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.
The only differences between the GT2000 and GT2000X are that the latter had brown veneering, bigger plinth, bigger motor shaft, and better tonearm (sold as an option on GT2000 as YSA-2). The bigger plinth & bigger shaft cannot be installed later on the GT2000.
The only differences between GT2000 and GT2000L are that the latter had the automatic arm lifter at the end of the record (optional on GT2000 as YAL-1) and brown veneering (black on GT2000).
Like Theophile said, the 18 kg platter worked with all three models: GT2000, GT2000L, and GT2000X, though undoubtedly the bigger shaft on GT2000X had benefits.
Theophile, OK. I wouldn't think of using that platter without the optional larger and heftier bearing assembly. Was that available for all 3 versions of the GT2000, as well? If so, then what is the big deal about the "X" designation, apart from the fact that the standard tonearm on the X was maybe different from the standard? ((Yet, that tonearm can also be fitted to the GT2000, so far as I can tell.) Why would the X be twice as expensive these days as the plain GT2000? In photos, there are no obvious external differences between the two models, either.
Greetings from High End Munich...😎 No vintage DD tables in use here.... Tables of choice appear to be Kronos and TechDas.....but mostly they spin for show. CDs and Servers are the popular (and easier) option.....and when the sound you hear is predominantly determined by the speaker system employed (Linn lied to us).....even I don't care 🤷♀️
First, take some of the stuff on Vintage Knob with a grain of salt; that site is not always perfectly accurate. Second, if you can find the IC as an NOS part, via Alibaba or other internet source, it will probably cost a few bucks each. And you would be MUCH better off at a MUCH lower cost than trying to source the IC by buying a whole turntable. You would have to pay the cost for a working unit, too.
As to platter mass, the SP10 Mk3 has the heaviest platter that I know about among Japanese vintage DD turntables, except possibly for the optional and very rare gunmetal platter for the Yamaha GT2000X. But that latter platter will cost you about as much as a good GT2000, if you can ever find one. (For the heck of it, I have been searching.) The L07D platter is substantial but only a fraction of the weight of the other two. It can be enhanced by the addition of an optional peripheral ring specifically made by Kenwood for the L07D, which I own but don't use. The SP10 Mk2 platter is not much different in weight from that of the TT101 and the Denon DP80. I don't know about the Luxman platter; there are a few owners on this thread who may tell us. One determinant of platter mass back then may have been the choice of motor. For a given physical size, coreless motors produce less torque than do iron core motors, but the correlation between coreless motors and platter mass is not linear, either, except to note that the Mk3 uses a gigantic iron core multi-pole motor. The Pioneer Exclusive P3 has an impressive platter and uses a coreless motor, on the other hand. The GT2000 uses a coreless motor but had an optional oversize bearing and that optional massive platter to be driven by that same coreless motor.
Very interesting ... it is useful to look for some cheap model for spare parts. A detail I do not understand about DDs is how the TT101 and the lower models use lightweight lightweight plates unlike the Technics SP or Kenwood L07D or other big turntables of the time.
The QL-F6 has the same bi-directional servo as the 101. I have one of these and it’s very good. They are cheap on eBay.
" Although far less remembered than the QL-10 or QL-7, the QL-F6 has about the same motor structure as the former, the same specs as the latter - and, in spots, even surpasses both ! Bi-directional servo as in the QL-10 (and the TT-101 and TT-801), Coreless DC servomotor (as in the QL-10), continuously variable Q oil-damping for both horizontal and vertical planes, diecast aluminium cabinet, non-resonant "High-Density Pararesonance"
Bi-directional servo works with a push-pull amplifier in the drive circuit : two currents are generated in each motor drive coil, one pushing and one pulling the rotor.
The result is less overshoot in speed correction, 50% increase in
efficiency, 40% increase in torque and the remedy to coreless' motors
lower efficiency and lower torque capability... See the JVC TT-101 page for more details."
I forget the part number for the critical IC, but all I did was Google it, and I found many sources for it, in Asia. Most are on Alibaba (I hope that's the correct name of that website). I just chose a vendor who seemed to understand at least a little English. The cost is cheap, once you find a vendor, because who else wants one, besides the few dozen people in the world who may be fixing TT101s? Albeit, this was 3-4 years ago when I made my purchase. One thing to keep in mind is that the chips are around the same age as the TT101, so I suppose it's possible that they can go bad just from sitting on the shelf under god knows what storage conditions, for 30 years. One of mine was used to repair a TT101, and it worked, is all I know.
@lewm all right .......knowing if it will serve I will know it in several months I will keep all you up to date on development, I hope it is not necessary but thanks for your generous offer. :)
Best-groove, No, Lewm does not have some spare for sale. I cannot supply all TT101 owners, but I may be able to spare one for you for no cost if you really need it. Assuming I have at least two left in my stash.
Many many thanks for your precious help..... I will keep in mind if insurmountable problems arise when I begin work.
Surely the turntable will need a complete recap first of all because the capacitors are all original (many failures happen because of the skills out of tolerance) and later I will be able to discover the remaining faults.
I hope everything is resolved without major problems (I'm optimistic) luckily in the world there are good technicians very competent for repairs and to give some advice on this turntable; In the states there is Mr.JP in Italy someone might find, in UK I found there is a good laboratory with plenty of experience on the JVC turntable also for our TT-101 (I need to find the address).
This does not rule out that if I need an unsolvable failure I will ask all these competent people to understand and solve the problem.
I hope so much is not broken some IC unproblematic but I understand that Lewm has some spare for sale.
My English is bad and writing is not perfect, so you can understand that I'm a stranger. :)
I've given two TT101 chips away at this point, so I am not sure it's fair to say I have a "stock" of them, but I do think I have a few more, in one of those drawers where you put things you don't want to lose and then forget where the drawer is. I would always want to keep at least one spare for myself.
Best groove, I did not realize you live in Italy. (Lucky for you, by the way.) I don’t know about cost of round-trip shipping to JP in New York City, but I do know that his repair work is very reasonable in cost, surprisingly so in relation to his skill set. The TT101 circuit is very complex, given the "bi-directional servo" system, so I wish you best of luck in figuring out the cause of your problem. You might benefit from talking to JP, even if you feel you cannot afford to ship the TT101 for repair. There are several chips in there, but one and only one of them is the main controller. Of two "broken" units that I know about, including mine, neither of them needed a new chip, fortunately. But I may be able to help you out if it turns out you do need a new controller chip.
Definitely you should start out by replacing all the electrolytic capacitors, unless you know for sure that this has been done recently. The lifespan of an electrolytic is typically less than 30 years, and shorter still if the unit has been sitting for many years without power.
ooopss ....I forgot ..... for plinth there are many great looking photos on the internet and you tube for the TT 101 and others will arrive, but before the turntable will have to work, otherwise it's all worth having a nice plinth and broken turntable. :(
I do not know grand master JP but, I’m sure, I can not and I do not want to send the turntable to the world; I live in Italy and would have an exorbitant cost of shipping, repairing, customs and taxes; I have to fix it and restore it completely and I have to do it yourself. I’ve already got the service manual and I have a look at the two big mother board .... there will be a lot of work for me next winter and I hope there are no custom made ICs for this turntable.
I already have a decent experience with the Techncs SP 10 II ..... I have restored a pair with their power supplies by disassembling all screw on the screw (even the engine) I had to repair broken tachometer coil wires, and put everything completely new and two others are under construction.
All this is just for passion and because I love collecting old high-level turntables that would end up in trash because they're broken. :)
As regards JP and the TT101, I can only report that my TT101 had an intermittent glitch that persisted for the first 3-4 years of my ownership, even after replacing all electrolytic capacitors. (I got it cheap, because it was "broken".) The diagnosis eluded two very competent technicians over that time span, until finally I came upon JPs thread on DIYAudio, wherein he was talking about his new chip for the Technics SP10 Mk2 and Mk3. I detected that he had a deep understanding of these circuits. I contacted him and soon thereafter shipped my TT101 to him in NYC. Within two weeks or so he had localized the problem to a microscopic crack in one of the PCB tracings. Shortly thereafter, my unit was up and running, and I have had zero problems ever since, all because JP has the smarts to reason out where the problem ought to have been and then to locate it shortly thereafter. So, Bestgroove, if I were you I would waste no time in sending the TT101 to JP. My unit was the first TT101 he had ever seen in the flesh, by the way. Very impressive.
You certainly have your work cut out for you :-) JP knows quite a bit more about these than I do. On vinyl engine theres a complete service manual available for download. Your photo only shows the electronics in the Bezzel, they main PCB is located below the motor and its with this large semi circular one the most issues have been, mostly with cracked PCB lanes.
Once I get mine spinning correctly Ill make a Plinth for it, but because of the original design of this Ill keep it in its original "UFO" shell. Ill make sure to post pictures once I get it built so you can atlas get some ideas of how to make yours.
@pbnaudio I do not know what to say, I expect to have some rest to take over the TT101 that I was given a few months ago, because almost nothing works and the engine spins fast .....display not work and it needs a great deal of restoration from me. I hope to solve the many problems that he has
So let me get this straight, in the lengthy insomnia-fueled post on page one of this thread, it was said that once some of the ICs on these 'tables broke down, that was it...doorstop.
My question is that while there are good working ICs out there isn't there some way to reverse engineer them and make clones? Or instead of opening them up and cloning them, maybe make a microcontroller that would mimic the functions?
I am not an electrical engineer, so I don't know if this stuff costs millions of dollars to accomplish...
The Victor TT101 is a completely different beast - have one that is partially overhauled, the complexity of this is quite unique. That plus the electronics are mounted on a flimsy large PCB with a myriad of wire jumpers. Most errors on these have been cracked PCB lanes when conferring with JP, our resident TT101 Expert :-) somewhere further up this thread I have made a list of suitable transistor replacements for it and have some of the un-obtanium IC's as well should anyone need any - had to buy 10 of them.
I'm hoping to get it working sometime but there is just too much to do
It would be interesting to open a specific thread for the plinths, initially this thread was born for the Victor TT-101 and similar turntables with so much electronics inside.
I don't want to report Peter. I just want to see the thread revert to the topic. The on-going advertising of PBN turntable restorations, with little or no insight as to the specifics of the work done, can be continued elsewhere. It would be relevant to this thread if the faults found and the remedies applied to the eventual PBN turntables was being discussed, but they are not.
You do note that all, but the first the above posts with links to the Systems page are answers to questions and requests from other contributors to this thread ?
"
Either share your techniques or take the marketing spam to a PBN marketing thread."
With your kind permission please permit me to remind those here that complaints about spam should be directed to the group's moderators who are easily communicated with by simply clicking on the "report this" flag that appends each post here. It is not for individual users to define, influence, control and direct the conversation in this group by assessing the characteristics of each individuals post. Thank you.
It is also clear that in many cases the original post is completely incorrect. Peter, by all means share your experience of how to fix these turntables since that is the aim of a thread like this. Without the sharing of the information, all you are doing on this thread is drumming-up business and touting your restorations.
You have established that you can restore these turntables. Either share your techniques or take the marketing spam to a PBN marketing thread.
Possibly, however these are Vintage DD tables and the OP of this tread specifically discuses the possibility that no repair of such is possible should they break. My postings should clearly communicate that repair certainly is possible of the machines, by me and a lot of other knowledgeable folks that have contributed to this long tread.
Is this thread an advertisement for PBN? This like spam. I've got no beef against you Peter or your turntables. I just feel like this thread has been hijacked.
Please tell us more about your turntables. On another thread.
Pictures of the GrooveMaster Vintage Direct DP80 Professional uploaded to the virtual system
Specs as follows
Dims 19.25” W x 15.25” D by 7.75” H (to top of platter)Weight Apx 55 LbsSpeeds 33.333 and 45.000 RPM @ 0.002%Bi Directional Servo Speed Control System 2” Ball Bearing Vibration Control FootersUp to 2 10” tonearms can be mounted
Thanks Peter but I can't afford one. Besides I have an SP-10 MKIII that I really love as well as about five more models I am in the process of rebuilding myself.
Reason being that the DN308 is a very large machine, overall dimensions are 23.5W x 18.5D x 9.5T weight is 140 lbs. I did toy around with the layered wood approach it just became too big IMO. Its a VERY substantial machine as is both Top and Bottom are made from 1" thick T6061 tool plate. Arm boards are replaceable - however because if its size, the platter is 14" Diameter, only 12" arms are useable, the 14" Kozma 4 point can also be incorporated, have been on one and another with 2 each of the Kuzma's are being discussed with a potential customer.
I'm making a plinth for the DP80 also using the design of the big Brother the DN308 with a 1" thick T6061 Aluminum tool plate on top but a HDF bottom incorporated into the hardwood frame. This will be the GrooveMaster Vintage Direct DP80 Professional.
Peter, You seem to have taken a very different tack with the DN308 as compared to the DP80, in terms of the design philosophy behind the two very different plinths. The DN308 plinth seems to have a hollow interior, whereas the DP80 plinth (from photos I have seen elsewhere on your site) seems to have been built from layers of precisely machined wood such that the only available empty space is tightly fitted to the electronics and the mechanicals of the DP80. I actually prefer this latter approach. Can you comment? Thanks.
RWwear, So far I have procured 8 of them and I'm constantly looking for more - just picked up another one last week - so if you want to get on the list let me know.
I know of two more located in Japan this person had 3 from which I bought one so far - the possibility of getting these two exist.
The last link on your DN308 post was made into this one :-)
https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/6431#&gid=1&pid=12 the last picture. This one is originally from 1983and is number 472, the oldest of the 8 units I have procured, the youngest is from 1993 and is number 1608, have seen an auction in Japan for number 1628 so the supply of these is very limited.
Dear Audiolabyrinth, No, I have never owned a Technics SL1600 or any others in the SL1200 lineage. But I also don't try to match cartridges with turntables. What counts is the effective mass of your tonearm. Read up on tonearm effective mass and cartridge compliance, so you can understand what Chakster was trying to say, which I believe is simply that your tonearm is "medium" in effective mass, which means it would mate well with medium compliance cartridges. There is some good information on Vinyl Engine to help you to define those terms and to identify cartridges that fit the bill. But also, rules are made to be broken.
@audiolabyrinth your technics 1600mk2 comes with standard tonearm, same arm supplied with SL-1200/1210mk2. Avoid the cartridges with very high compliance (over 30cu) or add kab fluid damper to the tonearm. Also avoid low compliance heavy cartridges! Look for mid compliance MM/MI near 20 - 25 cu @ 10Hz (not at 100hz, if your cartridge made in Japan then multiply 100hz compliance from the manual on 1.7 to get the compliance at 10Hz).
Hi lewm, I suppose I should forget the Concord deal, I highly respect you and value your opinion, have you ever had experience with the technics sl-1600mk2?, if so, what was your preference for a good moving magnet cart and top needle?, I will move on to a out standing phono amp later and get a good moving coil cart, however, my buddy claims that moving magnet has better body to the sound, where the moving coil is resolution?
Shadorne, please post the complete information of where I can do all this to my pl-550, with phone number to the business, and contact name, question, why do you have the denon dl 110 on your turntable?, what's wrong with the pioneer arm?
I had the veneer done and serviced at the same time. New caps and new damper oil and a few parts. The main components like the direct drive are super reliable. Being a manual table there is not much that can go wrong.
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