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SP10 Mk II vs Mk III

A couple of guys here were planning to do listening comparisons of the Technics SP10 Mk II vs the Mk III, in their own homes and systems. Has anyone actually completed such a comparison? I am wondering whether the "upgrade" to the Mk III is actually worth it in terms of audible differences between the two tables. Possibly mounting either table in a well done wooden or slate plinth mitigates any sonic differences that would otherwise be heard. I am thinking of Albert Porter and Mike Lavigne in particular, who were going to do the comparison. Thanks for any response.
lewm
lewm OP
13,035 posts
 
Lonestarsouth, What did you do re the on/off button, when you had the chassis painted? Did you leave it in brushed chrome? That would look cool.
lonestarsouth
54 posts
 
"Lonestarsouth, What did you do re the on/off button, when you had the chassis painted? Did you leave it in brushed chrome? That would look cool."

Yes. I left it original. The Technics factory original black SP-10 mkII also had the button in aluminum finish.
jlevro
2 posts
 
Peter_s:

You asked, "...how difficult/easy is it to access these boards, get them out of the chassis, and replace the caps?"

Assuming you're asking about a MkII, it's pretty easy, and the boards are old 70's technology, so they're very easy to work on without damaging them.

To get at the boards, you need to remove the bottom cover, which is held on by a bunch of small screws. The boards will then be exposed. There are 4 boards, 3 of which plug into the one in the center. There are 3 or 4 screws holding each board in place, and some brass standoffs. Remove the screws and standoffs, unplug any cables plugged into the board you want to remove, and the board just slides out of the edge connector.

The boards are all pretty rugged and use double-sided copper, so they're pretty hard to damage. Work on the "underside" of the board, i.e. the side opposite the one with the parts on it with a 25-35W iron. Personally, I just use one of those spring-loaded solder suckers and suck as much solder as possible off the pad, then finish the job with solder wick. The part(s) should pop out.

Watch the polarity of the electrolytic caps. Also, I recall that Technics used a "22V16" numbering system on their schematics, which means 22uf and 16V. Something like that.

John L.
peter_s
1,335 posts
 
Thanks John,

I've tallied up all (23) of the electrolytic caps for the boards inside the table directly out of the service manual. My list is below. Again, I assume that the "WV" and "W" ratings are all meant to be volts. If I am wrong, someone please let me know before I order them!!! Also, I assume there are no concerns requiring replacing other caps, such as polyester, styrol, etc).

Thanks, Peter

ELECTROLYTIC CAPS FOR TECHNICS SP10-2 CIRCUIT BOARDS (23)

DRIVE CIRCUIT BOARD
C7,8,12,13,14,15,16,17 (8x) 1 uF 50WV
C20 (1x) 2.2 uF, 50WV
C2,4,6,18 (4x) 10 uF, 50WV

LOGIC CIRCUIT BOARD
C201 (1x) 1 pF, 50WV
C230 (1x) 2.2 uF, 50WV
C202, 218, 225 (3x) 10 uF, 16WV
C227 (1x) 100 uF, 16WV
C204 (1x) 330 uF, 10WV

CONTROL CIRCUIT BOARD
C106 (1x) 1 uF, 50W
C103 (1x) 100 uF, 50W

CONNECTIONAL BOARD
C301 (1x) 10uF, 50W
lewm OP
13,035 posts
 
Are you certain this is a list of electrolytic caps, or is it a list of ALL caps used of any type? For example, I find it hard to believe that they used a 1 pF (that's picofarad) electrolytic. That's a teeny tiny value. Even the 1uF caps are likely to be film types, or film types could be used there. 10uF and above are likely to be electrolytic types. Anyway, thanks for the list. I am about to suck it up and do the work on my Mk II, too. As for the units of "WV", perhaps it will be clearer when you look at the actual caps, which are usually labeled to indicate their voltage ratings.
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