So many great golden era DD tables out there, what do you recommend for $1000?


Pretty much as the title says.
Have been looking for a while for a decent DD table to add to my lot.
Have bought a few lower end ones and ultimately been dissapointed.
Now I know there were/ are literally hundreds of choices from the Japanese Golden era of DD tables.
Looking for suggestions from actual owners of solid DD tables up to about $1000 .
I have read and read but nothing substitutes for real experience.
This would likely not be my primary table, my Garrard 401 has that position for now.

Thank you.
128x128uberwaltz
Can’t have his number until it gets safe enough for me to go through his stacks of gear. LOL In the US they sold the QL-A7 in a piano black finish, the Japanese market had the wood finish. So it is a 120vac model. The black finish looks very classy.
Aside from very light scuffing on the dustcover and a slightly drooping tonearm stub it is in excellent cosmetic shape. Even the feet look good.
I love the UA-7045 tonearm and the way they incorporated the semi auto mechanism into it. It uses a sensor with a light curtain to detect the end of a record, that fires a solenoid to lift up the arm. When playing, the arm is totally divorced of any mechanical parts that might influence it. Very smart design.I’m on the look out for spare headshells for it. It came with the OEM headshell so I have that. Do you know what other model JVC TT came with the same one?
I have several Denon DL-103 carts. A stock DL-103, a retipped DL-103s with a fine elliptical and a DL-103 in a wood body with a hyperelliptical. The later two carts I just picked up from VAS after he serviced them. Using a AU-320 SUT. So far I’m just using the stock DL-103, I want to get some play time on it before switching. I think these tables are way under valued for what you receive. I doubt the same performance in a new table could be purchased without spending more that a few thousand dollars. Awesome motor package with a really good tonearm, the plinth is the weak point but can be fixed with some reinforcement underneath.
My buddy has been into JVC tables for a while now, he just picked up a QL-Y66F in a trade. Someday I hope to hear that in his setup. Now I understand what he was talking about.
BillWojo


Great stuff Bill.
And yes you are absolutely correct, the export model was in Black.
Mine is a Japanese model in wood and at 100vac.
As far as headshell I bought two JVC branded items off eBay and both work just fine.
One looks identical to my OEM one, the other is slightly more meaty and heavier. Which is a good thing as it opens up cartridge options.
Mine is playing right now, have a vintage Glanz mfg610 mi Cart on it ATM.
Responds really well to better carts, that 7045 tonearms is a mighty fine factory effort.
A little droop at the counterweight stub is very common, mine has a tiny angle to it.
I would not worry overmuch if it is slight.
Best to just enjoy the music!
Halcro
10-01-2019
6:45am

You're right Lewm in your recollection of JP Jones' skepticism about Victor's Patented Bi-Directional Servo......
And then Hiho (I think) produced all the World Patent Documents for it which floored JP who said he needed to read all the documents to try and understand the principles.
He never reported back...🤔
I don't think enough documentation exists for the significance of Victor's Bi-Directional Servo Control to be appreciated.
It is the exact opposite of Technic's design which utilises a powerful motor with huge torque to control a massive platter.
With the Victors......a lightweight aluminium platter is controlled by a medium-powered motor (sometimes coreless) combined with their various servo-controllers....with the Bi-Directional Controller utilised in their higher models.

I wasn't really floored insomuch as I'd forgotten all about it.  The patent primarily claims a PLL implementation with less jitter.  Maybe the TT-101 uses this implementation, maybe it doesn't. Regardless it has nothing to do with their bi-directional marketing copy.  PLL servos are bi-directional.