Technics SP10 Appreciation Thread

[Warren Jones 267]

What is the symptom?

 

If the platter is vibrating, it could be a few things.

 

It is important that the 5 and 32.5 volts are adjusted correctly. Electrolytic caps in the power supply and the 3 motor drive C2, C4 and C6 are suspects.

 

The period adjustment. In my case someone had it cranked way out and caused vibration.

 

T1 on the motor drive PCB sets the 10v P-P at C2

[SDK911 3]

Love them, nice and compact

[Mr Thorens 493]

Did some work on creating anew plinth. Made of Bunnings  Hardwood Project panels three layers with steel plates inside. Now weighs approx 30kg, and the mass does improve the sound. 

[Warren Jones 267]

Got the SP10 with DIY linear tonearm and bentonite/resin plinth up and running, with a Stanton 881s it sounds amazing.

 

The LTA is a big improvement even over the exceptional EPA100

[cafe latte 186]

On 27/10/2019 at 8:14 AM, Warren Jones said:

I have just repaired mine, 5 faults including a couple of dodgy mods to keep it going. Took me quite a few hours to get the thing going. So repairs will not be cheap unless you can find someone who knows the SP10 really well.

 

What is the problem?

What is the problem?

Normally the issue is in the psu, there are three caps that have issues as they are stressed and they are usually speed issues. Contact me if you need more help. The caps in the turntable are normally fine, but it wont hurt to replace them, that said I would look at the psu first. You can download the service manual from VE too. Have you tested the voltages on the psu? 

Chris

[cafe latte 186]

On 27/10/2019 at 11:15 AM, John Bates said:

Wish I knew. At first I thought it was the plug which was temperamental but then the deck became erratic. It's an old one, ex ABC. Have now handed it to a service guy about whom I have misgivings though I have sent him the service manual purchased from the UK. Yes, I'm apprehensive about the cost .

I read the rest of the thread. Psu is for sure where you need to start you WILL almost for sure have problems with 2 or more electrolytic caps. Dont use it till you sort this as it is possible this can cause problems inside the turntable. Just reap the psu.

Chris 

[cafe latte 186]

On 03/06/2020 at 9:10 PM, Warren Jones said:

Got the SP10 with DIY linear tonearm and bentonite/resin plinth up and running, with a Stanton 881s it sounds amazing.

 

The LTA is a big improvement even over the exceptional EPA100

Did you make the arm? I am just about to make a turntable and arm, but not going linear, but love my ET2.  Anyway nice job if you diid and the SP10 looks great in black

[Warren Jones 267]

On 04/06/2020 at 10:41 PM, cafe latte said:

What is the problem?

Normally the issue is in the psu, there are three caps that have issues as they are stressed and they are usually speed issues. Contact me if you need more help. The caps in the turntable are normally fine, but it wont hurt to replace them, that said I would look at the psu first. You can download the service manual from VE too. Have you tested the voltages on the psu? 

Chris

I changed the faulty caps in the PSU. But most of the problem was in the TT. 1 faulty transistor on the Control PCB, extra electo caps on the Logic PCB these were removed. A few dry joints and a broken PCB trace. The sub platter 1 of the M3 bolt holes was stripped so I redrilled new holes for the platter bolts.

 

On 04/06/2020 at 10:47 PM, cafe latte said:

Did you make the arm? I am just about to make a turntable and arm, but not going linear, but love my ET2.  Anyway nice job if you diid and the SP10 looks great in black

Yes I made the arm and plinth. All machining done inhouse. Took me 4 months to construct the arm and it still needs some tweaks. The carriage is too heavy for the Stanton 881s, so it miss tracks on some off centre pressings. Once I have milling machine operational again I will make a new carriage that is much lighter.

 

The rail the carriage runs on is 2x 4mm carbide rods epoxied to stainless base. VTA is by the knobs on top which move each end independently. VTA blocks run on 8mm linear shaft in brass bushings. The whole shebang slides back on 12mm industrial (better tolerance) linear bearings to facilitate LP changes.

 

Sound is extremely good even with the issue it has. Bass punch is like nothing I have heard from a TT. This is down to the short (55mm stylus to pivot) extremely stiff carriage.

 

It does look good in black, but that was only due to the fact I had black chassis paint left over from the car.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Warren Jones

[Shovel_Knight 5]

I like my SP10 mk2 as well 🙂 It replaced my heavily modded Lenco (with a hardwood plinth, expensive aftermarket bearing etc.) and I couldn't be happier. The craziest thing is that I spent more on getting the Lenco fettled than I spent on my Technics, yet the Technics is in a different league sonically. 
 

Mine is an ex-BBC unit (SP10 mk2 P/L) that I fixed myself and converted to a regular/domestic spec to get rid of the ugly BBC control box. I was very lucky to find a replacement logic board on eBay...

[Mr Thorens 493]

Yes I once had a Lenco too. Not bad but fiddly and high maintenance and in the end the number of upgrades required made it expensive and high maintenance. And the SP10 is sonically superior anyway. 

[radioguy 0]

Hey guys, I have a magnificent mk2 that I got from a radio station but sadly I don’t have a power supply :( originals are very hard to come by, has anyone ever had one made or come across a compatible solution?

[Shovel_Knight 5]

On 28/07/2020 at 1:22 PM, radioguy said:

Hey guys, I have a magnificent mk2 that I got from a radio station but sadly I don’t have a power supply :( originals are very hard to come by, has anyone ever had one made or come across a compatible solution?

Hi, making a DIY power supply is quite easy. The turntable requires 5V DC for the logic circuits and 32.5V for the motor. See e.g. here: https://sites.google.com/site/mpbarneysources/sp-10-mk2-pro

[soundfan 9,089]

On 10/06/2020 at 8:49 PM, Shovel_Knight said:

I like my SP10 mk2 as well 🙂 It replaced my heavily modded Lenco (with a hardwood plinth, expensive aftermarket bearing etc.) and I couldn't be happier. The craziest thing is that I spent more on getting the Lenco fettled than I spent on my Technics, yet the Technics is in a different league sonically. 
 

Mine is an ex-BBC unit (SP10 mk2 P/L) that I fixed myself and converted to a regular/domestic spec to get rid of the ugly BBC control box. I was very lucky to find a replacement logic board on eBay...

Funny that.

I had an SP10 MK II and a heavily modded Lenco with PTP plate, upmarket bearing, idler, huge plinth etc etc and loved them both. I used to swap my Alphason HRS100 tonearm between them. Each had their strengths, but to me I liked the Lenco better sonically, and sold the SP10 MKII. One man's potatoes are.........:)

 

That was about 6 or 7 yrs back, the Lenco remains my only turntable in the house.

 

Having said that, if I had to replace my Lenco, I would be looking for another SP10 MK II. They are great tables.

Edited July 30, 2020 by soundfan

[Max Headroom 350]

Hi all. Keeping this thread alive... I'm just about to join the ranks of SP10 owners. I say just about, its really 4 weeks away thanks to Stage 4 lockdown. But really looking forward to getting my hands on the SP10 MkII I've committed to buy. From what I have read it will sort out my vinyl playing blues. It comes with the original plinth and power supply, so lots of room to mod... even though I like the look of the original plinth better than most other versions I have seen.

 

I'll post images and more after I pick up the turntable.

[EvoMan 53]

On 28/07/2020 at 9:52 PM, radioguy said:

Hey guys, I have a magnificent mk2 that I got from a radio station but sadly I don’t have a power supply originals are very hard to come by, has anyone ever had one made or come across a compatible solution?

I've seen   new 3rd party ones. Very expensive at $1000 a pop.  Check out UK  Ebay.

Would not be to hard to get one made up here.

[Warren Jones 267]

Just wondering if anyone has a dead SP10mk2 motor they would be willing to part with.

 

Reason is I'm going to look al machining a new bearing housing to facilitate a larger OD spindle and I don't want to do it on one of my good motors.

[Mr Thorens 493]

Dear SNA Technics team members. I’m looking into plinths. On eBay there is a seller of these. Has anyone experience with this model?

 

TECHNICS SP-10 MK2 PLINTH ONLY IN 2X20MM.ACRYLIC PLUS 3MM. COMPOSITE ALUMINIU   

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F264610424911

[Warren Jones 267]

My plinth is resin/bentonite and it's great. You could build 4 resin/bentonite plinths for that price. If you have basic DIY skills you could build a resin plinth for under $150 depending where you get the resin from.

 

This is my latest plinth, although I will be making another shortly to mount the motor directly into the plinth with separate electronics. and a servo linear arm.

 

[Mr Thorens 493]

That’s a good idea I’ll do some research

[Warren Jones 267]

I used laminating resin which is not the best as it needs to be laid in 10mm thick pours or heat buildup gets too much and it either cracks or warps or both, but I have 20kg drum. Best to use casting resin this can be bought from Bunnings but it's expensive. I get my fibreglass supplies from Trojan in Newcastle, price is way better than Bunnings even with staff discount.

 

Bentonite is just kitty litter, I bought mine from IGA but Coles and Wollies have it. My mold is made from form ply, Bunnings again..... I didn't use a formula for the resin/bentonite ratio I just went with feel, so the mix was like thick porridge, and ended up with about 2mm resin on top.

 

The most difficult part is making the inserts for the SP10 and tonearm. You DO NOT want to machining this stuff it's messy and hard on tooling, trust me.

[Warren Jones 267]

More pics

[Mr Thorens 493]

Very interesting indeed. I’ve been looking at how molds were done at DIY audio. Looks feasible.  Did you drill holes for the mounting bolts. Was that difficult.  Or does the TT sit on top of the plinth unfastened. 

Edited September 30, 2020 by Mr Thorens

[Mr Thorens 493]

Thank you @Warren Jones I can see the DIY audio posts and will hopefully start making my mold over weekend. I’ll use formply for outer and try cork tiles for the cutout parts. 

[Warren Jones 267]

The best material for inserts is polyethylene cutting boards. I used form ply screwed together, coated with resin then painted with Wattle 7008 2 pack polyurethane varnish. I also use VO5 hair spray for mold release.

 

Plasticine is used to seal the edges of the mold or the resin will run everywhere.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Warren Jones

[Mr Thorens 493]

Well I did this exercise. Used formply for outer and because I couldn’t get cutting boards I used cork floor tiles stacked and cut to size and taped up with paint blue masking tape. Did a few layers and yes you’re right the resin leaked everywhere. Was a messy job. Anyway molds removed easily enough. Then I added the outer timber for additional strength, glued to the sides using liquid nails.  Painted the top with piano gloss black spray paint. Here’s what it looks like. 

[Mr Thorens 493]

And how does it sound? Well the difference between this and the layered timber plinth I used to use is definitely there. Resonance has been removed. So essentially all you hear is what’s on the record grooves. Better focus and micro dynamics, cleaner and more natural sounding. Instruments appear more properly into space - front to back, side to side and also height. Pretty impressive. 
 

Total project cost just over $220, all sources from bunnings. 

[mloutfie 1,004]

@Mr Thorens   how is the bass performance? Is it thinner than wooden plinth? I've read more rigid plinth has better bass performance.

 

Do you just leave the glue to dry or you weigh it down or clamp it?

[cafe latte 186]

17 minutes ago, mloutfie said:

@Mr Thorens   how is the bass performance? Is it thinner than wooden plinth? I've read more rigid plinth has better bass performance.

 

Do you just leave the glue to dry or you weigh it down or clamp it?

I have done a few plinths, I borrowed a lot of clamps and clamped hard overnight.

Chris

[cafe latte 186]

17 minutes ago, mloutfie said:

@Mr Thorens   how is the bass performance? Is it thinner than wooden plinth? I've read more rigid plinth has better bass performance.

 

Do you just leave the glue to dry or you weigh it down or clamp it?

I have done a few plinths, I borrowed a lot of clamps and clamped hard overnight.

Chris

[Peter_F 1,733]

25 minutes ago, mloutfie said:

@Mr Thorens   how is the bass performance? Is it thinner than wooden plinth? I've read more rigid plinth has better bass performance.

 

Do you just leave the glue to dry or you weigh it down or clamp it?

Clamp it!! 

[crtexcnndrm99 585]

29 minutes ago, Peter_F said:

Clamp it!! 

Given that I used only 4 clamps for a 3 x 24mm ply plinth construction, I’m having serious clamp envy right now 😜

[cafe latte 186]

7 minutes ago, crtexcnndrm99 said:

Given that I used only 4 clamps for a 3 x 24mm ply plinth construction, I’m having serious clamp envy right now 😜

 it looks just like my last plinth.

Chris

[Mr Thorens 493]

I didn’t use clamps at all. Just let each layer dry by itself. Bass performance is improved I think it’s more taut and goes a bit deeper once the timber resonance has gone. 

[Warren Jones 267]

On 29/10/2020 at 10:14 AM, Mr Thorens said:

And how does it sound? Well the difference between this and the layered timber plinth I used to use is definitely there. Resonance has been removed. So essentially all you hear is what’s on the record grooves. Better focus and micro dynamics, cleaner and more natural sounding. Instruments appear more properly into space - front to back, side to side and also height. Pretty impressive. 
 

Total project cost just over $220, all sources from bunnings. 

The resin plinth is about as good as it gets for the SP10. I get my fiberglass supplies from Trojan in Newcastle NSW even with shipping they are cheaper than Bunnnings with my wife's staff discount.

 

I like the timber surround looks like Tassie Oak. All my DIT gear has Tassie Oak front panels finished with Scandinavian oil, I like the look.

Edited November 5, 2020 by Warren Jones

[Warren Jones 267]

I'm in the process of machining a stainless steel platter for an SP10 so we'll see if that improves things. 2 x 304 SS blanks and an almost finished platter bottom. This platter will have 16mm Delrin top and is for a chassis less install.

 

I have a few upgrades on the boil.

 

A chassis less plinth where the motor will be mounted directly to the plinth and electronics separate.

 

I am also well down the track in designing and manufacturing a stepper motor driven linear tracking arm driven by an Arduino. The Arduino code is written and operational, just finalizing a unipivot design that will ride on the carriage.

 

 

[Warren Jones 267]

OOPS

Edited November 5, 2020 by Warren Jones

[mloutfie 1,004]

That looks awesome @Warren Jones

[Warren Jones 267]

Platter finished

 

Vertical runout was awful so I commenced measuring. All the runout was in the motor.. Next project is to modify the motor with a larger bearing and investigate if I can fit an inverted bearing into the SP10 motor.

 

 

 

 

[cafe latte 186]

1 hour ago, Warren Jones said:

Platter finished

 

Vertical runout was awful so I commenced measuring. All the runout was in the motor.. Next project is to modify the motor with a larger bearing and investigate if I can fit an inverted bearing into the SP10 motor.

 

 

 

 

Looks like you are doing that measuring on a kitchen worktop which wont be level, not even close. You cant measure runout this way, you are as much measuring the worktop and anything else. What is the motor sitting on, is that level?

Measuring motor runout you need to spin the motor. Curious why you are making a stainless platter, what is wrong with the old one?

Chris

[Warren Jones 267]

6 hours ago, cafe latte said:

Looks like you are doing that measuring on a kitchen worktop which wont be level, not even close. You cant measure runout this way, you are as much measuring the worktop and anything else. What is the motor sitting on, is that level?

Measuring motor runout you need to spin the motor. Curious why you are making a stainless platter, what is wrong with the old one?

Chris

I know how to measure runout it was spinning the platter on the motor that sent me measuring to determine what caused the vertical runout. I also measured TIR of the motor and spindle in the lathe. I posted because I thought people might be interested.

 

That is an AA grade granite surface plate with the motor sitting on precision blocks accurate to 0.005mm. Look at the measurement of the motor mounting flange compared to the platter mounting face.

 

Platter is not mine it's made for someone else which is why I needed to determine the cause, as when I indicated the platter in the lathe it measured less than 0.02mm TIR.