AR TT PERFORMANCE...

[Mexicomike]

Though this is not speaker related, there have been a few posts re the AR TT and I'd like to provide this...

When I was doing my AR 3A/LST comparison I used vinyl as well as digital sources. One of the records I used was the Telarc disc of the 1812 Overture, which came out in the mid-80s. It was famous for its cannon shots which would, in many cases, actually bounce the cartridge/tonearm up out of the groove. It took an exceptional combination to track it without at least some distortion. At the time I had an Oracle TT and used various cartridges, most notably the latest Shure V-15 and a Signet TK 10. Both of these were considered to be excellent-tracking cartridges. However, even they would distort the cannon shots unless the tracking force was increased to nearly 3 grams.

This time the same disc (the very same disc I had then, not another pressing) was placed on my late-60's vintage AR XA TT. The table has no modifications at all and the only change from when it was new is the turntable mat. The cartridge is a current Ortofon Super OM 20. With the stylus force set at 1.5 grams, it tracked the cannon shots perfectly.

If you are at all interested in analog and picking up an old TT, you may find plenty that will overmatch the AR in flash quotient (like my Oracle), but it will be difficult to out perform it. My Oracle/good cartridge combo cost around $3k in 1982 dollars and it was outperformed by a TT/Cartridge that I paid maybe a total of $300 18 months ago and the cartridge was $250 of that. The "restoring" of the TT consisted only of a new belt, new mat, proper lubing, and adjusting the TT suspension per AR specs.

Once again, it seems that AR pretty much knew what they were doing!

[dynaco_dan]

Though this is not speaker related, there have been a few posts re the AR TT and I'd like to provide this...

When I was doing my AR 3A/LST comparison I used vinyl as well as digital sources. One of the records I used was the Telarc disc of the 1812 Overture, which came out in the mid-80s. It was famous for its cannon shots which would, in many cases, actually bounce the cartridge/tonearm up out of the groove. It took an exceptional combination to track it without at least some distortion. At the time I had an Oracle TT and used various cartridges, most notably the latest Shure V-15 and a Signet TK 10. Both of these were considered to be excellent-tracking cartridges. However, even they would distort the cannon shots unless the tracking force was increased to nearly 3 grams.

This time the same disc (the very same disc I had then, not another pressing) was placed on my late-60's vintage AR XA TT. The table has no modifications at all and the only change from when it was new is the turntable mat. The cartridge is a current Ortofon Super OM 20. With the stylus force set at 1.5 grams, it tracked the cannon shots perfectly.

If you are at all interested in analog and picking up an old TT, you may find plenty that will overmatch the AR in flash quotient (like my Oracle), but it will be difficult to out perform it. My Oracle/good cartridge combo cost around $3k in 1982 dollars and it was outperformed by a TT/Cartridge that I paid maybe a total of $300 18 months ago and the cartridge was $250 of that. The "restoring" of the TT consisted only of a new belt, new mat, proper lubing, and adjusting the TT suspension per AR specs.

Once again, it seems that AR pretty much knew what they were doing!

Hi there;

The original AR turntables were great value at that time.

Accurate speed, low wow and flutter and virtually no feedback.

The photo of a turntable being hit by a hammmer probably sold a lot of them.

The only commercial spec that it did not meet was full speed start up time.

This would only have been important for disc-jockies, etc.

The turntable was at it's best with the cartridges that tracked at closer to 2 - 3 grams due to the high pivot friction, wire harness drag and lack of anti-skating.

Anti-skating was suggested by some other turntable manufactureres and AR's suggestion was to increase to tracking force slightly to overcome it's lack of it.

The wire harness needed to be dressed as to AR's suggestion for minimum load.

The setscrew tightening for the pivots was also critical.

Stanton/Pickering, with their built-in brush, felt that the brush offset any need for anti-skating, as I remember.

A tracking force of perhaps 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 grams is about the lowest practical tracking force even for the very best cartridges that can track almost anything.

The pivot damping can be removed by pulling the pivot mounted pin out very carefully.

This was probably one of the simplist basic turntables ever made.

I am referring only to the single motor version and no Delrin bearings.

There is not many more situations other than that cannon fire that will cause mis-tracking in normal music that is.

Vern