[Maxvla]

Thanks again to Skylab and others, but I decided not to pursue vinyl. Selling my cart and albums I picked up in the classifieds if anyone is interested.

 

[jr41]

My Rega RP3 with recently installed Ortofon 2M Bronze MM cartridge and Groovetracer upgrades (click images to see larger versions).
 

Groovertracer Delrin Platter​

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Groovertracer Reference Sub platter ​

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Groovetracer Counterweight​

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Ortofon 2M Bronze MM Cartridge​

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Before installing the 2M Bronze (the table came with a Rega Elys 2 cartridge originally) and Groovetracer upgrades, I was happy with the performance, as it let me enjoy that 'vinyl sound', but in terms of resolution and clarity I felt my digital setup still trumped it.
 
The 2M Bronze changed that though - what an improvement over the Elys 2! I can now enjoy the sound of vinyl with greater clarity and resolution than my digital setup. I installed the Groovetracer upgrades together - after installing the 2M Bronze, so I can't say which upgrade provided the biggest improvement/change in sound, but as a set they have served to further enhance the sound by providing additional clarity, resolution and a blacker background. You can now safely call me a vinyl convert!

 

[MorbidToaster]

You posted this just to upset me. lol

I'll probably just buy mine stock with no cart and the Bronze in the same order. I'm really looking forward to it but it's a few months off as I think I'll get my DAC first.

 

[jr41]

 
Quote:

You posted this just to upset me. lol
I'll probably just buy mine stock with no cart and the Bronze in the same order. I'm really looking forward to it but it's a few months off as I think I'll get my DAC first.

Ha ha

 
The Bronze made the biggest difference in sound and I wouldn't bother with the Ely 2 personally, so I'd say that's a smart move.

 

[J.Pocalypse]

 
 
Great photos!
 
Quote:

My Rega RP3 with recently installed Ortofon 2M Bronze MM cartridge and Groovetracer upgrades

 

 

[roker]

 
So as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I purchased a Thorens 190 at a junk shop.  The people at the shop kind of had an idea of it's worth as it was priced at $50 firm (trust me, I'm a haggler, but these guys weren't going to budge no matter what).  All this with no AC adapter.  I bought it on a whim.
 
Took it home.  Found an old adapter, plugged it in, and it spun!  No stylus or preamp though.
 
Ok, so fast fwd to 6 or so weeks later:
 
Cleaned it as good as I could.  Fixed the corners.  I even went as far as taking some of it apart to oil and clean it (the motor and other moving parts that apply).
 
Replaced the cartridge with a Shure M97xE (replacing the stylus for the stock Otofon OMB 10 seemed more trouble than it's worth), replaced the belt, bought an entry level preamp, replaced the headshell wires (such a pain), and then I spent this past weekend lightly sanding the heavy scratches on dust cover.
 

 
I used the novus 1,2,3 compounds and went to work.  After a few hours this is what it looked like:
 

 
I kind of wish I didn't sand as much. While removed most of them, some remain and are only still there because I ran out of Novus no 2.  It was a pain polishing, then repolishing, over and over again. Here's it is on the turntable:
 

 
I think at this point I'm going to take a break or just stop restoring it.  There's still some things I'd like to do but I'm in no rush since it's in fine working order now.  If I do ever get around to it, this is what I'd do:
 
-Realign the auto tone arm mechanism.  It drops a little too close to the right edge of the record causing it to fall sometimes.  Good thing it can be used manually but even then I'd like to figure out how to adjust the height because some records are thicker and lightly touch the stylus.  I wish there was a step by step booklet on repairing/maintaining these tables.
 
-Rewire it the RCAs and replace the headshell wires.  The RCAs are hardwired.  I took it apart and even for a person such as I, the soldering job looks pretty direct and easy. 
 
Otherwise, it's good to go.  Polishing the dust cover is killer, but if you guys decide to do it, I would get more of the Novus no. 2 than the other ones.  3 seemed like a waste and 1 seems to be just an alcohol based cleaner.  All the polishing I did was with 2.
 
I'm sure I might have spent more than it's probably worth but the experience has been great.  I learned a lot in the process and hearing/seeing the end result makes it worth the trouble.  I'm pretty sure had I bought the Pro-Ject turntable I was drooling over initially, I wouldn't have had the same appreciating for turntables the way I do now.  
 
I looked up old reviews of the turntable as I was looking for as much info as I could get.  By the way, my particular table was built between 1993-1994 it seems.  The feedback seemed a bit mixed from some critics/users (half-automatic or any automatic scares people usually), but there are some things about it that are really nifty:
 
-Made in Germany (ok ok, nothing wrong with the China stuff, but it's nice to see the Made in Germany etching on the turntable). 
 
-Suspended platter driven by a Dual motor (3 speeds)
 
-Solid wood base.  It doesn't appear like it, but underneath the black laminate is a very good base.
 
I have yet to hear a hint of the motor running.  By far one of the quietest turntables I've ever heard and unless I tap the turntable or stomp hard next to it, vibrations rarely affect playback.  Anyway, hope you enjoyed this read.  I should probably post this in my blog.
 

 

[RazorJack]

Great job, I wish I had the skills/time to work on my turntable like that!
The only thing I still plan to do if I ever get around to it, is replace the cables on my 1210, they're also hard-wired. Turns out it's possible to wire the cables in such a way that there's no need for an external ground connection to the pre-amp, I think I'm gonna try that. 
The guy I bought it from said his cat nibbled on the left channel cable, so it broke and he replaced the plug. But it doesn't look very sturdy, the whole thing looks like it can fall apart any second.
 
 

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Great photos!

X2, also it was nice to hear about the 2m Bronze.

 

[jr41]

 
Quote:

X2, also it was nice to hear about the 2m Bronze.

Thanks both. There doesn't seem to be so many owners of the Bronze out there, it's the other three in the range which get all the attention.

 

[Skylab]

I have a 2M Bronze on my Pioneer PL-530 in my vintage rig. The 2M is indeed a very fine cartridge, and a very good value for its price. It is the least expensive cartridge I have on any of my four turntables, but I still think it sounds really good and like listening to it. It's not a warm/lush pickup - its more on the neutral and bold side of things, but it's not bright, just not at all soft or romantic. In the right system, a really great choice.

 

[MorbidToaster]

I have a 2M Bronze on my Pioneer PL-530 in my vintage rig. The 2M is indeed a very fine cartridge, and a very good value for its price. It is the least expensive cartridge I have on any of my four turntables, but I still think it sounds really good and like listening to it. It's not a warm/lush pickup - its more on the neutral and bold side of things, but it's not bright, just not at all soft or romantic. In the right system, a really great choice.

Good to hear. It sounds like it would match my system fairly well as my LCD 2 and upcoming MMGs are considered 'musical'. The Bronze sounds like it would bring out detail nicely.

 

[jr41]

 
Quote:

[...] It's not a warm/lush pickup - its more on the neutral and bold side of things, but it's not bright, just not at all soft or romantic. In the right system, a really great choice.

 
Sums it up in a nutshell I think! Ortofon's tag line for their hi-fi range of cartridges is 'accuracy in sound'. Based on my exposure with the Bronze, I think this describes their philosophy well. Ortofon seem to be a company who take vinyl playback seriously and consider the medium as a viable contender to any other - they're not trying to create a 'nostalgic sound' that panders to the rosy preconceptions of the vinyl sound signature.

 

[palmfish]

I'm thinking about a new cartridge for my TT. I have the Shure M97xE right now and while it sounds good, I think it is a little bit on the lush side for my tastes.
 
I'm looking for something with a little more sparkle. Do you think the Ortofon is a good choice? I've read that the Denon DL-103 might also be a good choice.

 

[Skylab]

The Shure is a nice cartridge for the money - I have one, and have for years, although its just a backup, I don't use it much. It is definitely on the warm and fuzzy side. Never offensive, but not really impressive either. If you want something more detailed and less warm, the Ortofon 2M series is a good place to look.

I think the Denon DL-103 is a terrific pickup, owned one for a long time. But it is a VERY low output moving coil, so you better have a MC phono stage that is very quiet, and that has some flexibility in terms of loading options, as the DL-103 likes a 100 ohm loading.

 

[palmfish]

Quote:

The Shure is a nice cartridge for the money - I have one, and have for years, although its just a backup, I don't use it much. It is definitely on the warm and fuzzy side. Never offensive, but not really impressive either. If you want something more detailed and less warm, the Ortofon 2M series is a good place to look.
I think the Denon DL-103 is a terrific pickup, owned one for a long time. But it is a VERY low output moving coil, so you better have a MC phono stage that is very quiet, and that has some flexibility in terms of loading options, as the DL-103 likes a 100 ohm loading.

Thanks. My receiver has a MC preamp but I don't know it's specs. I'll look into it.