I have been sitting on the fence on this thread. I used to have a C26 and a 2100 and can't let you dangle in the breeze. The AR turntable is an enigma. It was a brilliant, though flawed design. With the 3 point suspension it was copied first by Thorens and then by some charlatan in Scotland ;-) who certainly validated the concept. But the arm, OMG the arm was a disaster. It chewed up stylii like they were candy. It had waaay too much friction you see. There is nothing for it frankly. The AR turntable is for suckers. Fix it if you can and sell it to one of those and may G*d have mercy on your soul. Go in peace.
AR-XB. Is it worth a new motor?
I recently purchased an AR-XB for $200 from a gentleman who was selling it for an estate of the original owner. It looked great. I did everything but plug it in as he assured me it only needed a new belt. When I got home, the motor would not turn, although I could feel it humming under my finger. Unfortunately, I bought the tt in Pittsburgh while visiting my son. I hand carried it in its original box as a carry on back to Washington state. My question is, should I bite the bullet for a new $200 motor from Vinyl Nirvana, or chalk it up to experience and move on? Now I know some of you would spend more than that on the wiring for the tonearm, but that's a bit of money for my habit given my finances. The rest of the system is Mac 2100, Mac C26, Acoustat Spectra 1100, Audiolab 6000cdt, Audiolab M+DAC, MIT interconnects. Jazz, acoustic, bluegrass, Americana and vintage rock are what I listen to. Oh, and I have brandy new Ortofon Super OM 20 I was going to use. My back-up table is a Sony PS-LX5.