Advice on turntable(s) please

[admin_exported]

Hello,

After years of CD's and MP3's I've recently been getting all nostalgic about my vinyl so went in the loft and found my old Dual 505-2 from my youth. My question is should I ebay this and buy a new turntable such as a Pro-ject Genie or stick with the Dual? Do any of you guys think the cost of a new turntable is worth it. Will the Pro-ject be far superior and will shelling out £200 be beneficial to sound quality? I have a Marantz PM 66SE KI Signature amp and B&W DM601 S2's so very old kit.

Thanks

 

[MajorFubar]

I think it depends on how much you reckon you'll get back into listening to records again, or if it's just a passing fad. The price of a new turntable is a lot of money to spend if it sits there gathering dust after the novelty has wore off.

If your Dual is still fully functional, why not give it a go and see if you become hooked. Only then consider changing it.

Also, I'm not sure how well the lower-end Pro-jects compare to your 505, assuming it's working well. I think there's a risk such as the Pro-ject Genie would be just different and not better. Maybe someone with better knowledge of current TTs can comment on that.

 

[nopiano]

I don't think the Genie will sound better than the Dual, as long as it is still working OK. You'd need to get something like a Rega Planar 3 (used) or a new RP3 to really see off the Dual. (There was a similar question on page 89 of the August 2001 magazine, if you still have a copy)

I still have a Dual CS601, their first ever belt-drive, and have heard dozens (no, hundreds) of 505s. I've not found anyone to restore mine in the UK yet, but they have a great following in the USA.

If the Dual has survived with a lube, or you can do it (the service manuals are downloadable from vinyl engine's website), then I'd just be wary the stylus was OK.

Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

The Dual 505-2 is a nice deck. The arm is capable of taking cartridges such as the Ortofon 2M Red(£80). If the deck is unused for a time there is a tendency for the microswitch to get stuck and it won't switch on when the arm is moved inwards, a service should sort this out. They were an alternative to the Rega Planar 2, which, though better sounding,did not have the auto lift at the end of the record and some customers wanted this facility. Modern decks like the Projects' should offer better sound overall, but the little Dual is still a good sounding turntable.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the good replies. I bit the bullet and I have picked up a Goldring GR2 with the Rega RB250 tone arm and 1012GX Cartridge and I'm more than happy. Vinyl is cleaned and ready to go.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the good replies. I bit the bullet and I have picked up a Goldring GR2 with the Rega RB250 tone arm and 1012GX Cartridge and I'm more than happy. Vinyl is cleaned and ready to go.

 

[nopiano]

That looks like a good buy, as the Goldring 1000 series can be upgraded with just a stylus change, and the TT is effectively a Rega (ripe for tweaking too, if you are so minded).

I have a Goldring 1006 - the lead-in model - in my old Dual (though somewhere I have the original Shure V15/III too), and 17 years on you can still get the styli. Just a tip - you generally need to set the bias no higher than for 1g, regardless of your tracking weight, as the Rega arms are a bit over enthusiastic in their antskating settings.