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Anyone running a Garrard 401? |
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Old skool
Senior Member Joined: 13 Jul 2018 Location: Kent Status: Offline Points: 279 |
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Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 9:23am |
hi all
Does anyone have any experience of idlers? Been offered a very collectible early 401. Full service by Loricraft. Will require a plinth & arm so most likely looking at 3k all together. I hear they need to be run for 30 mins to reach a stable speed though. Not sure I can be dealing with that. I rarely have time for extended listening sessions. Just the of side hear and there. Also, are they finicky? Will it drive me mad??
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Is the pursuit High Fidelity a sign of mental illness??
I think so.... |
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morris_minor
Moderator Group Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Location: Surrey Status: Offline Points: 6015 |
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I don't know why a fully serviced 401 would take half an hour to get a stable speed.
I've gone for idlers in a big way, starting with a PTP Lenco based Solid12 and going to a Garrard 301 in the shape of a CTC Classic 301. You can hear/see this here: (It repays listening through your hifi or with good headphones ) Once set up, it'd be good for years. You'd need a strobe or something else to set the speed adjustment correctly BTW. It works by moving a magnet over a disc attached to the motor spindle; the more of the magnet over the disc the greater the "braking" effect. With the magnet away from the disc the platter will spin slightly fast. You may want to look here for a plinth http://layers-of-beauty.co.uk/13-garrard I almost got one of these for my 301 but went for a granite one in the end. "Other plinth makers are available"
Edited by morris_minor - 04 Apr 2019 at 12:41pm |
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Bob
Majestic DAC/pre-amp Accession MC/Enigma, Accession MM, Reflex M, Elevator EXP, Era Gold V Solo ULDE, Novo, Lautus USB and digital, Libran balanced, CuSat50 2 x Proprius + Spatia/Spatia Links |
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Graham Slee
Admin Group Retired Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: South Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 16298 |
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Eh? 30 minutes? Motor bearings must be sha***d or dry.
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That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps
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BackinBlack
Senior Member Joined: 05 Feb 2012 Location: Hinton, N'hants Status: Offline Points: 2020 |
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Mine runs up to speed in not more than a few seconds. Usually turn on at the start of a session, remove record from sleeve, stop TT, place record, restart TT, clean record with brush, then play. Over a session, after a couple of hours or so check and adjust speed is sometimes necessary, in warm weather as the TT warms up there is a tendency to speed up very, very slightly, not noticeable unless you check the strobe.
They deserve a good solid plinth, not necessarily massive, certainly not lightweight as some belt drives use. Ran mine with the classic SME 3009 mkII in a 15Kg (too heavy) multilayer wooden plinth for about 20 years before changing to an Audiomods classic arm and reduced weight 5Kg plinth. I'm currently, very slowly, building a new lighter ~4Kg plinth and refurbishing the TT with new springs, dampers etc, clean and relubricate motor and main bearings. Looking forward to hearing it again.
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Just listen, if it sounds good to you, enjoy it.
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Old skool
Senior Member Joined: 13 Jul 2018 Location: Kent Status: Offline Points: 279 |
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New bearing apparently. Bit tight or so I’m told.
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Is the pursuit High Fidelity a sign of mental illness??
I think so.... |
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Old skool
Senior Member Joined: 13 Jul 2018 Location: Kent Status: Offline Points: 279 |
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Guess the real question is do I go for this collectible idler as an investment & hope it doesn’t drive me bonkers with its need for constant fettling or spend similar money on a solid, reliable (& arguably collectible) Technics 1200G?
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Is the pursuit High Fidelity a sign of mental illness??
I think so.... |
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BackinBlack
Senior Member Joined: 05 Feb 2012 Location: Hinton, N'hants Status: Offline Points: 2020 |
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Difficult choice. Both excellent turntables. I suppose it depends on how much you might want to expend on providing a decent plinth and an arm for the Garrard against the out of the box usability of the Technics. But then there's the possibility of further improving the Technics with a better arm and outboard power supply.
Ian
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Just listen, if it sounds good to you, enjoy it.
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