Vintage Equipment

[Slimwhit33]

Are you really prepared to look that sexy Class A Luxman right in it's VU meters and say it's over??? What do you need more power for? Your running Fortes in a small room! With two powered subs no less! You'll need to go get your Insight (20/20?) back, too as I can't imagine the Pioneer has the Luxman's level of phonostage on board. This seems like a regret waiting to happen IMO.

I agree.. made the decision today to hold onto what I have. I love the Luxman, love the Klipsch.. my issue? I like shopping for new (to me) equipment.

So may try to go a cheaper vintage route for a second setup to satisfy my vintage vibe.

I appreciate your input.

 

[JohnnyCashFan]

@Slimwhit33 Once you find the "right" gear you stop having the urges to upgrade and try other things and just listen to music. Is your Luxman tube btw ? I know the Heritage series really responds to tubes.

As for the Thorens issue, It's been a bad year for static, perhaps this table is more susceptible to it ? But probbaly not bad idea to update the wires as well.

 

[Slimwhit33]

@Slimwhit33 Once you find the "right" gear you stop having the urges to upgrade and try other things and just listen to music. Is your Luxman tube btw ? I know the Heritage series really responds to tubes.

As for the Thorens issue, It's been a bad year for static, perhaps this table is more susceptible to it ? But probbaly not bad idea to update the wires as well.

The desire to make a change is really as simple as the fact that I like new stuff.. who doesn't I guess.. I had tubes and switched to the Class A Luxman which does all the tubey stuff better than tubes in my opinion. I love the sound I get now, it's really not about that.

As for the Thorens, I think it was static related, hasn't done it in quite a while. But ya, i think new wires are on the horizon..

 

[HiFi Guy]

Gotta say, the adjustability on the TP-16 tonearm is nice. Super easy to set up and pretty self explanatory.

Am getting the occasional loud "pop".. can't recreate it, doesn't happen at the same spot on albums.. not thrilled with this little development, but was planning on replacing the cart and tonearm wires anyway, so I guess that's where we're headed. Let's see if that fixes the issue. No ground wire on this table, TD-160 uses the right RCA evidently.

If you are getting the arm rewired, you could have the tech wire the arm normally and add a ground wire. I doubt that will fix the problem: pops aren’t hum. I’m wondering if a capacitor in the power supply is going. It wouldn’t surprise me at all. I’d plan on getting the power supply refreshed as well.

Issues like this go hand in hand with the “joy” of vintage. If that were mine, I’d contact Dave at Vinyl Nirvana in NH. He’s probably the most knowledgeable Thorens guy in the US.

 

[Slimwhit33]

3 hours in this morning and no pops. I’ll keep an ear out, but for now just enjoying it. Fun little table. The MP110 is ok too, but will likely replace since Im not clear on its age.

 

[Splunders]

I agree.. made the decision today to hold onto what I have. I love the Luxman, love the Klipsch.. my issue? I like shopping for new (to me) equipment.

So may try to go a cheaper vintage route for a second setup to satisfy my vintage vibe.

I appreciate your input.

Glad you're holding on to it, and I really hope you can get your hands on your dream vintage set up TOO.

As much as I love my system, I'm constantly looking at what I might want to change also, but there's a couple items I've decided I'll never sell (LTA MicroZOTL Preamp & the Chinook).

Obviously from my response, I think your Luxman qualifies as unsellable, and of course this is not always an option for everyone. Is there any way you can trade for a brief period of time, or are they total strangers and not necessarily trustworthy? I'd be worried you didn't like how either set of speakers you had sounded with the amp, especially the Fortes, and your stuck longing for what you just had.

 

[JohnnyCashFan]

View attachment 911543 hours in this morning and no pops. I’ll keep an ear out, but for now just enjoying it. Fun little table. The MP110 is ok too, but will likely replace since Im not clear on its age.

Does the Thorens have a rubber mat ? I think rubber can attract static more so. Just something to keep in mind. As HFG says check in with Dave I bet he knows or has a theory where that was coming from.

 

[ByersVinyl]

Thx. Yes. Carpet was here when I moved in. Will be asking for volunteers to move everything to put in new flooring. May have to do it in sections.

oh i don’t want you to change it - That carpets properly bedded in now- Speakers are comfy !

 

[POGunter]

oh i don’t want you to change it - That carpets properly bedded in now- Speakers are comfy !

Dealer brought the speakers to my house to set them up. For about the 1st yr I made minor adjustments till I felt I had everything dialed in. They literally have not moved since then. Same for the AR preamp.

 

[Slimwhit33]

Does the Thorens have a rubber mat ? I think rubber can attract static more so. Just something to keep in mind. As HFG says check in with Dave I bet he knows or has a theory where that was coming from.

It does. Switched it for an Achromat and then went back to the rubber this morning. No issues since the initial start up yesterday, so no idea what to make of that.

Gotta say though, this is a really nice sounding table. Sound is authoritative. Nice bass. Midrange with the MP110 is a bit recessed compared to the UltraDeck/Ultratracker combo. And I hear more surface noise. But I hear none on the UD so a little bit is more.

Happy customer so far.

 

[I’m Just Ken]

This was an interesting video. I wonder how much his restoration cost.

 

[JohnnyCashFan]

This was an interesting video. I wonder how much his restoration cost.

If it helps my vintage Mc resotration was $375 +return shipping with 1yr warranty

 

[I’m Just Ken]

If it helps my vintage Mc resotration was $375 +return shipping with 1yr warranty

Did you add modern options like he did?
I know once my local repair shop opens back up, I’m going to take my Pioneer table in and have them either replace the cables or have them make to where I can have the ability to add my own power supply/cables.

 

[JohnnyCashFan]

Did you add modern options like he did?
I know once my local repair shop opens back up, I’m going to take my Pioneer table in and have them either replace the cables or have them make to where I can have the ability to add my own power supply/cables.

Mine is up to factory spec putting out 62 wpc. Some circuit parts (ie caps, resistors, etc) were updated and the tuner aligned. My experience with Mc is it designed to use with origional captive power cord unless defective.

 

[I’m Just Ken]

Mine is up to factory spec putting out 62 wpc. Some circuit parts (ie caps, resistors, etc) were updated and the tuner aligned. My experience with Mc is it designed to use with origional captive power cord unless defective.

I’m positive that my Marantz would need that kind of service. The shop that could do this has been closed due to the pandemic and their recording says that they’ll open once their staff has been vaccinated, so I have to wait. I’d be a nervous wreck shipping anything cross country.

 

[HiFi Guy]

I’m positive that my Marantz would need that kind of service. The shop that could do this has been closed due to the pandemic and their recording says that they’ll open once their staff has been vaccinated, so I have to wait. I’d be a nervous wreck shipping anything cross country.

I’ve never had an issue with the UPS store. I’d either contact Music Technology in VA or I Restore Marantz.

 

[JohnnyCashFan]

I’ve never had an issue with the UPS store. I’d either contact Music Technology in VA or I Restore Marantz.

My shop recommends taking all knobs and wood cover off and wrapping in a piano style or heavy blanket. Do not use packing peanuts or styrofoam unless you want to replace your front panel glass. Most shops are working now from what I have seen. I would really hate to see a shops backlog/wait list after they have been closed for a year.

 

[HiFi Guy]

My shop recommends taking all knobs and wood cover off and wrapping in a piano style or heavy blanket. Do not use packing peanutes or styofoam unless you want to replace your glass. Most shops are working now from what I have seen. I would really hate you see a shops backlog/wait list after they have been closed for a year.

I’d totally agree with your shop’s directions. I’d wrap the blanket in bubble wrap and double box too.

 

[I’m Just Ken]

I’ve never had an issue with the UPS store. I’d either contact Music Technology in VA or I Restore Marantz.

At least Marantz is in California.

 

[Slimwhit33]

Picked up a new Denon DL-103 cart for the Thorens since I'm not sure how old the current Nagaoka M110 is. It sounds great to me, but just figured I'd cover my bases.

I previously had a DL-103 a few years ago (@HiFi Guy recommended it to me) on a Pioneer PLX-1000 table and loved it with the music I listen to. It’s a popular choice for the TD-160 with the TP-16 tonearm so I'm looking forward to running it through its paces.

I understand that these aren’t the easiest headshells to work with but I had time today.


When removing the old cartridge I noticed that the connections were more loose than I would like. Used my teenie needle nose and gave slightest squeeze. Did the trick. All 4 now securely attach to the new cart.

Rest of the setup was much easier than I thought it would be. Set the tracking to 2.3, switched the Luxman to MC for the first time and away we go.

Off the bat, it’s an improvement, and a nice one. More to come...