If a new belt is not affordable, I believe the belt can be boiled in water for a certain amount of time to shrink it back to size. Look under vinyl engine. If memory serves there are posts there regarding the process.
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I just listened to six or eight of these tables on Youtube and they all have some kind of speed issue. I don't think a new belt would help much. You want to keep it at or under three hundred bucks, used could be the way to go, Tables like the Pioneer PL-512 or 514 (avoid 5-16,18 models) have large asynchronous motors that last a lifetime if maintained and are noticeably better than a lot of the newer so called affordable products out there. They keep very good speed and I used to see them at $150-75. That leaves you a decent amount for a cartridge. Dual turntables are nice also but they're more finicky to maintain. Also check the better mail order outfits like Music direct and Upscale Audio for deals. Anything they sell will be better by a substantial margin than what you have now.
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I rather enjoy it when brake cleaner intrudes on audiophilia.
It's also invaluable for cleaning polymerised oil off an induction cooktop.
And it can be used on cars, including the NA Miata I bought in 1991.
It seems to be the common factor in many of my obsessions, though I have not yet learned how to use it in the development of film.....
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OP, even if your record collection is significant, given your budget, maybe invest in streaming until you have funds to get a better TT. You could probably get a used Bluesound NODE for $300. Add Quobuz for $11/mth and have access to almost anything at CD quality or better.
I enjoy the heck out of my Bluesound and have a pretty decent analogue source, but the value for money proposition of digital via Bluesound is really tough to beat.
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I also had a slipping mat problem. I could stop the record spinning with slight finger pressure on the side of the record.
This is how slip mats are supposed to work...hence the name.
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Clean the belt with isopropyl alcohol and the platter with brake cleaning fluid. Make sure the belt is positioned correctly and the set screw on the motor's pulley is tight. If this does not fix the problem you have a defective turntable.
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The Fluence and Rega are good suggestions, but better to stretch for the Project Debut Carbon which includes a cart as it is a much better deal/value.
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I also had a slipping mat problem. I could stop the record spinning with slight finger pressure on the side of the record. Slipped both record on the mat and mat on the platter. I washed the mat and wiped down the platter.
Could be a worn stretched belt, motor, motor speed control, bearings, anything on the spin part of the turntable. I don't think arm cartridge will cause this.
There is a Rega Planar 1 demo listed here for $113. Oooo, 5 hours left.
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+1 for the Fluance RT82 recommendation for your $300 max price range. Also look at U-Turn Orbit Turntables in that price range. While a belt will be cheap for this problem child turntable, that might not be the problem - but still worth a try. It does sound more like the motor itself is giving up the ghost or the speed control circuit is not doing its job anymore. Nothing last forever, especially fairly inexpensive turntables from the 1990s.
If you CAN fix it, Audio Technica makes a cheap P-Mount replacement cartridge, but better Grado Prestige models are available in P-Mount.
I have an old Technics P-Mount TT still going strong (knock on wood) and use it to play used (flea market and Discogs) albums before trusting them to my better TT.
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@timattin
Several things come to mind here after watching the video.
It appears that the particular record you are playing is not concentric (the arm is moving back and forth). This could cause the warbling your referring to while playing THIS album.
It could be a belt. This is an easy thing to inspect. Remove the mat and you should have a good visual on the belt. it should take a little effort to stretch it. If not, replacements are cheap and easy to install yourself. IF the belt is good, it would point to speed control issues which would take a qualified tech to address. Probably decision time at this point to repair vs replace?
This turntable uses a P-mount cartridges. Good ones, an improvement over OEM, can be had for around $99. The stylus should be gentle on your record collection. This would make sense only if your speed control issues are resolved.
Good luck.
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IMO, the Project at that price is better than the Rega.
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$499 for a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo and in my experience sound superior to many of the budget tables for a few hundred more. They give you a $100 cartridge with the table, and it sounds great out of the box. I bought one for a friend and couldn't believe how good it sounded.
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Speed control. A new belt will probably help. There should be an adjustable speed control on the motor. There are apps like RPM for the iPhone that measure RPM and wow/flutter.
Good luck!
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Sounds like a speed control issue. Agree with checking the belt. If it’s that old it may have a defect and as previously mentioned that is a cheap fix. If that doesn’t do it then it may be something with the motor. If the motor is the issue then getting it fixed for a reasonable value relative to the total worth of the turn table might be difficult.
I haven’t priced entry level turntables for a while but for $300 you should be able to get something decent from Pro-Ject or Audio Technica, and given the explosion of interest in turntables over the past few years a company like Sony might have something decent in that range as well. Your cartridge might be salvageable but at the minimum I would get the stylus retipped if it’s 30 years old, as you don’t want to damage records. Most entry level tables come complete with a new cartridge and I would go that route as it will probably be a step up over your old one.
Do you have a phono pre amp? Most budget turntables include a preamp but they are usually awful, quite audibly worse than budget phono preamps. Hopefully you do because a decent entry level pre amp is about equal to your budget.
Your best outcome here would be if a new belt fixes the problem. And I would get a new mat as well, because they can rot with disuse. A new mat and belt can be inexpensive as others in the thread have noted and I would try these first
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For $300 go get a Fluance RT 82 and don’t look back. That table likely has a speed stability issue and isn’t worth fixing. There are other tables in the $300 range but the Fluance is as solid as you will get at $300.
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The most likely cause is an old stretched belt. Cheap fix--if you can fined a replacement of the correct size.
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Sounds like a speed control issue. As mentioned above, any investment in repair would be better spent toward a new table. Look for a used Rega RP3
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I had a similar thing happening on a very good TT. Turned out the matt that came with the TT allowed the LP to occasionally slip and it would create a sound like the TT was slowing down a bit and then returning to the correct speed. I threw on a different matt on it and problem solved.
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I am not familiar with any turntables in that price range and did a search, found this. You might check your local CraigsList, Facebook marketplace, etc. for Pioneer, Marantz, Technics,
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Alright, thanks. If you don't mind taking a moment to make a couple recs, what what's a good turntable that is high quality but still at a good price? I'm hoping to not spend much more than $300, if that's possible?
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Don’t know if it fixable or not, just not worth to try. Could be a belt issue, could be a problem with the arm mechanism, could be the cartridge. You might be damaging your records too.
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So would you say the problem is unfixable?
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That is a bottom of the line turntable made between 1991-2001, toss it.
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