Turntable Upgrades


Realizing that my turntable needs some tweaking to make it spin with consistent 33 rpm speed I started to look around to see what options I have.
It didn't take a while to reailize that the most popular upgrades would be:
1. An electric motor replacement.
2. Power supply... may be with a "power conditioner" built-in.
3. So-called "motor-controller" which can easily cost another $2,000.00 dollars.
4. To finilize a jorney for the smooth stable precise spinning I would need something like KAB strobe and disk (for precise speed measurement).

I just wonder WHY at the first place I would have to do it AT ALL? The turntable I purchased was about 3 or 4000 dollars. Being 10 or 15 or 20 years old I admitt it should go throughout some service...but not through replacement of every electronic and non-electronic component! I just don't get it. If I would buy Porsche 20 or 30 years old it still will be drivable reliable car. For every day. Nothing to replace except a fresh oil. It will still look great. It still will be fun to drive. With that Oracle turntable I have to replace everything (plus to buy some more staff) just to get it to a consistent speed (isn' that SOMETHING it supposed to do at the first place?) Now it needs a new motor. It needs a strobe light (Common! Even 100 dollars TT would have it as BASIC). I now need some speed switcher/controller (Oracle Delphi MK1 doesn't have it too). I need some phone power conditioner. I need all kind of replacement belts and springs. I just think what EXACTLY a consumer pays for when he/she purchases that Turntable. The tonearm is not included as well as carthidge. There is no power conditioner. There is no phono stage. There is no moving coil pre preamp. There is best of the best phono cord (most likely you would have to buy it somewhere elase for another 500 dollars). There is no super-duper power cord too. The electric motor will die soon. So you would have to buy something like this:
http://www.turntable-power-supply.com/
(which cost about 800 dollars and should be better then Oracle's one..at least it will have both speeds (33/45) and it could be used to adjust the speed.

And as a last - Delphi MK1 will not have a strob light.
So from where is that 4000 dollars price tag?! Is this price for acrylic rectangle base with alluminium flywheel on it? I just don't get it.
sputniks

Showing 1 response by jimbo3

Maintaining a 911 well is moderately expensive. At 400,000 miles, one would have had to do at least one, if not two, "top ends" at $4,000 apiece (unless one prefers oil pouring past the valve guides), not to mention 13 of the 15,000 mile checks at at least $600 each (by the time you get done with needed items) and another 13 of the 30,000 mile checks at a minimum of $1500 each. If you do the the 54 5,000 mile oil changes between the 15K and 30K check-ups yourself, the oil and filters alone total $3500. Sixteen sets of tires will run another $10-$12,000. Shocks and brakes are another $5-$6K.Just this "regular maintenance" is already a minimum of $50,000. Total maintenance will be at least $60,000 when all is said and done.

Just change the oil and go 400,000 miles? In a Porsche??