Technics SP 10 Mk II a --Reliable? Repairable?
Steve Dobbins..... vetterone@msn.com .....is another expert on Technics SP-10 Mk2's and Mk3's. Steve went thru both my Mk2 and Mk3, built plinths for them, and really knows his stuff. |
Nope, completely unreliable piece of junk. Look, I'll take it off your hands for the price of postage...the turntable in my microwave stopped spinning and I think it would fit in there quite nicely until it dies. Seriously, contact Albert Porter about how he's been upgrading his. I think he's done the caps, per advice above, and has worked with someone to create a gorgeous plinth design that he may be able to hook you up with should you really want to invest in it. |
Many if not most of the ICs in either a Mk II or a Mk2A are "unobtainium". You are no better off with a Mk II vs a Mk2A in that regard. Some have said that the MkII is more reliable than the Mk2A, but I have never seen an explanation for that contention. If your unit has never been serviced, it is a good idea now to replace at least the electrolytic caps in the outboard power supply. IMO, there is no need to use "audiophile" quality caps for this purpose. Panasonic TS or FC types are superb for the job and cost a few bucks. If you want to go all the way, then also replace the lytic caps in the onboard electronics box. This effort will probably keep your tt running perfectly for another 25 years. Most of all, it will protect you from failure of irreplaceable ICs. Also, with the internet as a search tool, it is not necessarily true that you cannot find the ICs somewhere in the world. I recently was successful in finding an IC for my Denon DP80 that had not been manufactured since 1983 and for which there are no drop-in replacements, in Hong Kong I got two NOS ones. Don't let anyone scare you out of enjoying your find. |
Dear David: From my experiences it is truly reliable, imagine that exist sevral/many SP-10MK2 that are still running after 25+ years and with many years to come with almost no " trouble ". No, you can " migrate " from the MK2 to the MK3, you have to buy it this one. Fortunately you can get easy the SP-10 service manual and a good local technician could fix your unit. I own three SP-10s and works flawless, a very good TT quality performance: luck you already own it. There are many SP-10s owners that maybe can/could help you in better way. Regards and enjoy the music. Raul. |
