"Old Reliable" is more likely my moniker, not "Hot Reliable".
Thanks for your complete response, Theophile. One thing about the GT2000 is that if you are willing to pay the going price (seems to be $2400 to $2700) for a really nice one, you can own one any time your little heart desires. I almost pressed the button on one, until my superego said, "Wait a minute, Lew, you have FIVE freakin' turntables already." I'm sure the present state of easy availability will not persist over time, however.
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Damned autocorrect: In my last post, the last sentence, "(If it was never done, those lyrics are now ~36 years old, definitely hot reliable.) Consider it preventive maintenance, and if you do need a new chip, I can get you one." I typed "lytics", as in electrolytic capacitors, not lyrics. And "not reliable", not "hot reliable". Can't blame autocorrect for that.
Peter, I am very surprised to learn that you want to use the Roadrunner with your revised and modified DP80, unless you are just using it to monitor speed with a digital readout. The Denon itself monitors speed constantly by means of the continuous tape around the inside of the platter. From what I know, which is probably less than you, this affords constant speed correction via altering voltage and current to the 3-phase motor of the DP80, whereas the RR only "looks" at speed once per revolution.
That said, I am now using the 25W Phoenix power regenerator to run my Lenco monitored and controlled by the RR. It’s fun to know that the platter is running at 33.3333 rpm or thereabouts. I was previously using a Walker Audio Motor Controller on the Lenco; the Phoenix ensemble seems to do the job a bit better. Not a night and day difference, but better. |
bimasta, My DP80 was not working quite up to snuff when I bought it. So first of all, I assumed that the single chip that runs the turntable was not working normally, and I WAS able to find it from any of several vendors in the Far East. In fact, it was easy to do that, and I have several such chips myself. Then I gave the turntable and the replacement chip to Bill Thalmann at Music Technologies in Springfield, VA. Bill found no problem with the chip in the turntable, but he did replace all the electrolytic capacitors and all the discrete transistors. The transistors were not blown, but Bill felt that the modern replacements for them are much better and make the DP80 run better. He was then able to calibrate it, and I have had zero problems ever since then, about 4 years. I urge you to have all the electrolytic capacitors replaced, ideally before you try to run the turntable, especially if you don't know when that was ever done in the past. (If it was never done, those lyrics are now ~36 years old, definitely hot reliable.) Consider it preventive maintenance, and if you do need a new chip, I can get you one.
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Agree with Bimasta. I also own a 100VAC Denon DP80 and use a stepdown. If anything, the step down transformer affords a form of isolation from your household AC contamination. You can buy a very capable unit for well under $100 off eBay. I actually own two of them.
Pani, Based on having owned an SP10 Mk2 and what I know about the GT2000, I would choose the latter. This is not a night and day difference, and it is not meant to slur the Mk2, which is a fine turntable. However, I like the "bi-directional" servo mechanism (I think it may be similar to the circuit used in the Victor TT101), the over-size platter, and the coreless motor of the GT2000 vs the Mk2. This is just my opinion. |
Dear Theophile, You seem to have an in-depth knowledge of the GT2000. Can you tell me what distinguishes the GT2000L from the GT2000? Thanks.
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Compared to most of the other top of the line vintage Japanese direct-drive turntables, the GT2000 is readily available in Tokyo, every time I have been there and touring the audio salons. (Our son lives in Tokyo, so I am there once every couple of years, going again in October.) Whereas, for example, I have never seen (in person) a Pioneer Exclusive P3 or even a Technics SP10 Mk3 for sale in a store over there. This may only be a reflection of the possibility that the GT2000 was a bit less expensive than the others, and therefore more units may have been sold. Hifido has the GT2000 very often on-line, too. For reasons unknown to me, it seems to have become more sought after in recent years, which has led to a rise in prices on the used market. Raul, if you like it so much, can you enlighten me on the features that make it so desirable vs the many other contenders? Thanks. I do know it has a nice over-sized platter.
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I went to the URL provided by Theophile. The guys on Audiokarma seem to have been in general agreement that owning one of these vintage beasts is risky, in terms of their non-repairability if something breaks. I have to say that I disagree with this point of view. First of all, the smart thing to do is to replace all the electrolytic capacitors immediately upon purchase, if this has not been done already. Most of the failures result directly or indirectly from leaky electrolytics. And replacing the lytics is cheap insurance. After that, all the transistors used in "those days" are either still available or there is a modern superior substitute. Replacing a bad IC can be a problem, in theory, but I have been able to find supposedly NLA ICs for both my Denon DP80 and my Victor TT101 (which actually did not need a new IC), by searching on-line, and they were very cheap. In addition, the ultra-rare chip for a Technics SP10 has been re-created using discrete SMD parts by a NYC-based engineer, and his pseudo-IC works better than the original. This same gentleman was also able to troubleshoot my TT101. So, if you want a GT2000, don't hesitate to purchase one for fear of a problem of this sort. Of course, you should do your homework on the provenance of the one you finally do select to purchase. |
Raul, I generally would pay no attention to specifications published by a manufacturer, although I would assume that actual units perform "close enough" to the published specs. But I would never use such information to make a fine distinction between the GT2000 and another great turntable, like the P3. In addition, you say the GT2000 has a "very good" tonearm. It probably does, but what does that term mean, exactly? We do know that the tonearm on the P3 was made by M-S for Pioneer, and it is widely regarded as a very good tonearm, too. I've seen the P3 tonearm for sale separately for as much as $7,000 (which is kind of ridiculous, I admit, since you can buy a complete P3 for less money). So, I would ask for some hard facts, like what is the platter mass, what kind of motor does it use and how much torque does it generate when needed? How is the plinth made and with what materials that we might think are good for dampening? Etc. Having said all that, I did do some reading on Vintage Knob, and I saw that the GT2000X (the upscale version of the GT2000) uses a coreless motor. This is a big plus in my own frame of reference. The X version also has a very massive bearing assembly and an 18kg platter(!), which is spectacular for direct-drive, the most massive platter I know about among vintage DD turntables. In fact, now I want a GT2000X. I will look for one in Tokyo. I'm convinced.
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Dear Raul, And you need to read again my response to your earlier post that suggested I should re-read the blurb on Vintage Knob, which contains many errors of fact, at least as regards some other vintage turntables, I might add. For example, assuming theophile knows whereof he speaks, it would seem Vintage Knob is incorrect in implying that the GT2000X per se came with the heavy 18kg platter. I did take note of the coreless motor, and I do think that is a virtue. The GT2000 is probably a fine turntable; I have never heard one, but I have seen used ones for sale in Tokyo. What more do you want me to say? JP points out one major reason why I take manufacturer's published specs with more than a grain of salt. The W&F measurement will always depend upon how you measure it, and there is/was no standardized method. Same goes for S/N. In fact, at some point in the 1980s, the Japanese industry revised the method for measuring S/N, with the outcome that all turntables suddenly became quieter, if you only read the spec and are not cognizant of the change in method. I expect that the GT2000 would be "up there" with the top echelon of the vintage DD genre, if the tonearm is up to snuff. I am not disagreeing with you.
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Raul, I don't disagree with you in your objective judgement of the TT101 and the DP80. If you think of them only on the basis of what you can read about them, their build solidity, and their specs, then they indeed are not even meant to compete in the same league. In my case, in my system, the DP80 did outperform the SP10 Mk2 but falls short of the Mk3 and the L07D. However, the TT101 re-plinthed by me is a surprising revelation. It's quite excellent. I can't say how it would stack up against the Mk3 and L07D, because it's in a different system in my house, but it's excellent. JP can testify to its electronics better than I; he fixed mine. Some products do punch above their weight. You should know this, since you pointed out to all of us the excellence of some of the best MM and MI cartridges, and you relied on listening to judge them. I am not here to argue about the TT101, however, and you are welcome to your opinion as always.
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I agree. I am done buying TT's except out of curiosity and my predilection for great vintage products as gadgets.
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