CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 5080 Location: Colorado

I need a TT and there's one of these local to me so I don't need to worry about shipping it. Thing is I know nothing about it except it was made in Japan. Anyone know by whom? Micro Seiki? 1970's?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:50 am Post subject:

Curtis Mathes was like an early Runco, they only relabeled stuff, made nothing themselves. Looks almost like a Pioneer..

Nashou66 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:58 am Post subject:

Maybe BIC? Not Micro though. They played the rebrand game a lot.

Athanasios

wallace123456 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:39 am Post subject:

Didn't Curtis Mathis do the RCA "recycle/rebrand" stuff on CRT televisions?

wallace

Nashou66 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:55 am Post subject:

The Most Expensive television in America....And worth it! Very Happy

Nashou

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 5080 Location: Colorado

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 5080 Location: Colorado

Ha, someone actually knew what it was

Nashou66 · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 5:28 pm Post subject:

glad you figured it out, Id go for a simplistic AR XA or XB, less is more.

Only bad thing with the XA's are rarity of the head shells, they can go for 75 bucks alone for a 1 dollar piece of plastic.

Nashou

paw · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 951 Location: Arvada, CO

Yo Dragan! What happened to the TT you had? I remember it being a decent one.

Nashou66 · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:05 pm Post subject:

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 5080 Location: Colorado

Nashou66 · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:41 pm Post subject:

LOL, Yeah but you have to hear these little gems. Back in the day they were the best selling TT for very little money. Now people are re discovering them driving up used prices from 30-40 dollars a few years ago to over 300 dollars now. And another reason why many like them is the same reason you and I like the marquee. We like to Pooge them! They can be upgraded with new arms, springs, bearing thrust plates, a complete new sub chassis etc. Go to Vinylnirvana and check out the photo gallery. It be a TT you'd have fun with trying to
mod.

Nashou

Nashou66 · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:58 pm Post subject:

Here is a shot of the simplistic basic AR XA

And a modded one with a Grace Tonearm

But the basic tone arm with a few mods does very well.

I do want to make an Aluminum Head shell for them, I might need your machining skills for the bayonet section. Wink

Athanasios

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:09 pm Post subject:

Hey look they have my initials on them Smile

mr_ro_co · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:26 pm Post subject:

Nashou66 · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:55 pm Post subject:

Steve, I had a rega P3 I kept the tone arm and sold the TT. I plan to mod my one AR with the RB300 arm. I wish I could find an RB250 cheap tho. I prefer an S arm for the XA table. The amazing thing about the AR is how good it sounds, it gets out of the way. I really want the later version Called simply "The AR Turntable" It has a larger wood plinth with a cut down metal top plate to hold the suspension springs and an arm board that you can change to suite your own tone arm.

Just yesterday an all original one sold for over 1000k NIB old stock.

Athanasios

Boilermaker · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 527

Just to show how old I am - I bought an original AR when they first came out for $58 if I remember correctly. It was in a class by itself back then and is truly a classic. It survived four years of college abuse by a bunch of drunk college kids! Used a kit built Dyna tube preamp with a kit built Harman Kardon Citation tube power amp driving a pair of KLH-6's that also took the abuse. Couldn't guess how many times it played Stones and Beatles albums back then.

Bob

mr_ro_co · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:08 pm Post subject:

Nashou66 · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:20 pm Post subject:

The Linns are over priced I think, and since they are based on the AR XA design with a little help the AR's can be made just as good for a lot less. I actually am re springing my AR XA with Linn springs( a little stiffer). Lots of little mods. Just like CRT i like to make a change and see what can happen. It never ends!!

Nashou

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:52 pm Post subject:

Any of you guys use linear tracking turn tables with P mount cartriges?