Changing Cord/Cables on Dual 505-1

 

Al B
Unregistered guest
Hello folks. Recently dusted off this fine turntable for use in my new system and found it would not play. We had replaced belts and had it adjusted a couple years ago, but then it went back into disuse after we got tired of burning LPs onto CDs for easier listening. After pulling and twisting the power cord a bit, the table started spinning again. Some kind of bad connection in there somewhere or the power cord has a break in it. I have not even attempted to open it up yet, but I really want to replace both the flimsy power cord and the lousy old interconnects with something a little more substantial. Has anyone attempted or accomplished such a thing? I would really appreciate any advice on getting to the insides as well as what kind of cables people prefer for their TTs.

Thanks in advance.
Al
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest

The four hold down screws on the plinth are able to be loosened and swung in toward the center of the platter to allow the plinth to be lifted up. If you will take a flashlight and lift the plinth as high as it will go, you should see how to get the screws loose from the base. The screws do not come loose from the plinth, but, instead, lift up with it.


 

Al B
Unregistered guest
Thanks J. Vigne. You were right and it worked. I got it open and can see the wiring that would be needed to replace the power cord and also the interconnects. I have never done such a thing so I will have to work out the best way to go about it. I may call a local repair shop, or I may have the guy who made all my other cables put together at least the interconnects. The solder joints are on rather slim little pins and that makes me a bit nervous with my limited electrical skills. The power cord is less tricky, but I want a cord that will keep it nice and quiet in there. Any thoughts you or others might have on going about this would still be much appreciated. Cheers, Al
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest

I'm not sure what you mean by nice and quiet in there. As there are no transformers or capactiors of consequence in the AC line to the motor, there isn't much that would amount to noise production outside of the AC line itself. That is much better dealt with on the outside of the table with a good surge protector/filter. A decent filter with EMI and RFI filtration should,when inserted at the wall outlet, lower the overall noise of your system. Before you place the filter into your system, place your ear to the tweeter of a main speaker with the volume at an average listening level but with no signal. Put the filter in the system and do the same and there should be slightly less noise. If there is, you have a decent filter. How much difference you hear will depend on your system and the condition of your AC line from the wall.
As to the interconnect, it shouldn't be more than about 1 meter as a rule and should be of low capacity and resistance. With a moving magnet cartridge capacity is the most important to keep low.



 

Al B
Unregistered guest
Thanks again J. Vigne. My noise comment was a little loose language and a little ignorance mixed together. I may just leave the ac power cord alone because it is now behaving well and you are right that there is not much going on in the limited workings of the TT. I already have the Dual and all of my other audio gear plugged into a Shunyata Hydra 8 and the noise in the system as a whole is very low to imperceptible. I think I will ask my cable supplier--CatCables--to make up some interconnects for me. Have you known anyone to add a pair of external RCA jacks instead of soldering the new ones in place like the originals? That would seem preferable so you can change the cables easier over time, experiment with different ones, etc.
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest

Certainly you can do that if you prefer. There is somewhat of a rule that you limit the number of breaks/connections as much as possible. This is most applicable to a phono input and it's relatively low level signals. But what you are considering is not unheard of.





 

New member
Username: Len_bloom

Sarasota, Fl Usa

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-05
J. Vigne,

Please ADVISE: for a TT under $500 which one of these would be your FIRST choice with a cart.(name also)- Rega P2; Music Hall 2.1; Pro-ject 1Xpression (Debut II).
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest

Rega


 

Bronze Member
Username: Ca_convert

CardiffUK

Post Number: 82
Registered: Jan-05
Said without hesitation...

Leonard, go listen to one. Jan's opinion is well respected and rightly so, but its your ears. The pro-ject is good, and you might prefer it (its probably cheaper too).

Also listen to soemthing more expensive so you get a feel for the gap when you step up a price level. £400 gets you a pretty good sounding deck today, and they all sound different: they are not like CD playes, more like speakers so all the more reason to listen!
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest

It is true I recommend the Rega products without hesitation and have since I bought one of the very first Planar 3's brought into the US in the mid 1970's. ca_ is correct that you are the only person who can decide which product you should purchase and you should never just take anyone's word for what you should prefer. One problem facing a prospective turntable buyer today is the lack of comparison available in most shops. Tables are a small portion of the market and too many shops have all but given up on "selling" turntables; relying instead on the client knowing in advance what they want to buy. Finding a selection of tables with the same cartridge mounted was difficult enough in 1975. It is almost impossible today. So how do you decide?

Obviously you have to do some reseach ahead of going to the shop. Read some reviews and find what sounds as if it will suit your tastes and system. Then hope you can find a shop that carries the table and cartridge you're interested in. If you're a good audiophile, you've already established a relationship with a decent shop that can guide you in the direction that will benefit your system the most. If you haven't done this yet, there's no time like the present to get started building that rapport. A turntable is not something you want to buy mail order and then find out they've boogered the cartridge install. In turntables you will definitely get what you pay for and that includes set up help and tips on getting the most out of your purchase. Find a good dealer and give them your money, it will be worth a few extra dollars in the long run.

As to my recommendation of the Rega, here's what I consider when buying equipment. I hold on to my stuff for a long time (I've got a half dozen amps that I've had for over twenty five years and my turntable, a VPI HW19 with a Rega RB300, was purchased in 1986); so I look for a product that first appears to be built for the long haul. I've found that buying at the top of the heap, or as close to the top as your budget allows, will get me the best product for my long haul money. That doesn't mean you have to spend big dollars every time you buy audio gear, but buy the class leader at the price point you're at with your budget. At most price points, the Regas are a class leader to me. This has been tempered somewhat by the value of the US dollar recently. If you are in a price range where you can consider a product built in the US, and you live in the US, you may find more table from a US manufacturer than you can from an import. Never the less, the Regas are good values at any price. So buy the best you can afford, the one everyone else is being compared against; I find it is typically a product you will not want to trade as soon as the other guy's product.

Buy a product that will have the highest resale when you decide to trade up. That's a little hard to figure out in present time, but the chance there will be someone willing to buy a used Rega at a decent price has been well established over the last thirty years. What you get in trade or resale is what you'll use to buy your next product; why not get as much back on your investment as possible?

If you keep equipment as long as I do, you want a manufacturer who is likely to be around in ten or twenty years. This is also hard to determine in present time, but check Audiogon and see how many names you recognize as last year's hot model. Or more importantly, names you don't recognize at all. The manufacturer who's around when you need help ten years out is also likely to be the manufacturer who has upgrades that keep their products at the top of the heap. Not that you have to chase every Mk.IIa revision, but you may save yourself the next upgrade by having a product that can be upgraded rather than traded. The more dollars you save like this, the more you have for music. John A. on this forum can take his twenty year old Rega and replace the tonearm and motor to make a sizable improvement in his table for less than a new model would cost.

So for me value is what I look for whenever I buy equipment. Value can mean different things to different people, and I by no means am trying to suggest any of the other tables you mentioned are not good values. You have to decide for yourself what constitutes value, but a product that is outclassed by next year's competitor, has no upgrades and no long term service isn't likely to be a piece of equipment you or anyone else is going to want in eighteen months.

As I always reminded my clients, the best "deal" you can get may not always the best value. If you're happy with your purchase six months, six years or even after you've traded up, then you got a good deal. If you're not happy, then it wasn't much of a "deal" no matter what you paid for it.




 

New member
Username: Len_bloom

Sarasota, Fl Usa

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jan-05
Thanks for the suggestions. I guess there is no ideal in the selection of decks but I will be guided by your astute observations and comments. Now I need to decide on a solid, very efficient cart. for the Rega that won't cost me an arm and a leg. Any thoughts on this topic?
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest

No, that is a decision that should be based on several factors. Let your dealer guide you.


 

Silver Member
Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire UK

Post Number: 306
Registered: Sep-04
Len

If you go for the Rega, bear in mind that the Rega arm does not have VTA adjustment. The way this is done with Rega is to fit spacers at the base of the arm. Rega's argument for this has always been twofild 1) that VTA doesn't really matter much because of the minute angles involved (with which I don't agree) and 2) that VTA adjustment compromises the arm's integrity unless executed properly.

The spacers get you close without compromising the arm's integrity. If you choose a Rega cartridge (don't go below the super bias if possible), you do not need spacers. If you go for an alternative cartridge, you may need them. I always recommend Ortofon's 500 series cartridges with the Regas since I find that Rega's own cartridges are a bit harsh for my taste (if fast). The Ortofons need a 2mm spacer. They come in 4 variants (510, 520, 530 and - you guessed it - 540). The difference in price between the four is substantial. Each cartridge is the same catridge body fitted with a different stylus (and boy these make a difference). If you can go for a 520 or above, but even the 510 is engaging and lively. In future, if you want to you can upgrade to a 520/530/540 stylus. Styli should be changed every three years with average wear (1000 hours).

Regards,
Frank.
(With apologies for the very quick braindump)
 

Gold Member
Username: John_a

Post Number: 2769
Registered: Dec-03
Just to confirm that I consider my 1979 Rega P3 the best hifi purchase I ever made. There is not much I can think of improving on, but I understand from J.V., Frank A and others that replacing the arm and motor will have benefits. If the P2 has an RB 250 arm and the newer motor, then, by extrapolation, it should should up there with the best until at least 2030.... LP playback has probably reached the "state of the art" and I doubt if anything new and better will ever come along, at least for the turntable itself. How the current P2 and P3 compare I do not know. There are other Rega models, now, too, plus a range of well-regarded TTs from other makers. I agree with J.V.; try to find a good dealer: see what they have to say, and take some test LPs to their premises for demonstration.
 

New member
Username: Len_bloom

Sarasota, Fl Usa

Post Number: 3
Registered: Jan-05
Thanks for all your help. We do not have a Rega dealer in our neck of the woods (southwest Florida) so a lot of the information gleaned during my research is via the Internet. Someone today told me that the Goldring GR-1 is comparable to the Rega P2. I have heard the same analogy with NAD 533. Lastly, how would you rate an Ortofon cart. with the Rega P2 assuming now that I'll get that unit?

Len
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