Today is a good day.
Thanks to the eagle eyes of a fellow member of another forum, I've just bagged myself a Pioneer PL71. Really thought I'd never have another one, or even see one again - think the auction had been running less than an hour. 
I think it may be time to start cartridge shopping soon.
I think it may be time to start cartridge shopping soon.
Comments
and it's got the original mat which is a good thing. Small plastic badge
missing off the front and the 45rpm centre hole adaptor's missing but
if it runs steady, at the right speed, then it'll be fine.
Will probably get someone who's better with a soldering iron than me
to re-cap the psu/reg board which RD did with mine and made a
worthwhile difference.
Can't wait!! :-)
got rid of mine...like the plonker I am. Another great cartridge was the
Ortofon SPU but that's a wee bit fussy about MC input on the amp as
it's such a low output and also needs very low input impedence.
The best my vinyl rig sounded was with the Decca SG in the PL71,
Puresound P10 phonostage, Music First Audio Silver TVC pre-amp and a WAD
KaT34 valve power amp. Sadly, the MFA and P10 were borrowed whilst my
old Exposure IX psu was being repaired.
I've always felt as though I stood on the shoulders of giants re. my current vinyl front end - PL-71 with Decca SG. I never did my fair share of auditioning or fiddling. I just copied what some respected ears (you guys amongst them) had discovered through hard graft.
Thanks fellas!
Would like to though - once I've got another TT the 3009 will be off to Johnnie for a service; it needs a new c/w stub rubber, the cueing damper needs re-filling and I'll get the internal wiring replaced. Thing is, the Thorens sounds really good at the moment - that pre-Imp 3009 has more control at the bottom than I've been led to believe and because it's a lot more massy than the Improved (12.5g vs 6g) it'll handle more beefy cartridges.
I'd considered getting Russ Collinson to do me a nice maple plinth and a new armboard, get a Hercules psu etc but as the TD150's in such lovely original nick, it seems a shame to start hacking it around...
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e320/Gromit011/CRW_4651.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e320/Gromit011/CRW_4654.jpg
You're right though - the R'mat's a cracking bit of kit. Doesn't look much, but it does work.
Well done - happy days indeed.
Are you going for another Super Gold ?
I wasn't expecting much of anything too happen but it does sound better lightly fixed down.
Weird eh?
Very good - that was going to be a given. The thing is, and I'm almost can't believe I'm saying this, I'm not 100% convinced it's a keeper. Adding the 103 gave it a big kick in the sonic pants and has really fleshed the sound out vs the high output DL110, the only problem is I'm getting a bit more hum from it than I'd want.
Putting the 103 into the Thorens (well, the 3009) and it's a lot quieter so clearly the hum is being caused by something in the Pioneer. Theo very kindly let me borrow his NVA Phono1 today but that hums really badly, even with the DL110 so is pretty much unuseable which is a shame as sonically it's superb (on the loud stuff where the hum isn't obvious). Putting my hands either side of the Phono1 (not even holding it) and the hum lessens - it's almost like there's a strong hum field/interference affecting it, but I'm clueless as to what it may be. The amp is about 18" away from the P1 so it's not really near any sources of electrical noise.
The DL110 into the MM stage on the Claymore is virtually hum-free btw.
The bottom line is that yes, I'm on a bit of a downer with my rig at the moment - the digital side of it is sounding great, but my turntable journey's hitting some pretty darn big pot holes at the moment and it's on the verge of p*ssing me off now.
Richard I recall Ben having a similar problem with his 71 - something to do with the mains voltage settings 'ish ? Do you know if your's originated from the States ? I suspect after listening to Jim's superbly crafted 401 any turntable would disappoint !
Mervyn
RD had overhauled mine, including the introduction of a toroidal transformer, which he had glued under the arm side of the platter (the original one was disconnected, but still in situ).
When I reported the hum RD suggested switching back to the original. A friend of mine did the work - it was beyond me, and the hum decreased significantly.
There is still some hum present when the arm is at rest - possibly from the switch/speed controls, but this decreases as the arm moves the super gold across the lp, and in any case is never audible during normal listening.
Might it be worth taking a look inside to check if yours has been transformer modded...?
Also, have you had chance to fiddle with earthing arrangements to check effects there?
Ben
The NVA has an earth point but it doesn't go to earth as it uses a 2 core mains lead I think. This is fine from a safety POV as the case is plastic/polymer what-have-you but it does mean the arm/cartridge has no point back to earth. I heard an NVA Phono 2 in an all NVA system a few months back and there was a lot of hum.
You could try running the arm earth lead to a true earth, maybe on the Claymore amp?
My electronics knowledge is OK but not brilliant. If I'm wrong then I'm sure someone will correct me.
I'll try the Phono1 with the Thorens tomorrow as I'm thinking it could be an earthing issue with the PL71 as through the Claymore's MC input the 103 hums more than is healthy, yet is pretty quiet with the Thorens/SME.
What is the arm lead like from the '71 arm? Decently think?
The arm lead from the 71 is from a pair of RCA outs on the rear of the turntable so it's just a good i/c between them and phonostage. The sockets look a bit tired to be honest though. As to the arm's wring itself, it exits the arm base (wires are still in their 'thin state' at this point) and then goes to a 4-prong tag board a couple inches away. From here, a couple of very short wires (phono cable type) then go to the RCA outs on the back of the plinth. There's the usual blue/green/white/red cartridge wires plus the black arm earth wire exiting the arm's base to the tag board, with the black wire being siamesed (soldered) with the green wire on the board's tag...hope that makes sense!
Although it may well be worth replacing the wires from the arm base to the phono sockets (bypassing the tag strip) with a good screened cable. Not being suspended helps - you can't foul the movement of anything.
I'll get in touch with Johnnie7 and see if he has any solutions.
For what its worth I use an old aluminium/wooden Phono 1 with the PL71 and it does not hum. Metal over acrylic ?
Interested to know how you get on with Origami. I was thinking of having my arm rewired with longer wires which you can attach direct to the RCA's thereby cutting out those 'phono wires' between the tag board and sockets.
I'm going to look into the possibility of getting the PL71's arm re-wired, with some kind of made-up plug for the arm base so there are no un-shielded wires out in the open air. I'd then have properly shielded phono leads going from the arm's base rather than using the tag board and separate RCA outs.
Am also considering cannibalising the arm off the deck and fitting it to an armless SL1210. I know someone who's done this with great results - seems it's the arm which makes the PL71 really tick.
AH! Going back to your question re fitting a longer mains lead to the '71 you said it was only 2 wires, yes? In which case it may be worthwhile earthing out the metal parts of the deck itself. If you find a suitable point you could run the wire into the mains plug for the deck.
What you have at the moment is no earth at all for the TT/cartridge or phono stage. I suspect the Thorens is quieter because the motor/top plate is earthed at the mains plug - you're now going to tell me the Thorens has two-core mains cable as well
It's almost as bad a computer audio...
~X( :-"
I'm pleased my Whest phono stage is quieter than the NVA
A silly one, but it has worked for me in the past: a sheet of aluminium foil over the NVA. Might be worth a try...
He converted an R200 to a cardas plug & socket arrangement at the base of the arm so he's going to have a god at doing something similar with the PL71's (which is of very similar design).
After this, I'm on the look-out for a cheapish SL1210 where the Pioneer's arm will find a new home. For what I paid for the Pioneer, I'm not bothered if it gets cannibalised to be honest, and as I know the 71's arm is a superb sounding piece of kit (and a Decca works beautifully in it) I think it, in combination with the Tecchy motor unit, would be a bit of a killer turnable.
Steve does do interesting DIY. I went to his place last summer with a mate to hear the GRFs. Sounded good but Tannoys are not my thing really.
I saw his Terminator clone which I believe he's just sold on. I also heard the SP10/12" R200/SPU.
Sorry, meant to say the 71's fine into the Claymore using an MM or output MC cartridge, although there is a tiny bit of hum if the volume's cranked right up (further than would be listened to it at). The 103 though hums way more than is acceptable - and it's this which I'm really trying to alleviate, and from past experience the 103 it usually a very quiet cartridge, electrically.
The MC input on the Claymore's ok - its sound is superb - but it's still not ideal with the 103 as in quiet music the hum is too obvious to be acceptable. Putting the 103 into the 3009 on the TD150 and it's fine - hence the quest to 'quieten' the PL71 down. I'll be removing the arm from the '71 tonight so will be trying the 103 in the Thorens for a while - it'll also convince the missus that I really DO need to have 2 turntables in the house.
B-)
Is the SME OK with the the 103? I always thought the 103 was too heavy?