The *NOT BORING!* Hi-Fi faff chat and sales

[djoptix]

Build your own turntable?

This seems as good a place as any to ask this question...

I've just picked up what I think is a bit of a bargain, an SME Improved tonearm (I think it isn't quite as good as the Unimproved one but still very good). It's in good nick and came with the cabling, weight and a cart/needle which I don't know anything about.

I bought it to sell on but I'm wondering if this is my chance to build up a decent turntable without having to shell out £££s. It came with a Connoisseur BD1 platter/motor etc. I'm wondering about building these two parts up into a super heavy turntable, probably using a big block of wood as the base.

I do have a lot of vinyl but I've been playing it on a Vestax PDX A1 which I'm sure isn't that great. My other kit isn't great but it's all of a similar level I think - very underrated Ariston CD, NAD 3020, Mordaunt-Short MS25i, decent-ish interconnects and Van Damme speaker cable.

Should I bother with my homebrew turntable idea, or just sell on the SME and stick with my CDs?

 

[djoptix]

Re:

My other options, I suppose, are...

* buy a decent turntable which will take the SME arm and junk the BD1
* use the PDX as a base to make a turntable, which would be more robust and newer than the BD1, but I think I'd have to modify the platter to get rid of resonance and I don't know if the Vestax motor is really any good either - anyone?

 

[drcarlos]

Re: Re:

My other options, I suppose, are...

* buy a decent turntable which will take the SME arm and junk the BD1
* use the PDX as a base to make a turntable, which would be more robust and newer than the BD1, but I think I'd have to modify the platter to get rid of resonance and I don't know if the Vestax motor is really any good either - anyone?

I remember wanting Vestax Decks BITD, they were supposed to be the one to have and according to this link :http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthre ... s-v-Vestax the motors are very good. I would suspect though they are mega torquey and aimed squarely at the DJ/scratch mix market though rather than Hi-fi.

Carl.

 

[djoptix]

Re:

Yes, I used to have the PDX2000s and they were amazing in terms of torque/control and the tracking was unbelievable. I used to play out on Technics a lot (because everywhere had them) but you had to have decent needles and get the setup just right for them to track well, I found. I used to have a set of M447s for this purpose... but on the Vestax you could put any old cart on them and they would be rock solid.

Stopped DJing though so the PDXs had to go, and I think I got rid of them at the right time - they go for peanuts now on ebay.

I got the pair of A1s off Gumtree on a whim and they're OK but the motor isn't in the same league as the PDX2000 for power, but then you don't need power for hifi anyway... I'm leaning towards the idea of using the A1 parts to build something with the SME arm. The A1 has a quartz lock which presumably would keep the platter at the correct speed even if I change the platter for something a lot heavier...?

 

[drcarlos]

Re: Re:

Yes, I used to have the PDX2000s and they were amazing in terms of torque/control and the tracking was unbelievable. I used to play out on Technics a lot (because everywhere had them) but you had to have decent needles and get the setup just right for them to track well, I found. I used to have a set of M447s for this purpose... but on the Vestax you could put any old cart on them and they would be rock solid.

Stopped DJing though so the PDXs had to go, and I think I got rid of them at the right time - they go for peanuts now on ebay.

I got the pair of A1s off Gumtree on a whim and they're OK but the motor isn't in the same league as the PDX2000 for power, but then you don't need power for hifi anyway... I'm leaning towards the idea of using the A1 parts to build something with the SME arm. The A1 has a quartz lock which presumably would keep the platter at the correct speed even if I change the platter for something a lot heavier...?

I had always assumed Vestax to be direct drive like the 1210's (I seem to remember them having a ferrite ring on the under side of the platter that was driven directly) so I wouldn't have thought that the motor could be removed as such.

Carl.

 

[djoptix]

Re:

The platter is an interference fit on the spindle and the motor looks like this - http://www.trusound.co.uk/product.php?product_id=439

 

[djoptix]

Re:

After much thought I'm leaning towards selling it on; I've got a baby due soon and several other projects on the go. Half tempted to keep it for testing purposes but my dad has a 3009 on his turntable that I can use for my forthcoming bespoke audiophile cable business (watch this space).

So, 3009 Improved for sale, good condition, complete but no box. Looking for £200ish - it comes with the decoupling mounts, wood screws and the original SME breakout cable (i.e. the one that comes off the bottom of the arm and terminates in 2 x phono & ground).

 

[legrandefromage]

Re: The *NOT BORING!* Hi-Fi faff and sales: Amps amps amps!!!

Anyone interested in some Quad bits? PM for details.

ignore the smudges and marks, thats just the dust that accumulates when its in a rack.

The 'beige' 44 needs a channel repairing (and the volume knob putting back together), everything else is ready to Rock AND Roll or Country AND Western...

...and its all in very good condition

 

[integerspin]

Re: The *NOT BORING!* Hi-Fi faff and sales: Amps amps amps!!!

Not sure I can afford to spend any dosh right now. How much for the 44.

I still have the book and paper gauges that came with a 3009 arm.

 

[legrandefromage]

Re: The *NOT BORING!* Hi-Fi faff and sales: Amps amps amps!!!

Not sure I can afford to spend any dosh right now. How much for the 44.

I still have the book and paper gauges that came with a 3009 arm.

How did I miss this - £325 delivered for the grey 44

it is in very good condition