[78-L] TURNING THE TABLES, (was New Cheap Turntable

[JD]

----- Original Message ----- > Date: Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:43:12 -0600
> From: "Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr." <citroenid19 at sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: Re: [78-L] TURNING THE TABLES,  (was  New Cheap Turntable
> To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
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> David Lennick wrote:
>> I wish you'd identify the turntable! No secret police on this list (he 
>> said,
>> looking over his shoulder and under the bed). Of course DJ turntables are 
>> meant
>> to play music where wow and flutter wouldn't make a bit of difference. 
>> You
>> could also play twelve-tone music, Weill's "Mahagonny" and everything 
>> recorded
>> by Joseph Szigeti after 1940 and never notice any problems....
>>
>
> I think I was told a while back the DJ turntables should not be
> construed as being high fidelity. They are designed to work in either
> direction for "scratching" and there is something in the geometry that
> makes them unsuitable  for our use. Plus, a true lab device could not
> hold up to the hard use in a DJ environment. I cannot recall if it is in
> the arm design or the cartridge or both.
>
> -- 
> Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr. #:?)
> Technology, thoughtfully, responsibly.
> Visit me at http://www.candokaraoke.com
>


The possibility of not meeting high fidelity standards is why I was 
initially hesitant about considering the turntable. But as it was an obvious 
clone of the Techics I figured it was worth a try if I could return it. I've 
had plenty of experience with many brands of turntables including the 
consumer line of Technics turntables, those with the standard   "S" shaped 
arms and those with the P-Mount arms (where the P-Mount (T4P) cartridge 
plugs into the arm (no headshell)  and they've all been excellent and 
performed perfectly. When they first appeared some people tried to knock the 
P-Mount concept but in my experience (and I can be quite critical) they did 
a fine job and were a boon to anyone leery of mounting a phono cartridge and 
going through the balancing-alignment routine.  Mounting or changing a 
P-Mount cartridge is as simple as it gets,   removing a small screw in the 
side of the arm head, plugging  the cartridge into the open end of the arm 
and replacing the screw which has a Phillips or cross-point head. That's it. 
All P-Mount cartridges are designed to the same specs so no adjustments of 
any kind are necessary although easy tracking force and anti-skating 
adjustments are provided if the user feels the need to tweak them. The 
cartridge mounting or change can be made even simpler (just loosening ans 
NOT removing the set screw)  if a tiny piece of plastic encircling where the 
set screw passes throuch the mounting area of the cartridge is cut away from 
the cartridge body with a razor or X-acto blade.   My SLQX 300 is a TP4 and 
I wouldn't part with it for anything. It's quiet, stable and has proven 
itself for several decades now. If it had 78 speed it would be damn near 
perfect.

The geometry you refer to as unsuitable most probably refers to the 
"straight line" arms that were later incorporated into the "DJ" turntables, 
some as a plug in extra and some as the integral arm. I've seen references 
claiming that these are not intended or suitable for hi-fi reproduction. 
Round & round we go......
JD