Something must be said about the beauty, engineering, and solid performance of well-made vintage turntables. You can often get great performance for a fraction of the cost you’d spend on comparable current models. I purchased my Micro Seiki BL-91 model from a reputable seller on eBay for under $1,600 and made a few modifications. I replaced their feet with more solid metal ones from Amazon (roughly $30), upgraded their tonearm with the Audio Creative GrooveMaster ($2598), and am employing the Korf Audio HS-A02 headshell ($210) with cartridges in play. It’s a gorgeous table, and the playback has been extremely gratifying. However, that’s not to say there aren’t a few hidden costs in bringing performance up to par.
Take my Micro Seiki BL-91, which was built sometime between the 1980s and 1990s. It looks and sounds great, however, I had some issues with speed drift; One day, it played 33 1/3 RPMs (Revolutions Per Minute) very well, but several days later, I’d put on a favorite LP and noticed that it was a little too fast. Sure enough, a quick check with an iPhone app showed it was playing in the 36-plus RPM region. I’d adjust the speed potentiometer and it would sound right again. However, several days later, it was playing fast again.
I boxed and drove my turntable to my technician, who cleaned the speed pots and replaced some old electrolytic capacitors on the power supply. That helped, but after about a week, the drift began. Eventually, we replaced the trim pot on the speed potentiometer, which regulates the speed of my turntable. Again, that helped, but I’ve noticed slight drifts in speed.
I contacted several more experienced friends who suggested that perhaps the rubber belt that rotates the turntable’s platter upon which the record sits needs replacement. One of my manufacturing friends offered that he has superb OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) belts he uses (he is looking for one in his inventory that meets the BL-91’s specs). Another suggested that perhaps I need to have the turntable’s motor opened up, its bushings cleaned, and possibly rebuilt. Having already spent several hundred dollars on technician fees, the latter option makes me cringe, as I imagine additional unwanted expenses in that picture!
Meanwhile, my friend, Christan Griego, owner of SOTA Turntables, lent me his Roadrunner turntable tachometer that provides moment-by-moment feedback on the platter’s speed out to the thousandths! I have found that extremely useful in making the tiny adjustments required to get the speed as close as I can get it to perfection — without pulling out my hair.
While the speed drift seems to be minimal at the moment, I am frustrated with the very, very tiny increments that I must make in adjusting the speed potentiometer to try and get it to a perfect 33.333 RPMs. Hovering over the knob with my bifocals tilted for best focus, I take great pains to turn it a fraction of a millimeter to the left or right. And then I hold my breath as I watch the readout get closer to my target. More often than not, it falls short. Waiting for it to stabilize, I make the next adjustment. And wait. Presto! It hits 33.333. But, then it gradually moves past — either to the left or right of the mark. It’s maddening!
There’s a term I learned back in my business school days in the 1980s called “Satisficing.” Business guru Peter Drucker wrote about it in one of our textbooks, and Nobel laureate Herbert Simon coined it in 1956. Combining the words “satisfy” and “suffice,” it’s a form of decision-making where individuals choose a sufficient option, rather than the optimal one. (Investopedia.com). As quickly as the market and its demands move, it’s important to be able to make high-stakes adjustments relatively quickly, and satisficing often gets the job done. With the demands of my work, review, and lifestyle choices, I’m safisficing for now.
Is it playing at a perfect 33.333 RPM at the moment? No, but the turntable looks gorgeous, while the music sounds rich, wonderful, warm, and true to the source and medium — and that will do just fine for now!
