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Anyone here with Systemdeck IIX experience?
Hi everyone, I have been looking for an affordable turntable after many years away from audio. I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the Systemdeck IIX table? I think this table came with a Premiere tonearm, but I am not sure which model. I understand some of the Premiere arms are not very good, or at least as good as a Rega RB-250. Any feed back on the Systemdeck will be greatly appreciated. Norris Wilson
Re: Anyone here with Systemdeck IIX experience?
I have owned the IIX in the past. The arm seemed to be acceptable. It was the Premier and I used it with a Grado G-2. It tracked well and sounded pretty good. The glass platter kinda threw me off a little but I used a homemade acrylic mat and that worked well. I used the table for about three years until I purchased my Linn. At the time I also had a Thorens TD 160 Super with a MAS arm. The Thorens sounded a little fatter and more musical to my ears but there was a different arm and cart so take that with a grain of salt. As a second system or starter rig it would be nice but the parts a re hard to come by.
Yeah. I have one. I've owned it for about 15 odd years. It's been hot rodded a bit (mass & damping in the plinth). I think it's a great turntable (but then I would). With a decent arm & cartridge you would need to spend a lot of money to better it (the same goes for Thorens TT's, especially the TD 150).
Thanks Manualblock and Gideon Bible for your information. I am trying to put together a good turntable arm set up for around the $300 to $500 range. Both of you have mentioned experiences with Thorens tables. Could you please give me some recomendations for a good combination, table, arm and cartridge that plays music. I really am not into the hyper analytical sound character that can get fatigu'ing after a short time, I like vacuum tube based audio. I have a Curcio Daniel preamplifier that has its phono stage set to the higher gain setting, around 53 db gain total with the line gain. I do not think that this phono stage will like any cartridge that has more gain than 2.5 mV with out overloading it. My equipment stand is a very robust floor design, it is setting on my concrete slab, so foot falls are not an issue. The top section of my equipment stand has 2.25" of MDF and a .75" piece of marbel setting on top of that with a sheet of isodamp between the marbel and MDF. Most of my research in looking for a bang for the buck turntable tonearm has zeroed in, leaning toward the Thorens TD-150 with a Rega RB-250 arm rewired to include an upgraded counter weight and VTA adjuster. Also, to top of this set up would possibly be to use a Grado 1.5 mV Reference grade cartridge , what do you guys think? If you can think of something better, that is not more than $500, please let me know. I have seen comments by many who think that a well set up tricked out Linn LP-12 is the most musical turntable in the world, but that is way more than $500. Thanks Norris Wilson
Hi Norris; This is quite a thought provoking question. The pre-amp you have sets a high standard for a source component. The gain of 53db is pretty high and might just allow you to use a MC cartridge w/o a step-up. I would not worry about overloading the phono stage as you have plenty of headroom left. You don't say what the input impedance is so I will assume it is the usual 47k. What I would require from a used table is: Upgrade capability. Here the VPI is king. I have owned the Jr and type 3 and they have a nice articulate sound. They are easily upgraded and the prices for parts are very reasonable and there are lots of them around. They are the Chevrolet of tables, lots of parts available. The VPI Jr. should cost about 300 used in good shape w/o arm. With the standard PT 6 which is a good arm and will play expensive cartridges, I have seen them for 450$ used. About cartridges. Grado Green with the stylus glued to the body of the cart. 60$ There is 500$ give or take. That set-up will sound very smooth and musical while you save for a better cartridge. When you get ready you can move up to the type 4 bearing and platter/the Sama power supply/JM jr. Arm etc. The JMW arm is a world class arm so as an upgrade it cannot be beat. About the Thorens 150; the inner platter and bearing is expensive and if it has not been replaced it needs to be. The motor is old also and may need replacing soon unless it has been. Other than that it is a good table; however it requires lots of alterations to adapt different arms. If the bearing and inner platter are new then I would consider it depending on cost. Not a big fan of Regas except as a short term compromise. If there is a Rega 3 with the RB 300 for a good price maybe but they go pretty high. Here is the questions: How long will you keep it; is there a better Table in the future or not? If so then I have the oddball suggestion. Denon DP 60L. Yes I know it is a DD; but believe me it sounds sweet. And the whole table is designed to use the Denon DL 103r Cartridge; those two and you are set; about 300 for the table and 250 for the cart. The arm on there is good. That combo will do justice to your Pre-amp. That combo will hold it's value until you can afford the Linn or even better the Audio Note with the IQ cartridge.
I recommend you try the KAB SL1200 mod table and we can compare notes, Next weekend I'm trekking 300 miles to Harrisburg to pick up an Ariston with SME3009R arm. Can't wait to get it set-up with the Grado Black and finally be able to tweak all kinds of cart set-ups.If I hadn't found the Ariston I prolly would have gone for the "plug'n play" KAB. I've already sent $30 to England for new Linn "Black" springs and grommets and will more than likely have to give Atelier $130 for a new motor. We'll see. Then there's wanting to hear a higher compliance Shure M97XE, $60, and changing the Bugle to 60dB gain for the AT OC9, $200. KAB Tables
I've got an old Ariston transcription table sitting on the shelf due to lack of parts. Motors are easy; you can retrofit an AW Haydon, but try getting a new bearing. Or power supply. I would have suggested a new Technics SL 1200 similar to the KAB but he specifically asked for non-fatigueing; which I assumed meant suspended belt drive.
Hi everyone, I have owned mainly floating suspesion type turntables in the past, so a direct drive table would be fairly new to me. I did hear a couple inexpensive Kenwood and Denon direct drive tables many years ago, I don't recal the models, but I was not impressed with them. Obviously, this has no bearing on a good direct drive table, but I think I would prefer to stick with what I am familiar with. My last turntable was a VPI HW MKIII with an ET-2 air bearing tonearm. But I have been without a turntable close to seven years now, and that is to long. This has been long enough for my memory to dim some what, so I can use all the help I can get. I found a Linn LP-12 with Vahalla power supply and Ittok MkVII tone arm for a $500 asking price. But they state that the unit needs a fuse, that concerns me. I have done a little bit of research regarding possible causes that would blow out a fuse in the Vahalla. It looks as the overwelming concesus, is that the unit needs to be completely rebuit with a kit sold through Linn dealers. The supply does not just need a capacitor change, but I do not know what the kit contains. I would assume that the clocking chips have shorted out. Do any of you have any experience with problems associated with the Vahalla power supply, and could you guide with some advice? Also, do you think this reltively clean LP-12 is worth the asking price, especially if I would have to rebuild or replace the Vahalla supply? I have seen somwhere that someone has designed an Armageddon DIY type power supply that can be built for a few hundred dollars. Does anyone know where I could find this supply design information? Again, have any of you had any experience with it? And finally, to answer Maulablock's question about the Daniels input impedance, yes it does have a 47kHz impedance. Thanks everyone for your help and guidance. I hope you will be able to help me with these aditional questions? Norris Wilson
I haven't heard the Technics so am interested to know what you hear. If the Ariston doesn't work out I'll be looking for another deck to mount the SME arm on. BTW, if a Hayden motor works and it is similar to the AR, ARGuy on E-Bay sells a new motor and power supply for about $60. I did have a Kenwood KD-650 way back when which was direct drive and found it sounded "good" but the Kenwood arm had a poor bearing. My own TT oddysey ran from the usual college Lab 80 to the Kenwood to AR-XA to HW-19 III. That last was 15 years ago.
There was a failure of a couple storage caps on the Valhalla that was pretty common. Mine is a 1984 vintage and Linn dealer charged me 90$ to rebuild the valhalla. You could rebuild it yourself, the specs are floating around on the net. There is a very simple circuit; I think I have a copy if you are interested, that consists of an isolation trans,switch,couple resistors and a cap that some people claim sounds very good replacing the existing power supply. The basic power supply is cheap; I forget exactly the price but that is also an option. ExtremePhono has a thorough and complete site detailing everything to know about Linn LP 12's. As for advice I am biased towards the Linn; many think it is fat and bloated and it does run slow, but I like it's musicality and haven't heard anything within reason that sounds better. The asking price of 500$ seems more than fair even if you drop 100$ on the PS. And the Denon cartidge works like a dream in the Ittok. I am now using a Empire Gold Low output MC and that tracks nicely also. But I would avoid Grado's; in my humble experience they don't agree with each other. The arm seems to favor lower compliance carts.
I like the Technics and usually recommend it to people who are looking to get by on the cheap but want good sound. I use an SL 3300 every day in my workshop so the truth is I listen to the Technics more than the Linn.
Moving and it is time I sell my Denon DP-60L...excellent condition..any idea what it is worth? Please email me...thanks denlev@optonline.net