('77-'78)  $300  (pristine)

In absolutely pristine cosmetic and working condition, this one owner Realistic Lab-300 turntable was Radio Shack's top of the line single-play two-speed turntable in 1977.  

Priced at about $160, it was marketed as a "precision belt-drive manual" even though the Lab 300 is, in reality, a semi-automatic turntable with arm return and shut off at the end of play.  At the time, Realistic intended that the Lab 300 would have such a high quality design, it should be compared to some of the more expensive and "better" manual turntables available.

NOTE:  Radio Shack (compared to all the other companies) rarely advertised in the HifI magazines back in the day.  Their catalogs were well known and appreciated by consumers.  However, when it came to the Lab 300 turntable, they were so confident of its features, design and low price that they ran full page ads in Stereo Review magazine...that was an expensive corporate decision at the time.

The attractive walnut veneer base supports a spring-loaded plinth with special "vibration isolation" guards to prevent jarring and groove jumping.  More importantly, it has a very reliable 4-pole synchronous motor which stays on speed even during voltage fluctuations.

Features include:
~The custom timberwood headshell comes with an excellent Signet TK3EA cartridge and correct pristine 3EA stylus
~A steel hinged pristine dust cover that holds steady at any angle for easy record changes. 
~Cueing / pause lever that raises and lowers the stylus into the groove;
~Adjustable anti-skating which helps to minimize stylus and record wear
~2.5 lb cast aluminum platter helping to reduce wow and flutter 
~Balanced S-shaped tonearm which has a point to stylus length of 8.5" for very accurate tracking.
~New "Corkey" cork n' rubber platter mat
~Custom foam pads under the original feet for added anti-resonance protection

About Realistic (Radio Shack, Tandy Corp)...
Realistic branded vintage stereo gear is all over the place.  Some of it is right up there in quality with the best of Pioneer, Sansui, etc.  Also, some of it is just...ok.   Their best era was during the 70's when they successfully competed head-to-head with all the big names in high fidelity.  They sourced practically all their products from Japan and sometimes had the exact same components inside their gear as the competition but at a much lower price.  

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('76-'77)  $350

Obtained from the original owner, this Kenwood KD-2055 is another of "The Rock" tables like its cousins, the KD-3055.  The cosmetic condition is very good and it's operationally perfect.  

As a bonus, the original factory feet have been upgraded by adding the Discwasher "DiscFoot Isolation System".  The "DiscFoot System" was designed to work with existing turntable feet for a dramatic reduction of floor and speaker feedback. 

The specially designed S-shape tonearm has the original headshell and it comes with an excellent Shure R47XT cartridge and pristine Shure 5X stylus.

This is an exceptionally heavy belt drive turntable with a *faux-concrete plinth that makes this unit weigh in at a hefty 26 lbs.  The KD-2055 is a semi-automatic, belt drive with some very cool chrome controls (lever handles for record size selection and cueing, chrome buttons for 33/45 and start/cut).

NOTE:  The idea behind a heavy turntable is to dampen the bass feedback below 30hz that can rumble a turntable for those with higher quality speakers. Hence the invention of the subsonic filter.

This is one of the cooler turntables on the market and unique in its build quality which sometimes makes them highly sought after and a bit harder to get than a "typical" mainstream Japanese brand vintage table.

In 1977, Kenwood demonstrated the KD-2055 (and KD-3055) in a dramatic fashion by placing it directly on top of a large floor speaker.  With its special base made of an anti-resonance *concrete so dense that it absorbs vibrations from the speakers and the floor before they get to the tonearm. Nothing happened.  No howl.  No screech.  Just music, loud and clear.

*NOTE: The term "concrete" is a marketing hook from Kenwood.  The actual material was called ARCB (Anti Resonance Compression Base) that was a composite of powdered synthetic marble (like Corian) mixed with resin and then cast it into shape. 

Essential specs:
Drive: belt-drive system
Motor: 4-pole synchronous
Speeds: 33.33 and 45rpm
Wow and flutter: less than 0.06% WRMS
Signal to noise ratio: more than 50dB
Tonearm: static balance type, s-shaped pipe arm, eia plug-in connector
Dimensions: 19"W x 14.3"D x 7"H
Weight: 26 lbs

About Kenwood (Trio)...
Established in 1946 as the Kasuga Radio Co. Ltd. in Komagane City, Japan, in 1960 the company was renamed Trio Corporation. In 1963 the first overseas office was founded in Los Angeles.

In the early 1960s, Trio's products were rebranded by the Lafayette Radio Co with a focus on CB radio.

An importer of Japanese-made electronics Radio Shack (Realistic, Tandy Corp) was A&A Trading Co., and a bilingual Japanese-speaking manager from there established a company that would be the exclusive importer of Trio products.

The name Kenwood was invented by Kasuga as being the combination of "Ken", a name common to Japan and North America that had been tested and proven acceptable to American consumers in the name of Kenmore appliance (Sears) \, and "Wood", referring to the durable substance as well as suggesting a relation to Hollywood.  The brand recognition of Kenwood eventually surpassed that of Trio's, and in 1986 Trio bought Kenwood and renamed itself Kenwood.  Eventually, Kenwood merged with JVC in 2008 as JVC/Kenwood.

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(Germany '73-'74)  $300 (near mint)

This very reliable, well-built Dual 1225 comes with the United Audio real walnut base and the original tinted dustcover.   This turntable is in absolutely excellent cosmetic condition and operates flawlessly. 

The 1225 is a fully automatic turntable with one touch start and auto-return. The tonearm also has soft cueing. The 2-speed, idler-drive mechanism has pitch controls for speed accuracy. The single play spindle and the multi-play, disc-changer (taller) spindle is included.  For those that prefer the hands-on approach, the turntable can be operated manually yet will still return and shutoff at end of play.

The torsionally rigid tubular aluminium tonearm has vertical pivot mounting and a horizontal self-adjusting pivot mount. 
The removable sled has a Shure M55E cartridge and new N55E stylus.

The 1225 is best described as a "middle-of-the-line" deck for Dual; higher up the chain than the 1224, 1222 or 1221, but lower in the hierarchy than the 1229, 1228 and 1226. It was, however, the bread-and-butter of the Dual lineup having sold by the thousands in the USA and even more in Europe.

Specs:
Drive: Four-pole asynchronous motor
Platter weight: 3.1 lbs
Speeds: 33.3 and 45rpm
Pitch control: 6% adjustable at both platter speeds
Wow and flutter: +-0.15%
Headshell (sled): removable, suitable for all 1/2" mount cartridges 2-10g
Weight: 12 lbs

About Dual...
Instead of our usual back story, here is a wonderful link to the amazing history of Dual:

https://www.stereolifemagazine.com/articles/item/1546-over-a-century-of-spinning-a-history-of-dual

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(early 80's)  $325

This Thorens TD-105 MKii turntable is in excellent cosmetic condition and, of course, it's fully operational.   This unit is a semi-automatic with a friction-free velocity-sensing electronic shut-off and automatic return of the tone arm.  Photo-sensitive backlit buttons for 33 or 45 activate the platter with a slight touch of the finger.  

Main features:

Servo-controlled electronic belt-drive systemSensor feather-touch controlLow resonance tonearm tube utilizing split-wave technology

One especially cool feature:  It has an electronic servo-controlled drive system and the ISOTRACK TP 22 tonearm "wand" (Note: it's called a wand because the entire arm slips out of the pivot for easy cartridge change)  Included is a very nice Grado Prestige Black cartridge and practically new stylus.  

Originally, this model was designed to attract those who wanted the "typical" Thorens quality but didn't have the bucks to buy their more expensive units.  The TD-105 is a belt-drive turntable completely designed and manufactured by the Thorens Corporation.   It has a brand new belt and the original dust cover is perfect as well.

Apparently, Thorens decided that, in order to save money, they chucked out any ideas involving wood and went with a black resin base (plinth).  In order to slightly enhance the "plasticky" look of the plinth, we upgraded the exterior panels with real mahogany veneer on the front and sides.  At Cherry Vintage Audio we always say "if ain't got any wood, it's just not as good"

About Thorens...
Here is an excellent link that does a deep dive into the origins and history of Thorens:

http://www.stefanopasini.it/images/Thor1215.pdf

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(1984)  SOLD

This beautiful Harman Kardon T40 turntable was obtained from the original owner; it also comes with the original box and packing materials. 

The T-series from Harman Kardon produced some of the very first turntables to incorporate a minimalist design while retaining pure form and function.  Elegant in their simplicity, they also utilized excellent technology combined with sophisticated materials for their construction and operation.  Because the design was uniquely Harman Kardon, they easily stood out among the plethora of turntables available in the 80's.

Fully serviced and fully tested, this T-40 is in pristine cosmetic condition and performing perfectly.  These beauties are rarely seen in such immaculate condition as this one is.  The satin cream finish over MDF was another of the unique ideas that came with the HK T-Series of turntables from the mid 80's.

The complete unit weighs about 16 pounds (including the disc stabilizer), and measures 17.5" wide, 14.6" deep and 6" high.  The design is stunning when seen in person; photos don't do it justice.  The original dust cover is pristine with solid metal spring hinges.

Essentially, the T40 is a single-play, two-speed, auto-up, auto-shutoff turntable whose 2.2 lb die-cast aluminum-alloy platter is belt-driven by a FG servo-controlled, DC motor.  The platter is fairly massive and includes the original HK disc stabilizer for tracking accuracy.  On the control panel there are selections for speed (33 & 45) and a "speed lock" button that does exactly what it says.  With the push of another button you can disengage the auto functions and operate the deck manually if you so desire.  Finally, there is the capacitor trim dial to match up the cartridge within a specified range as required.

An optically sensed auto-lift tonearm is incorporated, eliminating the return mechanism entirely. (This helps to minimize unwanted tonearm and cartridge vibration.)  At the end of play, the arm lifts up and the motor shuts off.  This unit also has a brand new belt installed. 

As a major bonus we decided to install an excellent, brand new Nagaoka MP-100 cartridge & stylus on the headshell.  A turntable this nice deserves a special, high quality cartridge.
(NOTE:  This brand new Nagaoka MP-100 (Moving Magnet) cartridge features a lightweight aluminum alloy cantilever and a conical diamond with .0006" radius.  It's recommended to perform best at 47k ohms with a tracking force of 1.5 grams to 2.3 grams.  The attached stylus is proprietary to the MP-100 and replacements are available online.)

At the tonearm base is a high mass, die-cast aluminium support structure which houses the minimum-friction "microrace" bearings.  The tonearm was designed by the same group responsible for the excellent Micro-Seiki tonearms on their high end decks.

A sophisticated and unique 3-point floating suspension system is employed in the T40. It is precisely counterbalanced with a weight opposite the tonearm assembly to center the moving mass at the platter spindle.  The spring-loaded rubber feet have additional 1/2" foam pads to assure against any unwanted resonance.

The factory installed heavy-duty cables on the T40 are gold-tipped to provide excellent conductivity and low signal loss.

Features include:
Belt drive, quartz-locked motor with pitch control
2.2 lb. platter
Counterweighted 3-point floating suspension
Optically sensed auto-lift tonearm with Auto-cut button
Low mass, low friction, straight tonearm with high mass pivot isolation
Disc stabilizer
Carbon fiber headshell
Phono capacitance trim control
Vibration absorbent wood base with cream satin MDF laminate coating

About Harman Kardon...
Harman Kardon's first audio products were more high style than high-tech, with easily removable faceplates available in a variety of designer colors as their principal selling point. But it wasn't long before Sidney Harman hired Stu Hegeman as HK's head designer.  The products they are probably most famous for are the Award Series and Citation line of kits and factory assembled separates.  Their expertise included ventures into loudspeaker design with the unique HK-50 omnidirectional speaker system being a true vintage collector item.

In the late 70's the "new" handsome components were designed, built and tested with the understandings that went far beyond conventional ideas about distortion and the factors that make one component sound better than another.  HK considered the integrated series such as the HK-503 to be the most musically accurate components ever devised.  That's quite a statement!

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