I recently added a near pristine Lenco 75 to my system. It is in it's stock form sans the arm. I removed the springs and bottom board from the stock plinth and put brass cones under it. I removed the rubber grommets from under the top plate. I have mounted one of Len's 9" wooden arms, as sold here. To this is mounted a SS DL-103. This setup bested my other tt with a SME III arm and Grado Sonata, lo version. Playing the latest Hi-Fi News Test LP, this setup almost played the #9 bias track.... Had a slight bit of right chsnnel distortion. Speed is dead on, and stable.........
So, some vintage tables are worth looking at.......
I'll add pics to my system page. |
I know what you mean Lew. My stock plinthed Lenco beat my other table hands down. True, nothing like what you had, but still. I'm not 100% convinced that one has to mount the Lenco in a "giant direct coupled" plinth. After cleaning, lubing and bolting the top plate directly to the stock plinth, I used my GF's stethoscope to listen. It was dead quiet, except for one area on the left side of the plinth, closest to the motor. And then, it wasn't very noisey. No noise on the top plate anywhere. I do have some ideas about making some mods to the stock plinth to add more mass. I'm not going to cut on the top plate of this deck. It is literally a strong 8 or 9/10 AG rating, and it would just be wrong to do so. Who knows, years down the road, I may have the only non-cut Lenco...
:-)
Kinda like cutting on a '59 vette. Just ain't right...... Now, there's a vintage car I would love to be able to afford. |
Well said Lew. I remember test driving some Triumph's, after working on them. Used to be a mechanic. Those thing's would just drift/float the curves.
Fun times, as well as analog is.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Enjoy, both the holidays, and the music. |
"Lenco is wonderful turntable but far from engeneering marvels in the stock form."
Don't know of any table that's an "engineering marvel". After all, its a platter that spins.........
Guess I got lucky, and mine works.
Happy holidays everyone... |
Ketchup,
I don't think anyone is saying the 301's, 401's, TD124's or Lenco's are the end all and be all. They're not, but nothing is. Just saying that some old tables are every bit as good, if not better than some of the new ones out there. |
Well, first off, I didn't think it was directed at me. Secondly, I don't believe the 301's, 401's or the TD124's were an accident. After all, they were shipped w/o an arm and mostly without a plinth Now, did they know exactly what they had created? Maybe yes, maybe no. And yes, HI-FI was around. Some of the old Dynaco stuff still rocks. |
I have had 3 tt's thru here in the past year. My somewhat stock Lenco just happened to be the best sounding, most musical and involving of the bunch. Everyone that heard the 3 says the same.
Is it the best? No. Does it do what I want it to do, and sound damn good at doing it? Yes. |
Can't we just get along? It's Christmas! Go spend time with family and friends, spin some vinyl!
One thing we can agree upon in this thread, is the fact we enjoy analog playback. Whether it's on a vintage, or a new megadollar table really shouldn't matter. If it works for you, so be it.
Merry Christmas to all. Hope each and everyone has/had a great day!
Bill |
Albert also had a re-plinthed Lenco, which, according to him, he sold only because of space. I have talked with Albert numerous times. I have been invited over. I live minutes from him. I just haven't made time to do so.
Maybe that should be my resolution. |
Lew,
I disagree. I believe they knew exactly what they were doing. The tapered motor shaft for example. Infinately adjustable speed.
But, then again, to each their own. I have already said Lenco's aren't the end all and be all to analog, but then again, I don't believe anthing is.
Sorry, I'm not going to pay more for a tt/arm and cart than I did my GMC truck and Harly combined. |
I have to agree. CNC is only as good as the person that programs it. Calipers, dial gauges, etc are still used to measure the final product. Back to a previous post. I have several old, over a hundred years, clocks that keep perfect time. All the brass gears, bushings, etc in them were cut by hand, no CNC machines back in the day. And, on another note, Pre-war Martin Guitars, Loyd Loar mandolins, all made by hand. And comanding big prices. Why? Not just because they are getting harder to find, but because the way they were made and the way the sound. No CNC machine can duplicate that. I own a '98 Taylor, very nice guitar, but it can't/doesn't compare to a pre-war Martin.
Oh, in case anyone is interested, there is/was a '23 Loar on Craigslist for $210,000.00. Trust me, if I had it, I'd buy it. |
