Hi Mervyn - despite having owned a PL71 some time ago I couldn't find any info anywhere regarding this matter. I have heard from somewhere though that the bearing on the 71 is 'sealed' or is such a design that doesn't require lubrication? Sounds most odd if it is though.
Still, I've got another PL71 arriving tomorrow (hurrah!) so will also be on the look out for any info regarding doing the bearing. Got a phial of Johnnie's finest for it too - did my TD150 shortly after I got it and was most pleasantly surprised at the sonic improvement it wrought.
Hi Richard - yes it could well be sealed. I had a nosey underneath but could not find any obvious lub holes etc.
I have not touched mine since I got it - they just boogie so well bog standard but the tweakitis has set in again. I am not a great DIYer but will probably change the switch caps and replace the power cable with something half decent ( Missing Link at £12/metre is pretty good ). Not sure if it is worth replacing the internal wiring to the phono plugs or having tonearm rewired totally by Origami. There appears to be a school of thought that says leave it as it is.
If/when you change the caps on yours Mervyn, please let me know how it goes - I'm next to useless with a soldering iron (more likely to break things than fix them!) and would love some advice on how to do it.
The 71 I'm buying apparently has a short mains lead so I'll be after changing that as a matter of course I think.
I've never seen under the platter of a '71 but a common way to oil any bearing is to simply dribble it around the spindle. It will find its way down the gap between spindle and bearing - there has to be a gap or it wouldn't spin
Think you may be right Ben - the closet engineer in me would be very interested to know what it actually is. I've got the service manual on my Mac upstairs so will have a dig around myself.
Pioneer PL-71 Operating Instructions Page 10 "PRECAUTIONS... ...NO LUBRICATION There is no use [sic] to lubricate this model because of the use of oilless bearings in the rotating parts."
I think I have e-copies of the Operating Instructions and the Service Manual somewhere. If anyone wants copies, PM your email and I'll attach copies back to you,
I may get over to Scalford. I enjoyed it last year. What kit will you be showing along with the PL-71? I've lost track of whether you still have the Exposure/Royd setup.
And I'd just started typing out the list d'oh aswell!!
Hoping that if the PL71's not in any need of fettling it'll be sporting a nice cartridge; hopefully either an SPU or a Decca Gold. Failing that I'll throw a 103 of some sort in it. A proper old-school cartridge at any rate.
And I'd just started typing out the list d'oh aswell!!
Hoping that if the PL71's not in any need of fettling it'll be sporting a nice cartridge; hopefully either an SPU or a Decca Gold. Failing that I'll throw a 103 of some sort in it. A proper old-school cartridge at any rate.
I reckon the bearing may contain some kind of graphite bushing? There are oil-less bearings out there which contain these which are impregnated with oil and never need re-lubricating.
My PL71's arrived.
The bloke who sent it didn't pack the platter separately, just left it banging around on top of the plinth. Fortunately (and by the grace of God) it's survived intact. Still, it's up and running now - speed it spot-on (think the pots may neen some Deoxit though) and it's steady as a rock and oooh...it sounds bloody marvellous. It'll sound even better when I've got rid of this head cold.
Hi Jim - just got a Denon DL110 in it at the moment. Damn fine cartridge I always reckon and a steal at the price (especially what I paid!). Clear, quick and with a very spacious presentation, and thanks to DD I can now listen to piano music without it doing my head in.
Umming and ahhing over the SPU at the moment - not 100% committed to it yet as I'm not sure the Claymore's phonostage is up to it. The SPU is very low output (0.18mv) and only has something like 4 ohms internal impedence which puts some rather special demands on its phonostage.
I did indeed have a Super Gold in my last 71 - and fabulous it was too, although at times it would 'howl' on some records, as though it was mis-tracking a little. I see the prices of new ones have gone up too - the Gold is now the same price as I paid for my SG which would mean me sticking with that.
Failing the SPU or Decca, I may well go for a 103R as I'm still a huge fan of the 'old nail' and it works beautifully in the PL71 arm.
Jim - AFAIK the R version has 6N copper-wired coils and a lower internal impedance (14 vs 40 ohms) than the cooking 103. In my rig, when I was using a Stepnote transformer into a Puresound P10, the R was brighter with a little more bite to its sound. Clearly system-dependant I would imagine. Possibly even down to sample variation, although unlikely with a company like Denon as their QC should be pretty sh*t-hot I would've thought?
I did like the R though - my Spacearm needed a cartridge with a little more top end as it was quite laid back.
I'm a big fan of the ol' nail too. I have a 103R in my pioneer and it really has 'come home' in the 12" s-shape arm, the only other difference between the R and the vanilla beyond what Gromit has stated is a small damping pad on the inside front of the shell. I've used an ESCO re-tipped (cooking) 103 and found marginal gains over the 103R, predominantly a welcome lack of end of side distortion, but that was with a Jelco 10" arm, I dont notice any distortion with the R in the 12" arm. Top vinyl grinder; the 103R !
Comments
Still, I've got another PL71 arriving tomorrow (hurrah!) so will also be on the look out for any info regarding doing the bearing. Got a phial of Johnnie's finest for it too - did my TD150 shortly after I got it and was most pleasantly surprised at the sonic improvement it wrought.
Hi Richard - yes it could well be sealed. I had a nosey underneath but could not find any obvious lub holes etc.
I have not touched mine since I got it - they just boogie so well bog standard but the tweakitis has set in again. I am not a great DIYer but will probably change the switch caps and replace the power cable with something half decent ( Missing Link at £12/metre is pretty good ). Not sure if it is worth replacing the internal wiring to the phono plugs or having tonearm rewired totally by Origami. There appears to be a school of thought that says leave it as it is.
The 71 I'm buying apparently has a short mains lead so I'll be after changing that as a matter of course I think.
I'll check when I get home.
Ben
Maybe it's a type of sealed grease bearing?
Yep , Jims method will work fine , just do it little , but often .
Page 10
"PRECAUTIONS...
...NO LUBRICATION
There is no use [sic] to lubricate this model because of the use of oilless bearings in the rotating parts."
I think I have e-copies of the Operating Instructions and the Service Manual somewhere. If anyone wants copies, PM your email and I'll attach copies back to you,
Ben
Fingers crossed, my PL71 should be here tomorrow, and will hopefully be in a well enough state to be present at Scalford.
I may get over to Scalford. I enjoyed it last year. What kit will you be showing along with the PL-71? I've lost track of whether you still have the Exposure/Royd setup.
Ben
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Would be good to see you at the Show if you can make it.
Hoping that if the PL71's not in any need of fettling it'll be sporting a nice cartridge; hopefully either an SPU or a Decca Gold. Failing that I'll throw a 103 of some sort in it. A proper old-school cartridge at any rate.
=D>
What the 71 is also environmentally friendly !!
My PL71's arrived.
The bloke who sent it didn't pack the platter separately, just left it banging around on top of the plinth. Fortunately (and by the grace of God) it's survived intact. Still, it's up and running now - speed it spot-on (think the pots may neen some Deoxit though) and it's steady as a rock and oooh...it sounds bloody marvellous. It'll sound even better when I've got rid of this head cold.
Umming and ahhing over the SPU at the moment - not 100% committed to it yet as I'm not sure the Claymore's phonostage is up to it. The SPU is very low output (0.18mv) and only has something like 4 ohms internal impedence which puts some rather special demands on its phonostage.
I did indeed have a Super Gold in my last 71 - and fabulous it was too, although at times it would 'howl' on some records, as though it was mis-tracking a little. I see the prices of new ones have gone up too - the Gold is now the same price as I paid for my SG which would mean me sticking with that.
Failing the SPU or Decca, I may well go for a 103R as I'm still a huge fan of the 'old nail' and it works beautifully in the PL71 arm.
I heard a dem of both in the same arm and TT at a mate's about a year ago and I thought there was bugger all in it TBH.
Prices have gone up a shade, the ref is £2300 - ouch!
I did like the R though - my Spacearm needed a cartridge with a little more top end as it was quite laid back.