Golden Age of Japanese Audio

[Ceburaska]

Most of my system is Sony, including three biotracer TTs. My 600 is boxed and only used occasionally. The 555 is a cheaper version of the 800 linear tracker. Subjectively it seems to do best on the tracking, etc tests of my Hifi News record. However, using the phone app my 75 gets lowest wow and flutter. Given the errors likely present in the test record, app and my hearing who knows which is actually best.
I’m slowly trying to offload my other turntables and settle on the 75 and 555 as main sources. Having got used to fully automatic action and quartz locked direct drive, not to mention the amazing biotracer arms, I’ve given up on other TTs.
I rarely use my tuner, but the CD player gets played a bit. It is the noisiest item, far more than the linear tracker, but basically silent from my seat when music is playing.
The 808ES amp is a beauty, with a great phono stage, and I’ll happily offload the Cyrus amp when I can just use a Y splitter for the two TTs.

 

[anmpr1]

With a pivoting arm, the tracking error is a gradual increase to maximum and then a decrease.

The most comprehensive analysis of tracking geometry in pivoted tonearms that I've found are in two papers by Graeme Dennes: 1) An Analysis of Six Major Articles on Tonearm Alignment Optimisation and a Summary of Optimum Design Equations; 2) Is the Lofgren 'A' Solution Unique? Both ought to be found on-line somewhere, after a search.

Perhaps the best solution for avoiding tracking error displacement in linear arms is the pivoted pantograph arm. With rigid bearings in all four points of lateral movement, the cartridge will stay tangent even with off-center record grooves. The old Garrard system is the most common example (but not the first); with it, the benefits are quite obvious, inspite of the fact that the entire system exhibits other problems typical of record changers from that era. Several modern iterations of this pantograph design exist, although I have no first hand experience with them.

The most bizarre thing I've come across in 'modern' tonearm design is the latest wunderkind from Yamaha, which arm has no offset. Supposed to sell for $5500.00, or therabouts. How they came up with their tonearm design, the theory behind it, for an audiophile turntable, is something I can't imagine, but I am happy to learn, if anyone knows. I know that pro DJs have used non-offset straight arms in disco environments, where groove jumping is an issue, and sound is secondary.

Addendum: After looking at the longish headshell slots, maybe the idea is to twist the cartridge sufficiently in order to obtain an optimum offset approximation. Of course, by twisting the cartridge so radically, the offset angle at the stylus tip will conflict with the arm's lateral pivot angle, causing the stylus to arc up in a rotational curve with record warps. According to S.P. Pramanik (in a paper he wrote in the old Audio magazine) this rotational arc movement will cause audible FM distortion. To alleviate this, the lateral (horizontal) arm pivots should be at the same angle as the cartridge offset. Many arms are designed this way, but not all.

 

[SIY]

Sorry to come in late. Technics, late '70s, early '80s. They made the SL-7, SL10, and SL-15 linear tracking tables that were terrific- the cartridges were even better, and I think never surpassed. An EPA100 or EPA500 is as good as a conventional tonearm gets.

 

[restorer-john]

Technics, late '70s, early '80s. They made the SL-7, SL10, and SL-15 linear tracking tables that were terrific- the cartridges were even better, and I think never surpassed. An EPA100 or EPA500 is as good as a conventional tonearm gets.

And this from my archives. Technics 1983/4 full range catalogue. Only 22(!) different turntables that year. They peaked in 1985/86 with about 30 models and then slid downhill fast.

 

[Sal1950]

I loved my HK ST8 linear tracker, it performed perfectly for decades. It had sat unused for many years when I decided to sell everything out but a good cleaning and a few belts got it going again, It then performed the yeomans duty of playing back my lifes LP collection before selling it all off. Wish I had waited another 10 years, what I got for the whole package was peanuts compared to what it would pull now. I threw in the Dynavector Ruby, Supex 900 Super, Stanton 881S, and all this rest since they had no real value at the time.
I'd love to have one of those old RCA 45 players for nostalgia purposes. Had a few of them back in my pre-teens and those 45 singles were my entry level drug into this damn black hole for $.

 

[Sal1950]

I think the most famous Japanese receiver of all times has to be the Marantz 2270. I can't believe the popularity and prices they get for them 45 years later on ebay. I've read in various places that they didn't actually measure all that well against others of the time, but they were beautiful pieces of gear in their day. I know, I actually spent a good chuck of my wedding present cash on buying one new in 1974 (and watched her carry it out the door after the divorce in 1979 ).

 

[restorer-john]

(and watched her carry it out the door after the divorce in 1979 ).

I've never been quite convinced of this advertisement.

So Mr Espina's Marantz (and his HiFi system I presume) was on the second floor. The fire burnt through the first, second and third floors and the Marantz ended up in the debris two floors down.
When March comes along, Mr Espina happens to be standing there (or was he loitering outside the burnt out building for months?) and just happens to see the Marantz at that one point in time. It falls 20ft to the ground and he takes it "up to his apartment". What apartment? It's burnt out and has no floor!

So let's assume he got another apartment, maybe even directly across the road after the fire and kept watch on his old burnt out-building every day. How else could he have seen it? Also, the 2270 weighs about (40lbs)18kg, you can't carry one very far, so he must have been close.

He took the fire damaged Marantz up to his new apartment and plugged it in. To what? His system was gone in the fire! Ah, but he's got a tape deck, turntable, headphones and speakers (presumably new ones or insurance replacements you might say). I also presume he got a new receiver too. Why would he plug in a fire damaged receiver into his brand new and expensive speakers, and dismantle his system to do that?

The other suspicious thing is this: the top of the 2270 is vinyl woodgrain. Anything hot enough to melt and peel the top would had done damage to the components immediately below inside and also melted the plastic front clear window. The knobs are plastic underneath the aluminium and would have melted off. And yet all we see is some drooping around the much thicker black plastic escutcheon dial edge.

The whole story is fishy. It was fishy in the 1970s and still is.

 

[BDWoody]

I think the most famous Japanese receiver of all times has to be the Marantz 2270. I can't believe the popularity and prices they get for them 45 years later on ebay. I've read in various places that they didn't actually measure all that well against others of the time, but they were beautiful pieces of gear in their day. I know, I actually spent a good chuck of my wedding present cash on buying one new in 1974 (and watched her carry it out the door after the divorce in 1979 ).

That's so sad...But some of those receivers are gorgeous. She must have been fairly strong, as they aren't light.

The 4 CH version of the 2270 sells for much less. I'd thought about getting one for the bar area just for the eye candy factor. Plug a Chrome audio into the back and that's a pretty slick amp.

Sansui also had some really stunning receivers.

 

[Sal1950]

The whole story is fishy. It was fishy in the 1970s and still is.

Johnny, don't be such a pessimist. It could happen, right?

You missed that it must have been sitting in a basement full of water.

I remember that ad clearly in the magazines of the day.

 

[jsrtheta]

Very cool. I appreciate this. I pretty much always buy Japanese everything (knives, guitars, jeans, et cetera). Stuff from that era seems to be of especially good value and value and quality. My preamp is Pioneer C-90. I use a Pioneer SX-3800 for a power amp (I found it in the garbage!) and my turntable is Sony PS-X800.

I've also got a 1985 Ibanez Proline (which has been modified by both its previous owner and myself) which is an excellent guitar (save for the fact that they put a terrible tremolo on it which I have a replaced) and 1987 Ibanez RG440. They are guitars, not audio equipment, but they were pretty inexpensive and they are of excellent quality.

"Made in Japan" is a huge selling point. When I was a kid, no one wanted a guitar made in Japan. Now it's one step below, or sometimes above, "Made in the U.S.A.".

 

[Zerimas]

"Made in Japan" is a huge selling point. When I was a kid, no one wanted a guitar made in Japan. Now it's one step below, or sometimes above, "Made in the U.S.A.".

I'd take MIJ over "Made the in U.S.A." pretty much any day. Though I suppose it depends on what sort of product we're talking about. Blue Jeans may be an American invention, but the best quality "raw" denim is MIJ. It is kind of expensive (compared to what jeans usually cost from the mall), but I don't think it hideously expensive. Unlike "designer" brands they are extremely high quality while typically costing far less.

When it comes to knives MIJ is usually best. The Japanese make great steel and know what they are doing. The only rival they have (as far as I am concerned) would be the Swedish (Sandvik makes excellent cutlery steel) and also the Austrians (Böhler-Uddeholm). The U.S. has CPM, but I don't really like their steel when it comes to knives. They focus on making very wear-resistant steel, which comes at the cost of other attributes. A lot of people like, but I don't care for it.

Knife enthusiasts are actually kind of similar to "audiophiles" in sense. Very little objective analysis is done. Also, some manufacturers are straight-up incompetent and engage in unsavory practices. Bark River is considered a "high-end" brand. However, the owner has a long history of screwing people over and seems to prefer "magical thinking" over basic metallurgy. I plan to never buy one.

A lot of knives are sold solely on hype rather practical performance. Some manufacturers are pretty good. Spyderco is quite good. Though they aren't immune to it (I mean they do have to try and make money). However, most of their designs are very practical and well-thought-out. Their overseas manufacturing (made in Taiwan) is supposedly extremely high-quality. Spyderco is the only company I would ever buy a titanium framelock knife from. I feel as if many manufacturers (most based in the U.S.A.) don't do a very good job implementing this mechanism (which can be fairly dangerous). I don't even think it is the "best" type of locking mechanism for a folding knife at all. Again it is mostly based on hype rather than actual performance.

I am kind of rambling.

 

[restorer-john]

I'd take MIJ over "Made the in U.S.A." pretty much any day.

When it comes to precision steel hand tools for use in electronics, the best stuff for me is/was made in the US.

I'd buy US made over anything if we had more of it here in Australia. Our car industry is gone, so my next car is going to be a US made one. The Japanese, Korean and Australian manufacturers have had enough of my money and I wouldn't be seen dead in a VAG, BMW or anything else other than maybe an Italian marque. Our best selling car (not pickup or SUV) from Ford is now the US made V8 Mustang. GM is sending us the Camaro. One of those is on my list.

 

[Zerimas]

When it comes to precision steel hand tools for use in electronics, the best stuff for me is/was made in the US.

I'd buy US made over anything if we had more of it here in Australia. Our car industry is gone, so my next car is going to be a US made one. The Japanese, Korean and Australian manufacturers have had enough of my money and I wouldn't be seen dead in a VAG, BMW or anything else other than maybe an Italian marque. Our best selling car (not pickup or SUV) from Ford is now the US made V8 Mustang. GM is sending us the Camaro. One of those is on my list.

View attachment 30640

Really? Can you give some examples of said tools? It is not like disbelieve you, it is just that I have never heard this claim. I am always in the market for good tools. I bought some Wera precision screwdrivers once. Not American, but they were pretty sweet (for a screwdriver that is).

I feel like Ford makes a fairly decent automobile. They were the only North American manufacturer that didn't need bailout money (I think? I know GM did).

I am suspicious about all Italian made goods for probably no good reason. I feel like they can make a single good individual object, but when it comes time to mass produce them something goes wrong. Although I am actually basing this mostly off of the fact that their weaponry and equipment during WWII was pretty terrible. All the famous Italian goods are fairly bespoke. Ferrari's and Lambos aren't really a "commodity" (or maybe they are, but I am too poor).

I actually cannot think of anything that is made in Australia (that is commonly sold here in Canada). My sister did go there for school for a little while. She brought me back a beer from Stone and Wood brewery, which was actually really good.

My preference for MIJ goods probably isn't totally rational. It just seems like for a lot of the stuff I am interested in something MIJ represents the best value in terms of performance and cost. Then again a lot of that stuff was made more than 20-years-ago and I am buying it second-hand.

 

[anmpr1]

I'd take MIJ over "Made the in U.S.A." pretty much any day. Though I suppose it depends on what sort of product we're talking about.

When I was a kid, Japanese products had the reputation of today's Chinese products. That is, generally considered cheap junk that falls apart quickly. A lot of that was due to low end electronics--pocket transistor radios and such. So things and impressions can change over a generation or two. I personally think that Accuphase and Lux gear look gorgeous. But they are not even in the same ballpark, spec/quality-wise, as the stuff Benchmark is selling, hand made in Syracuse NY, and for a lot less $$$ than what's coming out of Japan. PS: this site has reviewed some killer Chinese gear, so we have to be careful with our views on things.

 

[Wombat]

The man behind the MIJ success: W. Edwards Deming

 

[restorer-john]

Can you give some examples of said tools?

https://www.all-spec.com/Manufacturers/Xcelite/Hand-Power-Tools/Pliers/Electronics-Pliers

https://xuron.com/index.php/main/industrial_products/11

Both made in the USA and both brands offer fabulous value and longevity.

 

[Sal1950]

GM is sending us the Camaro.

The ZL-1 Supercharged 650 HP 650 ft lb torque. OMG, now that's HOT!
Also the naturally aspirated 455 HP 455 ft lb torque That will do in a pinch.

 

[Zerimas]

https://www.all-spec.com/Manufacturers/Xcelite/Hand-Power-Tools/Pliers/Electronics-Pliers

https://xuron.com/index.php/main/industrial_products/11

Both made in the USA and both brands offer fabulous value and longevity.

It never occured to me that Xuron were an American manufacturer. I spent a fair bit of money on some specialized flush cutters for doing Gunpla (complicated plastic models of giant robots). They're great, but absolutely useless for anything other than plastic models. The Xuron cutters are often sold at retailers that deal in Gunpla. They're less expensive than "Godhand" nippers, but probably infinitely more practical.

 

[Krunok]

.. and I wouldn't be seen dead in a VAG, BMW or anything else other than maybe an Italian marque.

If you plan to buy Italian car be prepared to spend more time with your mechanic than with your wife.

 

[Wombat]

If you plan to buy Italian car be prepared to spend more time with your mechanic than with your wife.

Or with mega powered US chariots more time at the pumps.