Got two used turntables, what's your assessment?

[digdeeper]

What is their condition, quality, what would you recommend to use, what to fix etc.


Thanks.

[The Divine One]

Dual 505/2 was my first deck, saved up for with my paper round Christmas tips! Think they're pretty good entry level hi-fi decks, I'm sure with a new stylus either would sound pretty decent. Do they both work okay? I'd probably just ditch the add-on brush arm thing, that's maybe just me...

[amidar]

I bet everyone here has had Dual 505 at some point. I had one not so long ago and someone had put a Goldring stylus on it in a new cart. My first impressions were it sounded amazing one of the best sounding decks I'd ever had. When the stylus broke I discovered they didn't make them anymore not even clones and the few second hand ones I could find were going for £100-£200 so I ditched it.

Firstly do they work? If so you need to look up adjusting the weight and setting up the antiskate which is easy and loads of info on line.

If they are broken you need to explain what is going on, has something snapped off, is the deck seized up etc. The cost of saving them might not prove cost effective if you are unable to do it yourself

If they are working there are tons of tutorials to perform basic maintenance to tune them back up a bit. If the arms have snapped off etc and if you don't have any technical kills you might be best off punting them on as parts and buying a second hand deck that works. Unless you are mechanically minded the inner workings can be quite complex with how they operate and the different oils/grease you have to use, but really with a deck of that age you should have no reason to go into the mechanics of it, unless something has seized and may just need a slight jolt if you're lucky. Regarding replacing things such as the cart on older decks you may need to get a soldering iron out and if you have no soldering experience this would be a nightmare.

One of the best places for advice and info for this type of query is the AudioKarma forums.

[Cacapo]

I wasnt aware you cant get the DUAL stylus anymore. I got a decent replacement a while ago on German ebay.
Ditch the brush thingie

[digdeeper]

I haven't tried them out, yet. I need an amplifier first... :-/ Apparently you get better ones if you buy old ones used as opposed to buying new ones..?

You didn't say anything about the CS 1237, how does it compare to the other one? It has an Ortofon needle after all.

[amidar]

I've never owned one but it's more 'high end' than the other one.

You can still test the actual platter etc by just buying a crap record from a second hand/charity shop and running it. If you are in a quiet room and you crane your neck a bit you will even hear the music coming out (something which still fascinates me to this day.). Obviously the bit that facilitates connection to an amp you wont be able to test but if anything will be wrong with it, it's more likely to be mechanics. Dry solder joints on the cart is another common problem with old decks.

I haven't tried them out, yet. I need an amplifier first... :-/ Apparently you get better ones if you buy old ones used as opposed to buying new ones..?

You didn't say anything about the CS 1237, how does it compare to the other one? It has an Ortofon needle after all.

[bongolia]

I haven't tried them out, yet. I need an amplifier first... :-/ Apparently you get better ones if you buy old ones used as opposed to buying new ones..?

You didn't say anything about the CS 1237, how does it compare to the other one? It has an Ortofon needle after all.

you'll want to replace the stylus (needle) on either anyway. And may need/want to replace the cartridge depending replacement stylus available. Been ages since I've used a Dual so can't remember how the cartridge mounts, but on all "proper" hi-fi turntables (like these Duals) you should be able to replace the cartridge. It's only the very cheap turntables where the cartridge is part of the arm and you can only replace the stylus.

more to go wrong on an automatic turntable like the CS 1237. Lots about it online, seems to have been a good budget model. I expect for you which one to keep will just depend on the condition/cost of repair.

don't forget you need an amplifier with a Phono pre-amp RCA input and Earth connection

[SirSlim]

I'd probably just ditch the add-on brush arm thing, that's maybe just me...

I had a Bib Groov-Kleen on my first ever hi-fi deck back in 1974:

[The Divine One]

Actually, what's most likely to go is the belt - basically a rubber band that connects the motor to the platter. After 30 years or so, the rubber can stretch or perish making the deck sound wonky. Should be easy enough to replace...

[amidar]

Very good point!

Actually, what's most likely to go is the belt - basically a rubber band that connects the motor to the platter. After 30 years or so, the rubber can stretch or perish making the deck sound wonky. Should be easy enough to replace...

[digdeeper]

Okay, thanks for your feedback so far, I really appreciate it. This whole hi-fi stuff is still intimidating - I need to find some knowledgeable local. I was once in a local hi-fi shop where I got myself into a heated argument about what is necessary and what isn't. He had some sort of all-or-nothing philosophy, making me feel completely out of place. With the result that I still haven't got myself any gear.

What would it cost to get the Dual 505 a new belt and stylus? Of course depends on the parts, but which ones would you take.

[Shere Khan]

Okay, thanks for your feedback so far, I really appreciate it. This whole hi-fi stuff is still intimidating - I need to find some knowledgeable local. I was once in a local hi-fi shop where I got myself into a heated argument about what is necessary and what isn't. He had some sort of all-or-nothing philosophy, making me feel completely out of place. With the result that I still haven't got myself any gear.

What would it cost to get the Dual 505 a new belt and stylus? Of course depends on the parts, but which ones would you take.

That Ortofon cartridge is quite old now. You can get a replica stylus for about £20 but maybe you should just start again. You could just look for something basic like an Audio Technica AT95e which are easily available and are reasonably well thought of for a cheap cartridge. The belt should be less than £10.