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AR Turntable

107.141.181.199
Posted on January 6, 2017 at 03:44:10
BillH
Audiophile

Posts: 3913
Location: Baton Rouge
Joined: December 23, 1999
 Has anyone noticed the prices being asked for AR turntables these days?
Four, five, even six hundred dollars for a TT that cost less than a hundred back in the day. It's better than gold.

 

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RE: AR Turntable, posted on January 6, 2017 at 07:16:43
sony6060
Audiophile

Posts: 1465
Location: USA
Joined: August 8, 2014
 Besides a vintage Garrard 301 or 401 what's left?

 

What's left?, posted on January 6, 2017 at 09:32:46
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 Thorens, Empire, Linn, Ariston, Mitchell among others.

 

RE: What's left?, posted on January 6, 2017 at 09:52:12
dee eye why
Audiophile

Posts: 1148
Location: so. ohio
Joined: March 20, 2003
 Add Lenco to that list.
Comparing any of these tables to an AR is a joke. An AR is pretty much worth it's original price. You can't polish a turd.


.
Freak out...Far out...In out....

 

RE: What's left?, posted on January 6, 2017 at 10:55:01
BillH
Audiophile

Posts: 3913
Location: Baton Rouge
Joined: December 23, 1999
 Original price was $78. It's hard to find a working one for around a hundred, and people have done plenty of polishing--new bases, Magnepan Unitrac and Linn Basik arms, and the like.
But it's still a belt-drive turntable with an electric clock motor.

 

RE: What's left?, posted on January 6, 2017 at 11:24:45
M3 lover
Audiophile

Posts: 6604
Location: SW Mich
Joined: May 29, 2005
Contributor
  Since: July 4, 2007
 DYI, that can be a pretty musically satisfying turd. ;^)

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made." Groucho

 

RE: E-Stat, posted on January 6, 2017 at 12:29:25
sony6060
Audiophile

Posts: 1465
Location: USA
Joined: August 8, 2014
 What vintage TT would you recommend for $500-$800? My kid needs a starter TT.

 

The challenge is largely availability, posted on January 6, 2017 at 13:10:00
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 Any of the brands mentioned would fit your criteria. Along with some nice DD tables from Technics, Sony, Denon, etc. For that budget, you should be able to get a good arm as well.

Now that you mention it, send me a PM.

 

Polishing Turds, posted on January 6, 2017 at 13:11:41
briggs
Audiophile

Posts: 1674
Location: Connecticut
Joined: April 16, 2002
 It is worth noting that the AR-XA's price of %78 in the early 1960s works out to about $630 today.

They polished that "turd" in the places that matter. The machining in places critical to performance was to very close tolerances. Its performance met or beat NAB standards of the time.

I still have one in daily use and the music sounds fine.

 

RE: E-Stat, posted on January 6, 2017 at 13:18:49
sony6060
Audiophile

Posts: 1465
Location: USA
Joined: August 8, 2014
 You do not accept emails.

 

RE: E-Stat, posted on January 6, 2017 at 13:30:23
BillH
Audiophile

Posts: 3913
Location: Baton Rouge
Joined: December 23, 1999
 Starter? I'd go to someplace like Crutchfield and get one of the many Music Hall TTs available with mounted cartridge and ready to go. The sprung turntables like Thorens or Linn are likely to be too finicky.

 

RE: AR Turntable, posted on January 6, 2017 at 13:33:24
krankkall
Audiophile

Posts: 296
Location: New Mexico
Joined: April 5, 2014
 My college roommate had an AR TT back in the early 70's.
It spun a lot of tunes back then, when we should have been in the library pretending to study?

Steve

 

Sorry, posted on January 6, 2017 at 14:05:08
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 thought I had fixed that!

Try again.

 

RE: What's left?, posted on January 6, 2017 at 14:29:19
dee eye why
Audiophile

Posts: 1148
Location: so. ohio
Joined: March 20, 2003
 I agree totally, but if I were going to go down the suspended belt drive road I would start with with a Thorens TD-150 which I feel is a better table,(and value) and much easier to adapt a better arm to. I actually have two TD-150s and love them. I had an AR-XA for a while and was mostly unimpressed in comparison to the Thorens.
To each his own....


.

Freak out...Far out...In out....

 

Get him a ...., posted on January 6, 2017 at 16:59:13
reelsmith.
Audiophile

Posts: 13134
Location: CT
Joined: June 7, 2005
Contributor
  Since: January 19, 2010
 ...Pioneer PL-12D.

An overpriced, overhauled, gorgeous one might set you back as much as $200.

See link.

They are reliable, sound very good, are plentiful and a perfect starter table. Its the one that got me started, in '76.

Dean.








reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.


 

If you are patient, you can find one for free like I did (pic) . . . nt, posted on January 7, 2017 at 10:51:41
alaskahiatt
Audiophile

Posts: 7508
Joined: December 9, 2000
Contributor
  Since: November 1, 2005



nt

 

RE: If you are patient, you can find one for free like I did (pic) . . . nt, posted on January 7, 2017 at 11:04:18
BillH
Audiophile

Posts: 3913
Location: Baton Rouge
Joined: December 23, 1999
 Oh, free is good! And the cartridge seems to be intact. Landfill? Town dump?

 

LOL! (nt), posted on January 7, 2017 at 14:20:21
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001

 

I was walking past a car at the local recycling facility, and I noticed, posted on January 7, 2017 at 15:24:23
alaskahiatt
Audiophile

Posts: 7508
Joined: December 9, 2000
Contributor
  Since: November 1, 2005
 a Dual turntable box in the back of a guy's Subaru. I asked him if he was going to recycle it, and he stated he was going to the dump with it. I asked if I could have it, and he opened the box to show me the contents. Boy, was I surprised but also knew a huge project lay ahead. I gladly accepted the AR dual motor table, and I have gotten as far as cleaning off the platter. The platter is heavily pitted from all the years of being covered by that evil black blob.

I currently use an AR-XA single motor table, so it might be sometime before I continue working on the dual motor disaster. I will certainly keep it for spare parts if nothing else.


 

RE: I was walking past a car at the local recycling facility, and I noticed, posted on January 8, 2017 at 06:17:55
mark.korda@myfairpoint.net
Audiophile

Posts: 1253
Location: Maine
Joined: August 16, 2011
 Dee Eye,
In 1983 Frank Van AlStine printed in his monthly letter a way to modify an ARXA. It's still on his web site. Not only cleaning and re-lubing but he had you remove certain parts of the tone arm that improve it's performance. I did mine and a friends and it was quite easy. At the time he compared it's performance with the best of the day. I tend to listen to a guy who has won Absolutes Sound product of the year a couple times with other projects at prices way below what Absolute Sound is used to.
On Google under ARXA turntables is a re-build with a zillion helpful pictures by a guy named Weathers if that helps in a search. His end ARXA's look beautiful!. It might change your mind about the table.
I'm slowly rebuilding mine again.
In a military way of comparison its like the Jeep vs. the Hummer. The ARXA being the Jeep and say a VPI top of the line the Hummer. The Hummer might out perform the Jeep, but the Jeep was solid, well built, cheap, and worked well with providing ease of repair and reliability.
My table of choice is the Technics SL-20. A simple belt drive unit in 1975 that cost 99 bucks. I have kept it mint and wonder how much it would cost today. I like the Pioneer-12 belt drive too!
Dee Eye I have to go to work now but when I return I will try to get those sites I mentioned on the forum here. Have a good one....Mark Korda

 

AR-XA restoration, posted on January 8, 2017 at 10:32:15
M3 lover
Audiophile

Posts: 6604
Location: SW Mich
Joined: May 29, 2005
Contributor
  Since: July 4, 2007
 A few years ago I restored a two-motor version (first generation) table and arm to sell for elderly friends who no longer used it. I'm sure they were the original owners!

I knew they existed but had never seen a two-motor unit previously, the three I owned over the years were all single motor. As you may know, the prime motor had very little torque so the second motor was to help start up. If I was restoring one for my own use I'd replace both those with a later, recommended motor with more oomph.

Among comments here is a reference to a mod for the arm. Do you know about removing the damping pin? AR in fact recommended that for best performance and offered simple instructions for its removal.

There may be several alternatives for inexpensive belt-drive tables but none look nicer for my taste.

Anyway, good luck with the clean up.

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made." Groucho

 

I am aware of the damping pin removal recommended in the AR manual,, posted on January 8, 2017 at 12:31:56
alaskahiatt
Audiophile

Posts: 7508
Joined: December 9, 2000
Contributor
  Since: November 1, 2005
 but I have not done that yet. I definitely should. I have only been lowering the tonearm below the level of the platter before placing the tonearm on the record(also recommended in the AR manual in order to deactivate the damping mechanism).

I also purchased, but not used, a platter bearing moly pad and some non hardening clay for the pulley. All cheap mods in addition to polishing the platter bearing. I procrastinate like crazy.

 

Hi Mark. You don't have to change my mind. The picture in my post, posted on January 8, 2017 at 12:57:51
alaskahiatt
Audiophile

Posts: 7508
Joined: December 9, 2000
Contributor
  Since: November 1, 2005
 above is my excellent, single motor, AR-XA that is currently in use.

I printed out that Van Alstine article many years ago as well as an excellent article in the LA Audio Society publication. In addition, I probably have an inch and a half high stack of printed material on the AR-XA from the internet. I love the table as well, and I like to keep vintage equipment alive. In retirement, I cannot afford new audiophile equipment anyway, so vintage is my only choice. Bill.

 

RE: AR Turntable, posted on January 8, 2017 at 13:21:56
digepix
 If you look around you can find some bargains. I bought my Sota Star Sapphire, Alphason Xenon tonearm, Tru-lift arm lift for $750 from someone getting out of records. It replaced a Thorens TD 147.

 

RE: AR Turntable, posted on January 9, 2017 at 06:48:51
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 That is a nice setup! Did it come with a cartridge? Of course the Thorens is no slouch!

Dave

 

RE: AR Turntable, posted on January 9, 2017 at 10:54:44
digepix
 It came with a Sumiko Talisman Virtuoso that was retipped by Soundsmith. I heard great things about the cartridge so I got a SUT and used it for awhile. These days I'm using a Grado Statement or Reference not sure that I got a deal on. The Talisman had a 0.3 mv output and the Grado is 0.5 mv. The Alphason is a one piece tonearm so I can't easily compare the two cartridges but they both have a nice warm midrange bloom and a wonderful treble From what I can tell. Yes, the Thorens was nice, it was a Jubilee. I sold that to pay for the Sota that I always wanted. In hindsight with the current market I should have found a way to hold on to it.

 

RE: AR Turntable, posted on January 10, 2017 at 12:35:00
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 I used a Talisman S for quite a while and still think very highly of it. It was neutral and a great tracker. I might send it to Soundsmith for a retip.

Dave

 

RE: AR-XA restoration, posted on January 12, 2017 at 05:52:31
elflow
Audiophile

Posts: 354
Location: Indiana
Joined: November 1, 2005
 I got my AR XA for Christmas 1965, it came from Allied Radio, it was the older two motor style. Within the two year warranty period one of the motors became noisy (bearing) and AR replaced the motors with the later single motor. So I would say the change was made in in 1966 give or take a year. My recollection is that the more powerful of the two motors had no starter winding and would not start by itself, if the belt connecting the two motors was removed the larger motor shaft would vibrate back and forth but not start on its own. Also if the small belt was removed and the motor shaft was given a nudge the motor would happily run in either direction.
Yes, I still have it.

 

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