Rank choice of three turntables

Price, distance, coolness factor, what are your priorities? Is it being shipped or are you picking it up? Are we talking just the TT or complete table with plinth, tonearm, and cartridge?

For me, at this stage of the game (I’m 64), if I went with a DD table, I’d want one with a repeat feature. I also love the looks of the Denon tables as well and would have them on my list to consider. The other JVC tables are way cool too but I think the ones with the Biotracer type arms are too complex for my comfort level. The Yamaha PX2/PX3 is another cool table IMO as well as some of the Luxman tables.

I currently have an Ariston RD-80SL w/Jelco arm

I am a big fan of multiple tonearms, and chose the JVC TT81 in a 2 arm JVC CL-P2 plinth, (my research leading me to avoid the TT101 and 801 as too prone to needing service, and too few sources for service). Those large plinths have dust covers, a must for me. I use a small inexpensive totally quiet 120/100 transformer, no need to avoid a 100v model IMO.

http://www.thevintageknob.org/jvc-TT-101.html

Single arm, many options exist:

"Many integrated players which used the same drives and/or Double Bi-Directional Servo technology were available as well like, among others : QL-10, QL-7 or QL-F6, all based on the TT-101, TT-81 or TT-71 drives."

I just bought a vintage UA-7082 11-1/8" tonearm for mine, it is a wonderfully precise device. Mine had renewed suspension of the rear counterweight section, learn about that, I am very glad I took a chance on it.

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The Micro Seiki is a clever design, such a different look, and the dust cover will need to be even larger/taller/heavier. I really like their 505 arms.

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Technics: I would add the Vintage SP-15 and SP-25 QLDD TT’s to the Technics list, the 15 is 3 speeds, and they let you use the EPA-B500 Tonearm Base, a wonderful way to have alternate arm wands and cartridges in a compact package, excellent arm height adjustment, one example

https://skyfiaudio.com/products/technics-sp-15-turntable-w-new-sumiko-starling-cartridge-and-epa-b500-arm

check the specs, they compare to the very latest/best achieved

https://vintagetechnics.audio/turntables.php

scroll down to the bottom of the list for the SP-15 and SP-25

You might want to add Luxman PD-444 to your list

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11900

If the TT101 is working, it’s my favorite of those 3. I own one, and I have owned two different SP 10 mk2. The MS will have some admirers too; I’ve no direct experience, but I don’t care for the tonearm mount design. I doubt anyone here has hands on experience with all 3.

Actually, it just so happens I have some experience with all 3 brands

Micro-Seiki

I briefly played with a Micro-Seiki 1000 that was at VAS for customer pickup, picked it up, tapped it here and there, it seems quite solid, impressive, but that’s it, didn’t hear it, but if I liked the look, I would expect it to perform well, I find the arm mount clever and it seemed totally solid. No plinth means the dust cover will need to be very tall and carefully placed, no locating bimps to assist when lowering like my JVC Plinth has.

Technics SP-15 (not 10)

I gave my friend a Technics SP-15 that I bought from Harvey’s used shelf way back when. It had a Grace arm. During covid, we both upgraded our systems, he took my suggestion and bought an EPA-B500 tonearm base, with an S arm wand with removable headshell. I installed it, and he bought a SUT and was finally able to use his Goldring Eroica LX MC cartridge which he previously only heard here. I just re-calibrated everything a week ago, changed the cartridge to a Grace MM we both like more than the Goldring. He did have to replace his SP-15’s power switch, happily Kevin at KAB lives in walking distance from my house, easy fix.

JVC, now years of trouble free experience with my TT81

I just modified the base of the long tonearm, re-installed it yesterday, all good, tomorrow I will switch it for the JVC UA-7082 arm which I took apart (after buying the 1/16" allen wrench that I needed). I’ll take some photos and measurements, re-assemble, install it in place of the long black arm. I installed/played it briefly prior to taking it apart, it’s totally impressive, I wish the headshell fitting had azimuth adjustment like the Micro Seiki 505 arms do.

The two headshells that came with my Vintage AT160ml cartridges allow azimuth adjustment like this one

These headshells have only two allowable positions for the cartridge. Rather than slots, they have two sets of tapped threads ready to receive the dedicated screws whose lengths fit the cartridge flange, a clean look, nothing visible from above: but not enough variability when using non-oem tonearms to get specific overhang and angle a speck if needed for null points alignment.

I just realized I can have my friend convert them to slots for me.

Great insight from everyone. I love that set up Elliot!! I wish I had the larger plinth for the Victor table as I have wanted to tryout my 12" VPI Fatboy Gimbal. 

I own the JVC QL-10 and it seems to work fine. I have not officially tried it out as I am in the middle of selling my house and acquired it recently. 

The SP-10 I bought with a AT-1503 for $25 at a radio station sale last year. They stated that it does not hold speed, which I confirmed. 

I had an opportunity to purchase the DDX-1500 but I think the price is a little out of reach. I like that I can add multiple arms of different lengths to it. It also has a heavier platter. 

Does platter weight really matter with DD's? I think it is mostly a concern of ringing, but I'm skeptical about that. 

I also have a TT-71 from a JVC-QL-A7 with a busted arm. I kept in case the TT-101 goes the way of the Dodo. 

I'm trying to scale things down because moving these guys around is a pain (mainly the packing). 

I'm becoming more of a fan MM cartridges, because they are much better than MC die hards give them credit for and I'm getting tired of paying top dollar for rebuilds. 

Elliot, how do you like that Lustre 801?

Lewm, any advise on the Victor TT-101? Is there a method of polishing out the discoloration on the side of the platter? 

Thanks for all this great information.

I love the Acos Lustre GST-801, it is my favorite arm, I wish they made a long version. It is the only one I change both arm height and anti-skate while playing, it is that smooth. The headshell fitting allows a bit of twist when loose to adjust azimuth and firms up when tightened, even though I would prefer Micro Seiki's adjustable fitting. I use the mirror method for azimuth, a mini-level on the headshell, an acrylic block with grid .... a mixture of techniques, and the blank side lp method to see skate and the effects while adjusting anti-skate force.

The UA-7082 top anti-skate dial is so smooth and precise, my new favorite adjuster, I changed it while playing, but the arm height needs two hands, thus tool-free but not while playing. 

It’s about far more than ringing,

I think the heavy and solid cast iron platter of my Thorens TD124 was one reason it produced the best bass I ever had, not just inertia for speed stability which is important in belt or idler wheel drive, but solid,

10lbs of cast iron, my instincts say better than 10lbs of acrylic .... perhaps better than 20lbs of arylic, I never had/heard that, just instincts

I wish my JVC TT81 had 10lbs of cast iron, or something as solid but non-magnetic.

the sandwich pair of 1/4" thick iron plates in it’s plinth are part of what I like about the Luxman PD-444 design I helped my friend acquire and set up.

Cast iron, or any iron in the platter material, is not always compatible with especially LOMC cartridges that have powerful magnets.  I think this issue has been cited by TD124 users. Caveat emptor.

Eno, I have not had a problem with discoloration of the platter of my TT101, but if I did, I would approach it as if it were a piece of discolored metal, in terms of how to remove the undesired stain. But there are limits to what you can do to a TT platter that must remain balanced or as near balanced as the factory tolerated. For example, I would not try to grind on the metal or polish it too extensively with power tools. Gentle is the way to go. I would find a way to live with it if gentle methods were ineffective.  The only part of the platter that shows when it is under a mat is the polished edge. Is that where you see discoloration?  Best thing I did for my TT101 was to enhance the mass and rigidity of the plinth by adding aluminum pieces below the deck and replacing the MDF arm board entirely with a piece of solid machined alu. I further re-inforced the arm board from below with more alu that couples to the bearing.

lewm

My JVC Victor CL-P2 Plinth’s arm boards are special 5 layer composite, the plinth a similar 7 layer composite construction. Every time I handle them, I am impresssed by them, is this what you replaced?

This composite construction feels so solid, it is one of the reasons I am so critical of Linn’s Bedrok hollow skirt type base, which I would never call a plinth.

I did not replace the entire plinth. I reinforced the plinth with slabs of aluminum which I bolted to the bottom, adding mass and constrained layer damping. I did replace the arm board.  It felt light and insubstantial to me where I was trying to maximize mass and stiffness.  But you are probably correct, and I was wrong, to imply that it is made of MDF, if you can detect that it is truly a multi-layer sandwich of some sort of solid wood. My error. I did not throw the arm board away; I still have it. It was used as a template for making the aluminum arm board that replaced it. I further reinforced the alu arm board by bolting to it another slab of alu which is mounted down below the opening that houses the armboard.  That lower level alu is also coupled to the bearing, or as close to the bearing well as I could arrange. This setup is specifically for my Fidelity Research FR64S tonearm with B60 base. On the FR64S I have my Koetsu Urushi in an 18g Ortofon LH9000 headshell.  All this mass is good for the tonearm and cartridge and also probably reduces any TT resonances.