)
Yep, very first turntable was a Thorens.
Years earlier my parents gave me a used RCA 45 singles player, one of those with single speaker hidden behind a funky striped grill. Guess I was about 13 or so, I still remember playing Elvis's "Heartbreak Hotel" on it.
I bought the first Thorens when I was about 21 years old. I caught a lot of grief from friends about the price, because I also bought an Ortofon arm and Ortofon cartridge. It was about $325.00 for all, including the plinth and cover. At that time a lot of money, you actually could have bought a system.
My reasoning was that my records were too expensive to buy twice and I treasured them. So, I should buy the best turntable, arm and cartridge I could find, and then settle on the remaining gear as I could afford it.
I still have all my original Beatles and other old LP's from back then, and they still sound great in my current set up, even after all these years.
Maybe my idea was not so crazy, some of my original albums are now worth more than my current turntable :^).
Currently I have Clearaudio Bluemotion, Thorens TD145MKii, Dual 1219, Dual 1019, and Dual CS530, the last two not in perfect working order. ;) It is amazing that the Thorens and Dual 1219 works still fine due to their age.
Dual 1219 which I stupidly got rid of for the Linn LP12, which I never cared for, then the Aristion RD11s which I liked a little better than the Linn and finally a Dual 1229 with a Grace 747 Tonearm which I am NEVER parting with...
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