Plastic P-mount turntables cannot compete with direct-drive turntable with an aluminum S-shaped tonearm, but that doesn`t mean they are a trash. They were designed for different population with different amount of money. In terms of sound reproduction they will still overrun most of new turntables available today.

I have an early ,1970s Thorens TD 160 and a mid 1980s Thorens TD 318. Both belt drive. 160 is completely manual and 318 is auto lift. Both are high quality Swiss/ German made TTS. Highly recommended.

Thank you for speaking at a volume I can hear. So many people make videos and they don't test listen to them to see if their volume is too low to hear easily on playback. Great presentation - and I like how you explained things with out talking down to your audience.

I have an old sears rebranded audiotechnica, direct drive, linear tracking, auto stop. I think its from the 80s. I bought it used about 10 years ago. I'm actually very happy with the way it sounds and the cartridges are still affordable. At this point the table has sentimental value. I wonder if it damages my records though.

I never stopped playing vinyl since my childhood in the '60s, but always had crappy equipment. In college I finally got a turntable with magnetic cartridge, the Garrard 40B. In the mid-2000s people were dumping their turntables and you could find amazing vintage Japanese turntables for cheap. I could never have afforded equipment like this as a student. After trying out and reselling a bunch, I ended up with the Pioneer PL-570, PL630, and PL-600 which I felt had the best sound for direct drive quartz full automatics. These were manufactured between 1977 and 1980 I believe. But I will tell you that all the Japanese name brands of the time--and even CEC (not Micro-Seiki), which made the Realistic, were excellent. When you get to the mid-'80s when vinyl was on its way out, Japanese turntables became plastic junk as shown in the video. Also it may be difficult to discern between cartridges. Be aware that most companies, like Audio Technica and Shure made basically a dozen offerings at any one time which they rebadged over and over with different model numbers.

I’m the original owner of 1978 Sony direct drive. It’s solid like the Realistic that you display. I’ve always been very satisfied with it.

T4P P-mount turntables and cartridges are not necessarily "crappy"!

I have a dozen or so active turntables set up, and another dozen out of rotation. All are 1972-1982 or so. My favorites are the Sony turntables, like PS-X60, PS-X7, PS-X600 from the era when Sony made great products. I have several pmount 'crappy' linear tracking turntables that are actually awesome. They are less flexible, you really can't play heavy (180gram) records on them. The cartridge possibilities are limited. But I have excellent pmount cartridges with shibata or similar grade needles (linear tracking, linear contact, line contact, micro linear, hyperelliptical, Fine Line), they all track at 1.25grams, and they just sound great. I have a few modern turntables, and they are all just awful.

They are hard to find these days and are getting rarer and more expensive than you think.

Hi Rob, are you really shure that most of the japaneese turntables are OEM-made by Micro Seiki? I always thought that C.E.C. Chuo Denki was the biggest OEM manufacturer for other big brands like Kenwood, Marantz, Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Teac, Toshiba, Hitachi, Yamaha etc. And your Realistic looks very similar to Hitachi turntables that were made by C.E.C. Best regards from a guy who loves old heavy vintage turntables with wood plint from the 70's. I own a CEC BD-6000 and a Micro Seiki BL-51 refurbished by myself and I really don't need any new turntable like ProJect or other stuff because I am so satisfied with my old ones.....

you can still buy new records ($$). I bought a Garrard Zero-100 which I up-graded

I have a 1985 AR turntable that I bought new in 1985. I bought it from audio advisor for $350 including tonearm. That was back in the day when you could call audio advisor and speak with Wayne Shuurman directly.

Wanted automatic TT to go with my old Pioneer 518. Got a Technics 1600mk2 from Japan that had been serviced , tonearm assembly taken apart & restored & a US transformer replacement. Built like a tank & has suspension for platter.

I am new to turntable knowledge even though I grew up with records. I'm trying to put together a vintage system for my husband as a gift. I don't want to spend a fortune, but I know what he will like. I have picked out a Sanyo 1010 turntable with a Sanyo 2033 receiver. They are both from the late 70's era. Besides speaker, is there anything else I need to make this set-up work? The receiver does have the Phono input. Thanks

Excellent video. I have a vintage Kenwood KD 2000 turntable, I notice sometimes I hear distortion in one speaker, I notice if I move the rca cable that is hook up to my vintage Marantz receiver it will stop, Is it cheaper to look for another turntable or replace the rca cable. The turntable is from the 1970,s.

Some new amps and receivers DO have a phono preamp, built in. There will be a PHONO INPUT on the rear panel.

That technics is a decent turntable for beginners its a t4p system the cartridge tracking force is 1.25 grams and it still far superior to atlp60(still good beginners table).

I will tell you now my Technics SL-B200 turntable is my most reliable. If a record plays bad on my Duel 1228 or my Pioneer PL-10 it will probably play better on the Technics. I love them all but my Technics is the probability the best one.

I owned a Telefunken A300 ,1977 , work perfectly , better than my UTurn Orbit !!!

I definitely wouldn't agree that all "spindly" tonearms are crappy. It doesn't necessarily follow that the thicker or heavier the tonearm, the better it is. Also, three feet on a plinth are actually better and easier to balance it, giving it more stability than four. Quite a few turntable manufacturers are now putting three feet on their newer models, as opposed to four. Fluance's RT85 for one, and Pro-ject's new PRO turntable also has three feet.

Just got a vintage pioneer PL-255, what tech do I need to be able to hear the music?

Thank you. Really helpful :)

solid steel tone-arm?

I have pioneer pl-518 dd/ar hooked with a pioneer sx-650..a knowledgeable friend that swears I don’t need phono preamp? But have heard that I do need the phono preamp!? Ugh great content thanks!

What brand was that first turntable that you featured? It kind of looks like a Fisher.

Why do some have slight hum, and some don't. I have 2 tables that do, and one that doesn't. Receivers don't make any difference.

Who noticed the fly at 2:55?

Its Hard to believe that Technics would make such Junk !

C.E.C. not Micro Seiki

Pay attention to how much money you spend on a vintage turntable.