using a stock Lenco L75 Turntable

the 75 and 85 are both first class performers, i have heard stock and modded with huge plynths, but they sounded pretty much the same.

Well, it's listenble - that's the best I can say for it. mainly due to a decent Grado cart.

The Lenco arm wasn't good in any scale, and now - they are all peaces of junk. When you change the arm, you might as well upgrade the whole thing...

The 85, I think, is a belt drive, so probably not relevant. I would agree with the idea that the 75 tonearm is problematic, but I think you can get very decent sound out of the stock setup, competitive with a lot of more expensive stuff. The tonearm bearings have often collapsed due to abuse; someone out there can repair them and/or replace those bearings for a nominal sum, IIRC.

The Lenco original arm has a metal edge resting on a rubber base. this wasn't a good combination at any time, but now, after 25 odd year, the rubber in ALL lenco arms, has already dried up, and eroded, so there are no more arms in a decent state, and there is almost no supply for replacement parts.

the plinth in not part of the problem with this turntable - it can be tuned to be VERY quiet in it's original form. The arm, it's mounting and wiring - is!

Hi,

Agree the L75 arm is not the best, nor the worst either. I am planning a new plinth and meanwhile using the Lenco original, except I removed all the rubber stuff and spring suspension from the stock plinth. The Lenco sounds better direct coupled to the plinth. BTW replacing the rubber bearing in the tonearm is easy and replacements are available (see www.lenco-lovers.com).

Cheers
Mario

The only thing I plan on changing on the one I just acquired is the arm. That's being kept under cover for the time being...... The one I just got, is as dead quiet as anyone could ask for. I too removed the springs and rubber, then screwed it down to it's original plinth with # 8 x 2" wood screws after removing and re-glueing the blocks. I used a stethoscope to listen for noise all around the plinth and the top plate. This thing is QUIET.

Can't wait till the arm gets here.......

Hi Mario, I hope your unit is on a solid floor, those springs with a foam insert/damper were intended to cut down the possibility of feed back from speakers. They shouldn't influence the sound unless the foam inserts need replacing? Of course its a bit like using a bouncy castle. On my GL75p the deck is directly on the plinth, there are four pinned rubber grommets, one at each corner, these serve to locate the base plate uniformly onto the plinth, as the fixing is only two woodscrews under the platter. Recommend listening to the arm after replacing the `V' blocks with replacement Lenco spares, the black rubber ones, sounds beatifull. Most Lenco spares are obtainable from Technical and General, P.O. Box 53, Crowborogh, East Sussex, TN6 2BY UK Tel UK 0892 654 534 .

Noise? I tried this, I fitted a spare shell fitted with a Linn K5, lowered the cue and adjusted it so the stylus could touch the base plate, here's the noisy bit! with the motor running and plinth turning, the vulume at maximum, you could just make out a slight mechanical sound about the same level as an ultrasoft background hum, if your ear was in the speaker cone. At that level of gain, complaints of noise would come from the next village AND look, no feedback! That's what those base springs with foam inserts are for. The motor and jockeywheel bearings should be lubed with a light oil and the surplus dried off to prevent dust collecting there. The jockywheel bearing in particular, is vulnerable, it is very short and endures constant sideways preasure, so look for wear here, if it can `flop' side to side a little it will cause noise. New ones are available from address in previous post.