Post by zleepy on Apr 24, 2023 18:45:31 GMT
Curiosity got the best of me. I have been lusting for one of the great japanese DD turntable from their golden era for many years. Reading about how good the SP-10 mkII is has not made my cravings smaller
.I knew I'd have to dig deep in my pocket if I were to buy an expertly serviced SP-10, and I would not touch an all original one. Even if it would be in a working state, it would only be a matter of time before something gave in because of age. It's inevitable.
So, I started looking for alternatives. There's lots of potentially great DD TT:s, but those that frequently were mentioned in various forums were Technics SP-10 MKII, Denon DP-80 and Yamaha GT-2000. I zoomed in on the DP-80, which seemed to get praise from anyone that had heard one.
These are readily available but again, I would not touch one that has not been serviced. To my delight I found sellers on yahoo Japan that had made full blown services on these TT:s, and thanks to proxy shipping sites like zenmarket, they were accessible to me. When I saw a good example turn up with a believable service story I pulled the trigger.
According to the seller it has been completely serviced. In summary:
All electrolytic caps replaced
All film caps replaced
13 diodes replaced incl. zeners
3 photocouplers replaced
regulators replaced
all transistors replaced
IC:s and main IC:s replaced
Resistors for PLL adjustment replaced and adjusted for each rotation speed
PCB:s cleaned and coated with insulating moisture proof coating
Each operation switch replaced with a new one, and buttons disassembled and cleaned
Strobe window and mirror unit cleaned
Bearing cleaned and lubricated. Bearing ball replaced.
Tested and cleared 7 days of running wile following rotational speed stability.
I also bought a DK-300 plinth from a separate auction. This is made of a dense wood laminate. It's one third heavier than a standard plywood laminate. It's in great condition, but of course the arm board is pre drilled. I will try to find a suitable wood to fill the hole, drill a new one for my blackbird 12" tonearm and probably paint the arm board black.
Two of the 3 fittings for the motor unit were loose in the plinth. I reckon due to wood shrinkage from moisture variations. Easy fix. The dust cover is also in great condition. I am currently trying different methods to polish it. It will look very close to new when I'm done.
Since the motor runs on 100V I have ordered a step down transformer from toroidy in Poland. I might take out the transformer and regulator board from the motor unit and place them in a separate box together with the step down. The step down transformer has the added benefit of blocking any DC residual in my mains.
Both the TT motor unit and the plinth were impeccably packaged for the shipping and both arrived without any signs of abuse, even on the outside of the boxes. Zenmarket was smart enough to remove the dust cover from the plinth and pack them separately. I really was prepared to receive a cracked dust cover but no, everything in great condition.
Can't wait to get this thing together and start listening. This will not be very soon though. Busy with work and kids stuff at the moment.
Below are some pictures I saved from the auction and some I took of the plinth at home. The plinth needs a cleaning, but I might refinish it anyway. I'm not too crazy about the original staining of the ply
. 
