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Garrard 301 - Project

I have been contemplating for a while which turntable to pursue given so many choices. Every time I look around, I just can’t help drooling over a fully restored Garrard 301 or 401. Aside from being an idler-drive, I keep reading and hearing about their unique ability to reproduce music with its sense of drive and impact thus making them very desirable to own. And with available meticulous restoration services and gorgeous plinth options, what’s not to like, right!

Would you please share your experience, good and pitfalls (if any) with a restored Garrard 301 to avoid before I go down this path.

And what about the IEC inlet and power cord, would they be of any significance. My two choices would be Furutech FI-09 NCF or FI-06 (G) inlets.

I have already purchased a Reed 3P Cocobolo 10.5” with Finewire C37+Cryo tonearm/interconnect phono cable with KLEI RCA plugs option.

Still exploring Cart Options, so please feel free to share your choice of cart with Garrard 301 or 401.

And lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to @fsonicsmith, @noromance ​​​​@mdalton for the inspiration.

lalitk
lalitk's avatar
lalitk OP
6,178 posts
 

Moving on, I would like to hear from some of the Garrard 301/401 owners on record weight / clamp they found to be complementary. Since I am going with Artisan Fidelity’s hybrid platter + Saphire bearing, their very own Aluminum Record Clamp will be part of my listening test. The other one I’m considering is Combak TU‑812MX. Ideally, the clamp or record weight must be less than 16oz or 450 grams. 

I would like to have all the recommended clamps on hand once the upgraded platter and sapphire bearing are installed, so I can properly assess which one has the best synergy with the system. I plan to keep the one that suits my listening preferences most consistently.

pindac's avatar
pindac
3,891 posts
 

A very recent Post from a Gon Member is attached,

FYI - I use a Weight that is self made as a Composite material, that has a weight exceeding 1Kg. 

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Here is some new information for all of us to chew on.  I recently acquired Analog Magic software which is used for turntable set up.  I am just learning how to use it and am probably dangerous.  Just for the heck of it I wanted to see if adding weight affected distortion.  I added weight at the center and at the perimeter on my VPI and the short answer is yes adding weight increases distortion (a wee bit).  On my Technics I compared adding weight to using a KAB clamp and the answer is yes adding weight adds distortion, but the clamp did not.  So there you go.  If your record is warped, add the weight as the lesser of evils, but otherwise you are better off with naked records.  Remember you heard it here first and you only get this sort of useless trivia here on the Audiogon Forum.

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noromance's avatar
noromance
10,474 posts
 

@lalitk Best of success on your upward journey. While I've not tried either of the clamps you mention, I do have an inexpensive device. I've never been a fan of damping the record, and I find the clamp removes some of the life from the music. 

jperry
2,538 posts
 

I use the Acoustical Systems Helox clamp. It improves the sound seeming to reduce distortion.

 

https://www.acoustical-systems.de/as-accessoires/helox-reflex-clamp-system/

lewm
14,669 posts
 

How does Analog Magik measure “distortion”? And what kind of distortion does it measure? Thx.

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