Jump to content

Tonearm Dilemma


Recommended Posts

Been racking my brain in making a decision and needing some sounding board. Couple year ago I bought a Jelco SA-750L 12 inch to be put in my technics SP10 mk2. I bought it then put aside until I have time to do a new plinth. a few months later the plinth project is finished and I immediately notice something wrong with the tonearm there is too much bearing play. Being an internet purchase and 3 months has pass no refund is possible, so bad luck to me. I tried to put it in anyway and it does sound good but nothing special it's better still than a budget arm like micro seiki ma-202 but with my modified rega arm it's a no contest. So 1.5 years ago I look for someone to repair the bearing it's hard to find someone that can do this but I finally found someone locally that can do it. But the bearing parts was not available so the repair was a no go. Fast forward to yesterday I got contacted and told he managed to get some bearings to repair the arm but the work will be quite involved and will cost 5-600 inclusive a copper litz tonearm rewire while he's at it.

 

Looking at what this tonearm worth now is around $6-700 used and in the end of the day I will get a better reconditioned tonearm with the rewire. But I still wonder if it will be better than my current 2 tonearm. My rega rb250 has litz incognito rewire, metal VTA arm base and michael lim underslung counterweight and I just got a new AT-1010 that I haven't tried yet. So I'm really not sure if the repaired jelco will actually be better than the other two arm. or maybe just cut my loses and sell the arm as parts. Cos they are in pieces at the moment.

Edited by mloutfie
Link to comment
Share on other sites



1 hour ago, mloutfie said:

Been racking my brain in making a decision and needing some sounding board. Couple year ago I bought a Jelco SA-750L 12 inch to be put in my technics SP10 mk2. I bought it then put aside until I have time to do a new plinth. a few months later the plinth project is finished and I immediately notice something wrong with the tonearm there is too much bearing play. Being an internet purchase and 3 months has pass no refund is possible, so bad luck to me. I tried to put it in anyway and it does sound good but nothing special it's better still than a budget arm like micro seiki ma-202 but with my modified rega arm it's a no contest. So 1.5 years ago I look for someone to repair the bearing it's hard to find someone that can do this but I finally found someone locally that can do it. But the bearing parts was not available so the repair was a no go. Fast forward to yesterday I got contacted and told he managed to get some bearings to repair the arm but the work will be quite involved and will cost 5-600 inclusive a copper litz tonearm rewire while he's at it.

 

Looking at what this tonearm worth now is around $6-700 used and in the end of the day I will get a better reconditioned tonearm with the rewire. But I still wonder if it will be better than my current 2 tonearm. My rega rb250 has litz incognito rewire, metal VTA arm base and michael lim underslung counterweight and I just got a new AT-1010 that I haven't tried yet. So I'm really not sure if the repaired jelco will actually be better than the other two arm. or maybe just cut my loses and sell the arm as parts. Cos they are in pieces at the moment.

 

It is pretty marginal. Only you can probably decide if it is worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, mloutfie said:

@Warren Jones yes I've heard of phonomac but I think his modification (close to GBP-5-600 I think) is quite expensive but meant to be really good. So maybe a future project rather than now

 

I remember reading a post some time ago by him saying one of the upgrades he did was to replace the bearings with high quality closer tolerance items. These bearings would not be cheap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Guest Mr Thorens

Years ago I previously had a modded RB250 and RB301. Rewired, metal base, and with rega tungsten counterweight. On a Thorens TD321. The Jelco 750D 9 inch replaced the Rega. Ortofon Rondo Bronze cart. I thought the Jelco was superior with better detailing and less midrange forwardness/blur than the Rega. 
The SP10mk2 deserves the best arm and cart you can do. Currently I have the Ortofon AS212 9” and it’s really good. Better than SME3009.

 

Edited by Mr Thorens
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Telecine said:

It is pretty marginal. Only you can probably decide if it is worth it.

marginal compared to rega or the at1010

 

9 minutes ago, Mr Thorens said:

Years ago I previously had a modded RB250 and RB301. Rewired, metal base, and with rega tungsten counterweight. On a Thorens TD321. The Jelco 750D 9 inch replaced the Rega. Ortofon Rondo Bronze cart. I thought the Jelco was superior with better detailing and less midrange forwardness/blur than the Rega. 
The SP10mk2 deserves the best arm and cart you can do. Currently I have the Ortofon AS212 9” and it’s really good. Better than SME3009.

 

yes the idea is to try to get the best I can get out of the technics I've heard AS212 on a feickert firebird that's a good arm never a big fan of 3009. Thanks for the Jelco v rega comparison.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Considering Jelco are not making arms any more, refurbishing and upgrading the wire on your damaged one should be worthwhile, because it should hold its value due to lack of availability of new ones. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, 12ax7b said:

Considering Jelco are not making arms any more, refurbishing and upgrading the wire on your damaged one should be worthwhile, because it should hold its value due to lack of availability of new ones. 

I was actually considering that sure it doesn't worth that much now but with more demand it may go up. Because some does prefer 12 inch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.




×
×
  • Create New...
To Top