Is this Linear Tracking TT is worth to buy?

[mahaaprasaad]

While thanking the fellow members for their immense help for the newbie like me, I request you to help me about a Linear Tracking TT.

I recently seen this ad
Legendary Technics Sl-6 Turntable in good working condition - Mumbai - Home Appliances - Electronics

Due to curiosity with the technology, I discussed with the seller and he informed that the TT is working great and worth to have.

Now my questions:
1) Is it worth to buy this TT at the cost mentioned, if every other things works well?
2) Any suggestions from the Members about maintenance and availability of spares/service in India, and prior experience with such TT.
3) Since, I am in Bangalore and the Seller is at Mumbai, it would be difficult for me to have a demo and buy the unit. But have fear to buy without seeing the unit working. Any of the fellow members from Mumbai will ready to help me in this regard?. The Photograph what the seller placed in the Ad seems, not the unit's actual photograph.

Please help me.

 

[greenhorn]

http://www.hifivision.com/av-lounge...e-owned-via-olx-quickr-adpost-etc-online.html

please do give this a read . I believe your seller features in it

 

[Saket]

While thanking the fellow members for their immense help for the newbie like me, I request you to help me about a Linear Tracking TT.

I recently seen this ad
Legendary Technics Sl-6 Turntable in good working condition - Mumbai - Home Appliances - Electronics

Due to curiosity with the technology, I discussed with the seller and he informed that the TT is working great and worth to have.

Now my questions:
1) Is it worth to buy this TT at the cost mentioned, if every other things works well?
2) Any suggestions from the Members about maintenance and availability of spares/service in India, and prior experience with such TT.
3) Since, I am in Bangalore and the Seller is at Mumbai, it would be difficult for me to have a demo and buy the unit. But have fear to buy without seeing the unit working. Any of the fellow members from Mumbai will ready to help me in this regard?. The Photograph what the seller placed in the Ad seems, not the unit's actual photograph.

Please help me.

About the TT, the player itself is a good player but over time, linear trackers can develop problems as they are very complex by nature. So, until & unless the player is literally in mint condition, you could better overlook it and go for some other conventional DD systems. That will work out to be little cheaper too. DO inspect the player physically before getting one or have someone knowledgeable do it on your behalf, if you are away.
About the dealers, they can easily term even a battered TT as in 'mint' condition, so definitely have a look at the particular piece that you are planning to buy.

Regards,
Saket

 

[G401fan]

+1 to Saket's post.

A linear tracker that is 30 years old is a definite no-no. The electronics that drive the motorized arm may not be fixable in India, should they go kaput. Plus, the wear and tear on those supersensitive arm bearings in our climate might most certainly have rendered them less than optimal. A conventional direct drive might be more suitable, though here again, the speed control electronics are always dicey because of age. It might be more prudent to buy an entry-level Pro-ject TT.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Over thirty years old? Mine barely lasted 1/10 of that time and was discarded because spares were not available.

The cost of a turntable (allowing for a certain amount of hype) can be justified by engineering excellence, not by engineering complexity. These things, on the other hand, are enormously complex, both physically (with various sensors, motors, etc) and electronically (I counted over a dozen IC chips in mine!).

A classic amplifier of that age is probably fixable, using off-the-shelf components, but this thing (mine was Akai, but I think this is the same, and it appeared under various brands) is almost certainly not. I would take the "legendary" with a pinch of salt too. As I said, pretty much the same thing was sold under different brands.

Whatever happened to linear-drive TTs? Are there any available today? It seemed like a great idea, but it doesn't appear to have endured. One should ask the question, why not? Maybe that's why its "legendary!"

Joining in with the general advice: do not buy!

It might be more prudent to buy an entry-level Pro-ject TT.

Very much more prudent. I'm not a TT buff, but I suspect that such a TT would last you many years (my Dual has lasted several decades) as it is, but it would also give you more oportunity to experiment with cartridge upgrades, etc, should you so wish. I suspect that the linear-drive thing is not upgradeable. Is the stylus even available?

Please also bear in mind that, thirty years ago, everyone had a turntable. Even then, expensive beasts were available to the wealthy collector, but most were ordinary, domestic items. Some newcomers to vinyl may think that just because something is a turntable it must be good, and even more so if it is old. That is absolutely not true: the classics are still classics, the rest were just consumer items. Beware of buying old turntables without positive advice from the experts here.

EDIT... And, on second thoughts, Rs8,000 for a thirty-year-old piece of electronics that only the seller claims as "legendary" is ridiculous. Would anybody pay that much for a 30-year-old fridge? :lol: He shouldbe giving it away!

 

[gopib]

He shouldbe giving it away!

+1 to that...:lol:

 

[mahaaprasaad]

Saket, G401fan, Thad E Ginathom, gopib - I am very much thankful to you for putting your opinions from different point of view.

Now, the further developments;

1) The Seller sent me his bank account information through SMS(not mail), though I requested him to send the mail.

2) He has called me two three times over phone and I requested him to send the actual photographs of the unit to my mail ID.

3) He informed me through SMS "I can't send the photographs but the unit is good"!!!!

It is evident that, there is some foul play by the Seller.

Keeping in view the suggestions of the Fellow members and attitude of the Seller, I have decided to drop this purchase for at this moment. I understood that, music is important than the gear. If I am unable to get what I wanted from the gear, there is no use of investing in such fancy items.

Once again I would like to thank all for their valuable inputs.

 

[Saket]

Good decision. If the unit would have been good, there was no need to 'hide' it, so better to forget it. Invest in other conventional DD system rather than a linear tracker. It will be cheaper, more reliable and upgradable in terms of cartridge and stylus. Look for Technics, Sony, JVC, Kenwood, Pioneer. These are typical jap-made tts and reliable.
When I was on my hunt, just like you I dropped a Technics SL-5 tt on offer! It was priced at 9k!
Regards,
Saket

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Certainly don't like the sound of the seller's attitude, but, even if the guy was an angel, I would still advise against this kind of turntable, especially of this age: I believe that I did the wrong thing buying one brand new! It was a fascinating gadget, and I got a few years use out of it, but had I bought something more sensible it might still be working today.

The only justification is for a collector, who needs to fill a tt-history gap in his personal museum, and is more concerned with that than with actually playing music on it.

 

[reubensm]

got 3 words for you - "Let it Pass"

While thanking the fellow members for their immense help for the newbie like me, I request you to help me about a Linear Tracking TT.

I recently seen this ad
Legendary Technics Sl-6 Turntable in good working condition - Mumbai - Home Appliances - Electronics

Due to curiosity with the technology, I discussed with the seller and he informed that the TT is working great and worth to have.

Now my questions:
1) Is it worth to buy this TT at the cost mentioned, if every other things works well?
2) Any suggestions from the Members about maintenance and availability of spares/service in India, and prior experience with such TT.
3) Since, I am in Bangalore and the Seller is at Mumbai, it would be difficult for me to have a demo and buy the unit. But have fear to buy without seeing the unit working. Any of the fellow members from Mumbai will ready to help me in this regard?. The Photograph what the seller placed in the Ad seems, not the unit's actual photograph.

Please help me.

 

[Saket]

While thanking the fellow members for their immense help for the newbie like me, I request you to help me about a Linear Tracking TT.

Please help me.

Hello Mahaaprasaad,

Look in the 'for sale' section of the forum. On sale there is a Pioneer DD TT. IMO, its a good TT at this price point. It has probably an inbuilt pre-amp too (?? others please comment) & has a very decent build quality too.

Have a look at it.

Saket

 

[mahaaprasaad]

Hello Mahaaprasaad,

Look in the 'for sale' section of the forum. On sale there is a Pioneer DD TT. IMO, its a good TT at this price point. It has probably an inbuilt pre-amp too (?? others please comment) & has a very decent build quality too.

Have a look at it.

Saket

Thank U saket, sent PM to Saurabh. Waiting for reply.

 

[Rolling Vinyl]

Did you get yourself the Pioneer TT Mahaaprasaad?

The one in the sale section is Sold. A good one I must say.

 

[mahaaprasaad]

Did you get yourself the Pioneer TT Mahaaprasaad?

The one in the sale section is Sold. A good one I must say.

Not so lucky this time:sad:

 

[greenhorn]

Bumping up an old thread - are linear TT's inherently bad? I just got one for $10 - couldn't say no at this price.
Of course it needs work - the lubrication is all gummed up and the belt is making some noises, but its no more complicated (actually simpler) than a full logic cassette deck, and I'm sure I'll get through them.
Am I missing something?

 

[TD150]

greenhorn,

Some years ago I have purchased Technics SL-7 which was around 30 years old by then. I do agree with some views above that the turntable is complex, but I personally feel they are not so much, if found in working condition. At most lubrication, belt or stylus is required to be fixed and it works like a charm.

My SL-7 is with me for almost 6 years now and works like it should without any issues. If you are a DIY person, I suggest you handle doing the lubrication, belt and stylus on your own.

They sound do sound great and have a happy listening.

 

[greenhorn]

Today I opened it up and cleaned away all the Grease, and re lubed it. The tonearm is not sticking any more and plays the entire record smoothly. The belt is still ticking, have a new one on order, and I'll have a fully functional linear!