SCBobo85 Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 Hello All: I've been wanting to purchase a turntable for ages, but it has been cost prohibitive until recently. At any rate, I recently came into possession of an Acoustic Research (Model AR-XB, I believe), purchased by my Dad in 1975. He had an issue with the stylus jumping back in the day, but other than that it was in great working condition. I've cleaned it up, and aside from the rubbery shock absorbtion pad adhesive dry-rotting on the outer-platter, I think it's ready to go. I plan on replacing the cartidge tomorrow (unless it would be unwise to do so), and am in need of some advice as to a quality replacement, as well as any advice as to a quality/affordable pre-amp through which to run it. I've saved my dumbest question for last: the portion of the motor that moves the belt appears to have two guides through which to run the belt. Does this have to do with motor speed, i.e., 33 1/3 v. 45? Thanks in advance! SCBobo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
000000 Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 "Quality" is directly proportional to "Budget". What is your budget for a new cartridge and pre-amp? Also, it's pretty safe to assume the belt guides are definitely to control the platter speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCBobo85 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 Thanks -- I found an owners manual online shortly after posting and answered my own question re: belt guides. As for the subjectiveness surrounding my 'quality' inquiry, I'd like to spend as little as possible at the moment -- just looking for something that will not sound too terrible. Thanks again for your reply! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxmartinxx Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 I've been wanting to purchase a turntable for ages, but it has been cost prohibitive until recently. At any rate, I recently came into possession of an Acoustic Research (Model AR-XB, I believe), purchased by my Dad in 1975. He had an issue with the stylus jumping back in the day, but other than that it was in great working condition. I've cleaned it up, and aside from the rubbery shock absorbtion pad adhesive dry-rotting on the outer-platter, I think it's ready to go. I plan on replacing the cartidge tomorrow (unless it would be unwise to do so), and am in need of some advice as to a quality replacement, as well as any advice as to a quality/affordable pre-amp through which to run it. Do you have a cartridge alignment protractor and a tracking force scale? If the answer is "no" to one or both of those questions, the answer is "it's unwise". The jumping could be caused by insufficient tracking force or, if the table has an anti-skate mechanism, it not set up properly. What's your budget for the cartridge and the preamp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCBobo85 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 Right now I'd like to be a cheapskate about it -- I have absolutely no turntable knowledge so any sort of guidance is appreciated. The turntable has been sitting in storage for 30 years, so should I at least replace the stylus? The cartridge was unscrewed from the arm when I opened the box and I reattached it, will that have any affect on its balance/tracking force? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxmartinxx Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 Right now I'd like to be a cheapskate about it -- I have absolutely no turntable knowledge so any sort of guidance is appreciated. The turntable has been sitting in storage for 30 years, so should I at least replace the stylus? The cartridge was unscrewed from the arm when I opened the box and I reattached it, will that have any affect on its balance/tracking force? You can download a generic protractor that can print out and it will get you close enough to having the cart aligned. You're going to have to do that if the cart was removed. I wouldn't play a record on it until you check the tracking force. Setting the tracking force is a little more difficult as you need a scale. Shure makes a relatively cheap one, but it's still about $25 and if you're looking to do this on the cheap, that's probably more than you'd want to spend. I would also not play a record on it until you buy a new stylus. That will run between $10 to $100 depending on the cart. I'm thinking your best bet is to go to a local shop, buy a cheap cart and have them set it up for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 I would also not play a record on it until you buy a new stylus. That will run between $10 to $100 depending on the cart. I'm thinking your best bet is to go to a local shop, buy a cheap cart and have them set it up for you. See if you can do this. It's your best bet for the least amount of money/time/chance for error. Some shops will install the carts you buy from them for free or for very little. But it may depend on how much you spend on the cartridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCBobo85 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 Thanks guys. I appreciate all the help. I'm looking forward to having it ready to play soon. Nothing beats the vinyl listening experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 I'm pretty sure sex does, but that's just me. gabpower 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 You nastyyyyyy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 I think he meant the topic to be "Turntable; Virgin in need of support". Now it makes more sense. weinerdog 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 Well looky there: you scored a little treasure courtesy of Pops and you didn't even know it. The XB is pretty much the same thing as the XA, except with a cueing lever. It's an awesome beginner level turntable that punches way above its weight, providing you take the proper steps with some simple, cheap maintenance. I recently posted something on the AR-XA a few days ago: http://boards.vinylcollective.com/topic/88029-if-you-had-200-what-player-would-you-buy/?p=1507648 There is a TON of information on the web in regards to fixing up these AR-XA / XBs, but I would start with this video from Dave @ Vinyl Nirvana: http://www.vinylnirvana.com/ar-diy-do-it-yourself/basic-service-to-an-ar-xa/ When you're done with that, do yourself a favor and watch this video: What cartridge is currently mounted on the turntable? It was really common for those old ARs to be paired with a Shure m91, which is a great budget cart which you still buy a replacement stylus for ... although you may not need to. It depends on how well your dad took care of it and how much it was used in the past. If you want a replacement, Grados match up pretty well. The Grado black is the entry level in the prestige line. The Shure m97x is another option. I'm not a fan, but Ortofon OM 10 is worth looking into. Be careful with the headshell. It's by far the worse part of the AR-XA / XBs. The plastic nubs on the part that screw into the tonearm can wear down and break off. Also, don't over tighten the cartridge screws because you can strip the holes. You want the cart to be tight against the headshell, of course - just don't overdo it. If the cart was mistracking (stylus jumping, etc) chances are your dad didn't have the vtf set correctly. As mentioned, you'll need to get a stylus force gauge. The Shure works well, but you could also get a digital pocket scale for under $10. Search amazon and there are plenty of options. But yeah, it's essential that you have the VTF set correctly (about 1.5g for the carts mentioned above), and there's no way to tell if you've got it right without one of these gauges. These suspended decks are fairly prone to footfalls - especially if you have an old house with wood floors. That could be another reason why the stylus was jumping around. You can smash the top plate of an AR with a hammer while a record is playing an nothing will happen, but any lateral movement can really wreak havoc on its ability to track well, so it's really important to have it on an extremely steady base. A wall-mounted shelf works best, but if you have on a base that sits on the floor, you can anchor that base to the wall with L brackets and that will suffice. If your base is sitting on a rug, you'll probably have less issue with footfalls. There's not a ton of adjusting you can do in terms of alignment. You can't move the cart in the headshell, but you can move the tonearm tube back and forth a little bit. Print out a Baerwald Alignment Protractor from Vinyl Engine (http://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-alignment-protractors.shtml) and also watch the set up video I mentioned above. The only way you can adjust VTA on one of these ARs is by placing some sort of shim between the cartridge and the headshell. The manual should give you instructions for this. There is no anti-skate on an AR-XA / XB. It doesn't need it. The tonearm doesn't look like much and the TT as a whole comes of as incredibly simple, but there was a ton of design and engineering expertise and innovation that went into these things. Just another reason why an AR-XA in good condition will, in my opinion, easily outperform an entry-level Rega or Pro-Ject. You'll definitely want to get whatever remains of the old mat off the platter. A simple felt mat will serve you well for now: http://www.needledoctor.com/LKG-104-Anti-static-mat?sc=2&category=420 Cork or deer hide are also really good DIY options for a turntable mat. Probably not a terrible idea to replace the belt, especially if the TT has been sitting in a box for 30 years. There are lots of cheap options on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Belt-for-ALL-AR-ACOUSTIC-RESEARCH-Turntable-AR-XA-AR-XB-ES-Narrow-/181093093197?pt=US_Record_Player_Turntable_Parts&hash=item2a29fd4f4d In regards to your question about the motor pulley, the larger "guide" as you put it is for 45 rpm. The smaller is for 33 1/3. For a beginning preamp, the ART DJ PREII is as low as I'd go. It won't wow you, but it's solid: http://www.amazon.com/ART-II-Preamplifier-Outputs-Switchable/dp/B000AJR482/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366681713&sr=8-1&keywords=art+dj+pre+ii I've also heard surprisingly good things about the TCC TC-750: http://www.phonopreamps.com/index.html#Preamps That's all I can think of right now. If you ever get to the point where you want move up to the next level of performance, bring the table up to Charlotte and I know a guy who can do some relatively simple modifications that will have that thing competing with decks in the $1000 range. And he could probably do it for somewhere in the $150 range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 TL;DR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 STFU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCBobo85 Posted April 23, 2013 Author Share Posted April 23, 2013 Bearchuck -- thanks for all the help. After an hour and a half with some steel wool, the old mat is no more. I picked up a felt mat today after work and wanted to test the TT out on an old scratched to hell 33 that was in the TT box (I was mistaking the cartridge for the headshell, and the entire unit had been removed from the arm. I reattached it with no problem). Two issues: (1) the Platter has a wobble to it. A couple of folks suggested I rotate the platter until the wobble ceased, but that did not seem to work. Any suggestions? (2) The TT is producing a lot of static (in addition to the normal crackles and pops) -- some of which I attribute to the record. I am running it directly into an early 2000's Sony STR-DE525 Reciever, without any volume issues, so is a pre-amp even necessary, or do you think my direct connection is an additional source of the static? Again, thanks for the insight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 In regards to the platter wobbling, take off the outer platter, flip the switch and let me know if there's any wobble with the inner platter. I kinda doubt there will be, but let's get that out of the way first. If I had to throw out a guess, I bet that you need to tune the suspension on the turntable. First things first: is the TT on a level base? If you don't have a bull's eye bubble level, pick one up at Home Depot or your local hardware store. They're super cheap. Check the base and make sure it's as level as you can get it. Then check the XB's top plate and make sure it's level as well. Finally, check the platter to see if it's level. If it's not, you're going to have to re-tune the suspension. I won't get into that right this second, but let me know what you find and we can go from there. As for static, clicks and pops, do the easiest thing first: clean your records and clean the stylus. Lots of info on the web on these matters. Your receiver appears to have a phono input. I assume that you're running the XB's RCA cables into the phono input, correct? If so, you do not need a pre-amp. I seriously doubt that it's causing extra static. Again, do the simplest thing first - clean your records and make sure there's no gunk / dust bunnies / hair on the stylus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.