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Review 1 of 9
Price Paid:
$0.00 Summary:
I've known this model since it came out in 1976 or thereabouts and used a 1229 idler drive model for some years before succumbing to the Linn Sondek LP12 along with so many others. I remember the 701 being the only turntable to really make a Shure V15 III sound sweet and jumped at the chance of buying a good used one in 1990 for not much money £50 approx).
When my huge Notts Analogue Mentor turntable became too much I resurrected the 701 and have used it ever since. The arm is too light for many moving coil types, but it copes superbly with my V15VMR, vintage Sonus Blue and a motley collection of much loved ADC's and it sounds great to me. The only mods I've done is to free the suspension off a little, stretch an over compressed spring and to replace the original audio lead out wires to the amp with one from a Linn ittok arm. Oh yes, I use a Notts Analogue Spacemat on top of the stuck on Dual one, despite the arm now playing slightly low at the back...
You don't get the expansive scale of a modern top end turntable, but it's better than a Rega Planar 2 or 3 even, retaining all the musical information, but presenting it in a smaller, less expansive form. I love the auto function, which has no effect on the arm friction or overall handling at all. The auto mech: is very quiet in operation too and the muting circuit, once adjusted, cuts in and out smoothly.
Now the deck is getting on a bit (over thirty years old), the platter sometimes starts off and accelerates to high rpm. A quick knuckle rap to the clear motor control board cover always cures it for a year or two.
I look forward to many more years with this old friend. I love it! Strengths:
Long lived and reliable.
Good direct drive motor lacks problems in others of the time, despite this one not being quartz locked.
Better sound than you'd ever imagine with the right cartridge, due to unique counterweight system.
Very gentle auto system. Weaknesses:
Lacks cachet of other vintage decks.
Some people feel the world begins and ends with Moving Coil cartridges so would pass this deck by.
Spares not available, although cartridge carriers can still be sourced on the web. Similar Products Used:
Dual 1229, plus I sold many other Duals. Thorens, Rega, Linn, Notts Analogue, Pro-ject etc...
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4.89 of 5
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