In late 2023, Serge Rogozyansky of Karmadon posted his exquisitely crafted Ortofon-inspired 12" tonearm on Facebook. Being an aficionado of bespoked pieces, I was smitten! When I mentioned it to Tish, her immediate reaction was, "You already have too many turntables and tonearms!"😉
Due to an upcoming visit to the Philippines, I had to curb my enthusiasm.
This ca. 1969 Kenwood turntable adapted the Thorens TD124 drive system sans eddy current speed control.
Just like cars, a new turntable model has to be introduced every year or two to keep consumers' interest and convince them that newer is better.😊
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| from page 37 of the 1960 Radio Shack Catalog |
The Realistic Mark 8 improved upon the similar looking "motor unit-stye" Mark 7 in Part 4 of this series by adding a 16 rpm speed and supplying a half pound heavier cast aluminum platter.
I bought this Lafayette PK300 idler-driven turntable because it looked like an improved Shield MO-19 (aka NEAT P58H) with the added feature of an eddy current pitch control as found in the Garrard 301/401 and Thorens TD124.
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| Shield MO-19 vs. Lafayette PK300 |
Comparing them side by side, the PK300 turned out to be proportionately smaller in all dimensions and lighter in weight. Hmmm🤔…let's travel back to the late 50s.
Looking back to my late 90s home brewer article for Sound Practices issue 17, I noticed that a good number of components in my hifi system then are still serving two and a half decades later. The Tamura TKS83 moving coil step up transformer is one of them.
Overall, my ears still prefer the smaller and more affordable brother, the Altec 4722!
In the ensuing days, I did further evaluation and indeed, these Finemet MC transformers are doing something extra special. My only reservation was, in spite of the potted construction, the FM-MCT1s are more susceptible to hum induction compared to the Altecs and Tamuras. Even if John lined the wooden box heavily with copper shielding, I still had to keep them away from power transformers, AC motors, etc.
Inspired by the sonic niceties I heard, I was undeterred so I contacted Mr. Kimura of General Transformer Sales Co. Ltd. After a few emails aided by Google translate, I finalized my order.
Gtrans.co.jp is headquartered in the same location as the former Noguchi store we visited in 2015, which is in the basement of Tokyo Radio Department Store in Akihabara.
Kimura-san specified a 3-4 week window for delivery. So I downloaded the spec sheet, studied the schematic and ordered a cast aluminum project box from Amazon.
Within 18 days, the transformers were at my doorstep.👏
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| Finemet FM-MCT1 |
These are very well made and quite hefty! They're heavier than the TKS83s which, if memory serves me right, are about the same weight as the HM7s.
I chose a different layout for the 145mm x 121mm x 40 mm MC step up transformer chassis for neater routing of RCA cables.
Under the hood
The input and output RCA jacks are on the backside mounted on top of the chassis. Only the ground lug was mounted on the side.
I installed the 3-position gain/impedance load selector in front of the chassis.
No matter which cartridge I used - Denon DL103, -R, -C1, Fidelity Research FR1 MkII, Ortofon SPU #1s, -G, -GM, Supex SD900, etc. - male and female vocals + instruments are portrayed with 3-D presence and realism in a deep and wide sound space. The musicians are in my man cave!
Boosted by the Finemets, even the most analytical and dry-sounding MC cartridges in my stash, like the Goldbug Clement II and Sony XL44 came to life with more warmth. If that's a coloration, it's certainly most welcome!
Ever since I became an audio DIYer, I pride myself in not being impulsive about upgrading components in my hifi. This is a rare exception!😉
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| Stereo Sound Tube Kingdom Volume 104 |
If I got it right, in this survey of commercially available MC step up transformers, the Finemet FM-MCT1 was the only DIY unit.
This turntable/tonearm combination has been in my collection for over twenty years. I wired the tonearm for stereo because I particularly enjoy using it with the Shure M3D and M7D.
I couldn't find this in any of the Radio Shack Catalogs issued from the late 50s to the early 60s unless it escaped my tired, old eyes.
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| from page 2 of the 1957 Radio Shack Sale Flyer |
However, the A-3 tonearm, which is essentially a Calrad SV12/Musicmaster Model 12/Velvet Touch sibling, was featured in the 1957 sale flyer above.
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| from page 4 of the 1958 Radio Shack Sale Flyer |
This is the Mark 7 turntable recorded in the Radio Shack Catalog Vault.
Based on the shape of the chassis, this Mark 7 is perhaps the younger of the two since it looks very similar to the succeeding Mark 8, which I will discuss in a future installment.
Although not quite as heavy and massive as a QRK or Russco, the cast aluminum chassis is very rigid on both units. The earlier MK7 chassis above is configured to accommodate a 9"-10" tonearm, while the later MK7 below was designed as a "motor unit" like the Garrard 301 and 401.
The speed selector linkage to the idler wheel in both are similar, but due to a slight difference in the motor mounting layout, the idler arm and idler wheels are not interchangeable.
Except for the paint color, this hysteresis motor is exactly the same unit fitted to my NEAT P58H, which I covered in Part 2 of this series. Click here for motor servicing information.
The main bearing is an oil lubricated design, which supports a 3-lb. cast aluminum platter.
Before moving on, the younger MK7 depicted above had a serious issue - the motor has a bent rotor spindle!😔 Will I be able to save it by adapting the motor from another Lafayette PK245 (don't ask my wife how many turntables I own 😆) with a warped platter?🤔
While planning the motor transplant, I examined the MK7 idler wheel condition and decided it might be worth rejuvenating.
So I mounted it on a handheld drill, deglazed the rolling surface with 400 grit sandpaper, and soaked it in brake fluid for over a week. This was suggested to me decades ago by a kind soul who visited the Rek-O-Kut Tips page in my old website. It has worked with two other Japanese idler wheels but I've never tried it on a Lenco or Rek O Kut. Back in those days, it was more convenient to just send Lenco and ROK wheels to Ed Crockett, RIP 😞 or Terry Witt 👍, who's still catering to the needs of audio DIYers.
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| The above idler wheel was resurfaced by Gary of VoM. 👍 |
Even if the rubber motor mounts were still supple, I replaced them with springs. A nice lesson I learned from servicing my NEAT P58H.
To my ears, the spring mounted motor + 8 mm ball bearing/nylon countersunk washer thrust pad help lower the noise floor.
Realistic Mark 7 stepped pulley specs
It is essentially the Realistic Mark 7 above with a different inscription on the badge.
I have a close affinity for the Mark-7 + A3 since this was the very first Japanese idler-driven turntable I acquired.
Rubber hardens as it ages and this is exactly what happened to the rubber mats originally supplied with my Garrard 301, 401, Thorens TD124 and other turntables. I'm aware that modern reproductions are available, but I wanted something more affordable and practical. So I surfed and found a 3-pack cork mat with an LP label indentation for $12 on Amazon.
Does this mat make the sound better?🤔 Hmm...frequent visitors to this blog know better that after several decades in this hobby, I've grown averse to typical audiophile hair-splitting.😉
However, I'm happy to report that a few LPs from my collection which are slightly dished or warped now lie flat. That's good and I like the sound.
Try it and hear for yourself!😊
Happy Spinning!🎻🎷🎶
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| Page 12 of the 1958 Lafayette Radio Catalog |
...and 1/2" x 0.72" 302 stainless steel springs 😊 from Grainger. IIRC, it was part number 1NDJ1.🤔
After further listening tests, I determined that the rubber shock mounts used in the Gray Research turntable were better suited to this design. They can be sourced from Surplus Sales of Nebraska, part number RPS 426-0001.
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Happy tinkering and listening!
