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| Technics SL-23, Audio Technica AT440mla |
The seller had an AT70 on it, nothing special really, but it sounded very nice. Already it was better then anything else I've owned, which includes a Project 1.2 (oyster/ortofon), Project Debut III (stock ortofon), Stanton DJ TT (stanton) and the SL-B10 (empire). All of these tables, with the cartridges they had, didn't give me the sound that everyone talks about when it comes to vinyl. The Debut III, was probably the runner up, but with the wobble issue (elsewhere in this blog) it had to go. It worked pretty well with the stock ortofon.
I fell to temptation at a shop I was visiting, and picked up the AT440mla I had heard so much about. The SL-23 with this cartridge sounds absolutely awesome. At it's present pricing, the cartridge is not cheap, but I don't regret buying it, not one bit. Even still, the price of that cartridge plus a decent used table is still going to be less then the price of a new "budget" table with a so-so cart. I can honestly say that not only does the AT440mla provide a great listening experience, it has the ability to track grooves like nothing else I've heard. The only time I seem to get any inner groove distortion, is from an old album that's been played incorrectly and damaged. Other then that, the Micro-Line stylus on this thing goes deeper, often avoiding issues caused by old wear. I've tried a few albums that were at times unlistenable, only to find that this AT will pass the issues by and give a great performance. This is a boon when buying used records.
While I'm not sure where I'll go next for an upgrade on a TT, I do know I'll be making more trips to the local record store.
Awesome to read this. I just picked up an SL-23 and an SL-B2 (both very similar, frequency servo models) for $50. Both decks needed DeOxit on the pitch controls to stop the flutter, but I decided to start with the SL-B2 because it had an older Shure M70EJ cart and stylus combo and seemed to hold pitch better.
ReplyDeleteI've got the speed stabilized and cleaned the whole deck up, so maybe I'll move on to the SL-23 and see what I can do. It has a worn out Jelco cart and stylus, but it just feels heavier and superior in build quality to the slightly newer SL-B2... Haven't tried moving the Shure over to the SL-23 yet.
Thanks for the comment Thomas. I've been getting my feet wet getting back into vinyl and I've been pretty happy with this table. There is some good info over at the Vinyl Engine and the manual. I picked up an extra headshell and alignment tool over at NeedleDoctor for quick swapping. However, the original headshell, which is also pictured above has more mass than the modern versions and I think it works best, on this arm. There has been also noted some issues with the pitch on the table/caps. I think the guy before me fixed it so mine is right on. I don't have a ton of cartridge experience but for less cash I might have considered the Ortophon Red as I didn't really need the extra "brightness" of the AT440mla. I also hear that there is a Jelco stylus for the newer Shure M97xe, but I think it might be just beyond what I want to spend. Anyway, looks like you got a nice find and I hope you get some enjoyment out of them. I'd be curious as to what you end up doing.
ReplyDeleteCheers