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Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

I have just acquired a 32 year old JVC/Victor TT-101 DD turntable after having its lesser brother, the TT-81 for the last year.
TT-101
This is one of the great DD designs made at a time when the giant Japanese electronics companies like Technics, Denon, JVC/Victor and Pioneer could pour millions of dollars into 'flagship' models to 'enhance' their lower range models which often sold in the millions.
Because of their complexity however.......if they malfunction.....parts are 'unobtanium'....and they often cannot be repaired.
halcro

Showing 2 responses by cat9

cat9
26 posts
 
Well said Lewm - that IC is the achilles heel!
Until then we enjoy!!
cat9
26 posts
 
NO!! Those of us who choose to buy vintage gear know the risks and if that is living dangerously...then so be it.

I purchased a mint 1 owner Denon DP-45F Direct Drive TT - locally in my home city. So I avoided the potential pitfalls of shipping a TT. Then I got a sense of the owner - pride of owning his equipment, etc.

I know that these Denons have microprocessors/capacitors - that if they fail....there can be trouble. I took a chance. After I purchased it I took it to a reputable electronics repair shop in the city and asked him to give the TT a thorough going over, make any necessary adjustments and replace anything that needed replacing.

He called and told me the deck was as clean on the inside as it was on the outside / that the main capacitors had already been replaced with quality parts / and that except for a minor adjustment or two the TT was good to go, and likely for many more years. He installed the new cart and I have been in vinyl-spinning bliss since.

The TT works flawlessly. Could it "die" anytime? Sure, but so can any modern TT. And there are more spare parts for old TT's then many people know. My tech (who owns the company and has for 30 years) says you'd be surprised what he can come up with (parts) and find somewhere in the world if he has to.

For those of us that like vintage, we take on those risks - knowingly.

Living on the edge!

Good listening,

cat9
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