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.
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@noromance @jperry @mdalton @fsonicsmith Garrard 301 plinth arrived today. The plinth turned to be a work of art…absolutely stunning. The Hawaiian Koa grain looks alive, glowing with depth and warmth. It’s one of those woods that seems to shimmer differently with every angle of light. The plinth craftsmanship and finish should handsomely complement my Garrard 301’s classic presence. I’m super excited to put everything together…stay tuned! |
The plinth is beautiful. Congrats. I did not see your post as to idler wheels until now. It has been so long since Greg Metz rebuilt my TD 124 and Garrard 301 that I can not remember which brand of idler wheel he installed-they were after-market though. My opinion is that the idler wheel only needs to be round and sound-"sound" as in quiet and vibration-free. I fail to see how the idler wheel can have a significant effect on ultimate sound if it is "round and sound". I think having an external power supply to smooth out the voltage going to the motor is more beneficial. A stout low friction main bearing is also far more important, again just in my humble op. And yet another critical consideration is isolation vis a vis the equipment rack-I am happy beyond words with my Symposium Osiris racks. I detect no feedback loops from the nearby loudspeakers. |
Appreciate your feedback. The idler wheel “upgrade” is on hold until I can get one from Artisan Fidelity. For now, I’m quite happy with the stock idler wheel — it still has plenty of life left. The Artisan Fidelity bearing and hybrid platter were a major step in the right direction. I hear you on isolation and the external power supply. Among the options, I’m considering the LDA Quartz power supply from the UK. As for isolation, the Woodsong plinth weighs over 85 lbs and supplied with IsoAcoustics feet. I’ll need to hear how this combination performs before exploring solutions from SRA or something similar. Almost to the finish line before I sit back and enjoy my 301. |
@lalitk Looks great. Congrats. Will it accommodate 12" arms? Have a good listen to a reference record before you change to the new plinth. Then play it again. Getting the plinth wrong will affect the SQ forever and you want to be certain it's an improvement. (I've no doubt but it's nice to be sure. I record before and afters for reference) |
