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Best vintage DD turntables from the 70's and 80's?

Howdy folks-

We’ll I’ve got the vinyl bug for sure. 6 months ago, I bought my first TT, a nice Technics 1200 GR along with some killer vintage MM carts like Audio-Technica, Stanton and a few Grace. I love my GR! I love that little silver bastard A LOT as a matter of fact. A couple weeks ago, my second table arrived, a minty fresh Luxman PD-444 from Japan. This is a Micro Seiki built TT and was the "tits" in the mid 70’s. I can mount 2 arms on the Luxman. I’ve got a nice Victor 7045 arm coming soon along with a Victor X-1IIe MM cart which work quite well together.

I’d like to add another Vintage TT from the 70’s or 80’s and probably phase out the GR. I like the look of the old Pioneer, Denon and Victor tables. I’d like to get a vintage table that can be serviced if needed, something I can add a sweet vintage arm too. 3 arms are better than two!

I’d like to hear suggestions and comments on some fantastic, cool as crap, vintage turntables that you think should sit next to the Luxman.

Thanks again for your help!

Brent




128x128knollbrent
glupson
7,842 posts
 
Dear chakster,

"I need this one for Christmas."

Your letter should be postmarked by December 23, 2018.

I will know if you were good.

Sincerely,

Santa
glupson
7,842 posts
 
knollbrent,

"Why not a 1200 mk2? If friends come by you can say that you DJ on the side:)"
Be the coolest kid on the block. Tell them you use it as it was initially meant to be, for listening to music alone, and have been doing it since before it became cool to be a DJ. Except that you may need to go for the original 1200 without all these Mk-somethings.
tzh21y
1,654 posts
 
I’ll tell ya if you can find an original Mission 774sm and 775sm in good condition, grab it. It is one of the very best turntables I have ever heard at any price. I have never been able to snag one and I had been looking for a long time.
tzh21y
1,654 posts
 
sorry the mission is belt drive.
lewm
12,456 posts
 
amg, You may be correct, that the DDX1500 is quartz-referenced.  I was extrapolating from what I have read, probably on Vintage Knob, about the DDX1000 and DQX1000, namely that the "Q" indicates quartz-referencing.  Also, I googled "DQX1500" before posting and it came up as a listing; what would be the diff between a DDX1500 and a DQX1500, and did they or do they really exist as separate entities?  I confess that I only recently became aware of these 1500 series DD turntables from M-S.  Always willing to learn.  I do hold the opinion that the DDX1000 and DQX1000, while probably very good, are not competition for the top line turntables from others. However, my opinion is not worth the bytes taken up to write it, since I have heard neither.
Raul has challenged not only Chakster, who states that M-S made the motor for the PD444, but also Vintage Knob, which is where Chakster gets his info.  However VK is written by humans and is subject to error, and Chakster is human, too.  (I'm sure of it.) So, Raul, can you say where you get your information regarding the M-S DD turntables?  My question would be whether the M-S motor described by Vintage Knob and Chakster is coreless; it is said to be a "brushless DC motor", but that doesn't mean coreless.
Honestly guys, the old original Technics SL1200 and all its revisions that came after, are just not in the league with either the new SL1200G, GAE, GR, etc, or any of the vintage top line DD turntables.  No shame in owning and using them, however.
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