('76-'78)  $400  (rare, pristine w/ extras)

In excellent cosmetic condition, fully serviced and perfect operating condition, this Rotel RP-2500 is a 2-speed, semi-auto turntable.  It was one of their finest belt-drive turntable designs and was first released (export only) from Rotel of Japan in 1976. 

This beauty comes with some excellent upgrades including:
~New *Shure V15 Type III cartridge and pristine VN35E stylus (original box included)
~Custom timberwood headshell (a second original Rotel headshell is included)
~Custom wooden oak feet with anti-resonant pads
~"Corkey" rubber & cork anti-static platter mat
~New belt

*NOTE: After a lengthy period of producing the highly respected series of V-15 cartridges, Shure Bros introduced the V15 Type III in 1973.  The Series III offered  a uniformly flat, unaccented, uncolored frequency response. This was accomplished by reducing the stylus mass by 25% and by employing a new laminated pole piece design.  Fortunately, even today (50 years later) there are several companies that offer excellent (and correct) styli for the Series III.

Besides the visual appeal of the unique cosmetic design and excellent build quality, the RP-2500 offers precise speed controls, minimal wow/flutter and vibration levels that makes this beauty one of the most sought after turntables built by Rotel from the mid-to-late 70's. Like all the beauties from Rotel, the RP-2500 became another one of their best sellers for many reasons.  

Of course, the cosmetic design grabs you right off the bat.  Rotel had a distinctive rustic red oak veneer they used on a few of their best vintage turntable models, including the RP-2500.  The visual design of these turntables from Rotel stand out from across the room, they are stunning...the veneer is a full wrap-around design. 

The controls are all grouped on the right hand side in a classy satin black metal control plate.  There are controls for speed selection, trim pots (for speed correction if necessary), cueing and reject. 
Also included is the original Rotel 45 RPM adapter with a dual purpose; it also has the markings for use as a stylus gauge. 
On the left hand side is the attractive housing that contains the neon "activated" strobe lamp for easy verification of accurate platter speed. 
Also included is the original anti-skate chrome "dongle" (these integral weights often had a tendency to "go missing" after all those years since it was new.)

As mentioned above, the RP-2500 features a semi-automatic operation; at the end of play, the arm returns and the motor shuts off.The topside strobe lamp and the speed adjustment controls assure a constant, accurate speed that makes the RP-2500 easy to maintain for many years to come.
Rotel turntables of this quality and design are rarely seen in such amazing condition as the one we are offering here.  This beauty should definitely be considered a keeper. 

About Rotel... 
Rotel is a family-owned Japanese manufacturer of high end audio and video equipment. The company was established in 1961. In the early 1980s, Rotel joined the B&W Group forming a strategic alliance with Bowers and Wilkins and later adding Classé Audio.  Rotel was one of the few Japanese audio companies to create, design and manufacture their products in-house instead of using subcontractors.  They didn't advertise to the extent of the other big names in Japan, they relied on targeted marketing towards audiophiles and higher end audio related publications.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

('75-'83)  $700

Obtained locally from the original owner, this beautiful Rega Planar 2 is in pristine cosmetic and operating condition. 

The presence of the spectacular, completely redesigned Rega RB220 tonearm on the Planar 2 was a major draw when first released.  The arm is even better with the included brand new Ortofon Red cartridge & stylus. The plinth sits in a beautiful wooden base supporting the turntable.

Drive is via a compliantly mounted AC Synchronous motor with simple phase shift power supply, through an O-ring type belt (the belt is relatively new).

The top platter is a stunning and highly precise *float glass platter.  Instead of a mat that would cover the beautiful glass platter, records placed on the platter will sit on unique and tiny flexi-foam pads.  These unique pads will support the record for either standard 12" LP, 10" EP or 7" 45's.  The glass platter sits on a plastic sub platter.  The dark tinted acrylic dust cover and original hinges are perfect.
*NOTE: Float glass is a sheet of glass made by floating molten glass on a bed of molten tin due to its low melting point. This method gives the sheet uniform thickness and a very flat surface.


The Rega Planar 2 back story:

In 1976, three years after Rega’s creation, the Planar 2 launched as one of the brand's very first turntables. Its S-shaped tonearm was then replaced in 1984 with Rega’s RB250, and at the turn of the century a brand new version of the deck (fittingly named the P2 2000) took its place in Rega’s catalog until 2005.  And the beat goes on...

About Rega...
Rega was founded in 1973. The company's name was formed from the initials of its two founders (RElph & GAndy). Rega are widely known for their turntables – most notably the iconic Rega Planar 3 cartridges and tonearms, and have produced award-winning amplification and speakers for many years.  In addition to manufacturing products under their own brand name, they have also served as an OEM of turntables and tonearms for other companies such as NAD & Rotel.

Rega Research is imported and distributed in the US by The Sound Organisation, based in Arlington Texas.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(1979)  $400  (pristine full auto, quartz-locked, direct-drive)

In perfect cosmetic and working condition, this great looking, unique Realistic Lab 500 turntable was the top of the line at the end of the 70's.  It was made in *Japan for Radio Shack (Tandy Corporation).  It is, without any doubt, one of the top two of the finest turntables they ever sold (the other being the Lab 400)...
Essentially (in our humble opinion) the Lab 500 is absolutely one of the best of the high quality, superb tables to come out of the Orient during the "Golden Age of HiFi".  

The Lab 500 was a custom design by Tandy Corp but was actually built by Mitsubishi of Japan using Tandy's specs.  This beauty is a direct drive, fully automatic, quartz locked, 2-speed turntable with a repeat function.  All the controls are on the front so, even with the dust cover lowered, it's very simple to operate.  

Most of the LAB-500's functions are electronically controlled which ultimately means fewer mechanical parts to break down or wear out.  The superb motor is a 12 pole brushless dc servo type that maintains constant speed under any potential voltage fluctuations.The platter design visually appears to make the platter look smaller in height than most, yet it's heavier, thicker and wider than most at the same time.  It's also a great looking turntable.  The design features lots of wood veneer and stunning heavy brushed aluminum.  We've had a few of these over the years and believe it to be one of the most beautiful of all.

Mounted on the original integrated headshell (designed specifically for the Lab-500) is a pristine Shure/Realistic R9000e LWS cartridge and new (correct) replacement for the N95e stylus.  The cartridge is basically the same as the famous Shure M95ED.
NOTE: The Shure M95ED was a high dollar cartridge back in the day.  There were several editions with similar specs, most still putting a squeeze on the wallet.

The S-shaped tonearm keeps the stylus of the cartridge perpendicular to the radius of the groove over the full surface of the record, which means low distortion and excellent tracking at less than 1-1/2 grams

This Lab-500 also comes with a new acrylic dust cover.

*Note:
Besides the fact that the Lab 500 was built by Mitsubishi, in most cases, the majority of Realistic turntables were manufactured by C.E.C. (Chuo Denki who still exists today.)  It wasn't just Radio Shack but many other well known names like Hitachi, Marantz, Sanyo, Toshiba, etc had lots of equipment manufactured by Japanese OEM companies such as Foster/Fostex and NEC, Mitsubishi, Hitachi and C.E.C..

About Realistic/Optimus/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.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

('79-'83)  $300

In excellent cosmetic condition and fully operational, this late 70's / early 80's JVC L-A55 turntable was built with solid features for solid performance.  It features a coreless direct-drive motor, JVC's proprietary "Independent Suspension" system, an excellent tonearm, strobe and pitch controls. 
Its operating ease is the first thing they thought of...no question about it.  The L-A55 is a semi-auto, so you don't have to worry about placing the arm on the record; just lightly press a button to gently lower it to begin play.  At the end of play, the arm will return and the motor will shut off.

The JVC automatic mechanism of the L-A55 is foolproof. And it is far more accurate and gentle than your fingers ever could be. There's never a reason to lower the tonearm by hand at any time. 

All of the light touch operating controls are along the front edge and within easy reach even when the dust cover is closed.

JVC used a low-wow coreless DC direct-drive motor in the L-A55 for the sake of speed accuracy. Built entirely by JVC in their own plant, the flawless motor exhibits very low wow and flutter resulting in music that's reproduced pitch perfect.

Tonearm resonance, when excited by warps or eccentricities, even slightly, adds coloration to music, giving a fuzzy edge to it. The balanced "S" shaped tonearm is desensitized to resonance and it also has the original JVC aluminum headshell. Also included is a new Audio Technica AT-3600L cartridge and new ATN-3600 stylus.

The L-A55 has a pitch control that lets you adjust speed up to 3 percent faster or slower than standard. It's a must have feature if you're a musician, amateur or otherwise, for it lets you precisely match the pitch of a record to any musical instrument. Of course, you can quickly return to the right pitch whenever you want thanks to a built-in strobe with neon light.

About JVC (Victor) of Japan...
JVC was established in Yokohama, Japan in 1927 as the Japanese subsidiary of the U.S. firm, Victor Talking Machine Company. They pressed the very first record ever...in Japan in 1930.  One of the more interesting facts about JVC was that they built all their products in-house.  Many other famous Japanese electronic companies farmed out a lot of design and manufacturing to subcontractors.  That alone doesn't mean anything is necessarily wrong with having others build your gear but to have control of the entire process in house was quite unusual.  Plus it saved a lot of money...allowing JVC to provide high quality gear at a lower price than some of the competition.

Their unusual approach to design (for vintage stereo gear) included the extensive use of multi-band graphic equalizers instead of simple bass/mid/treble controls.  The quality of their vintage turntables and electronic gear is mostly first rate and has emerged from being "under the radar" of collectors looking for excellent value.

(1978)  $375 (one owner, perfect w/ extras)

In excellent cosmetic and working condition, this JVC QL-A5 turntable was obtained from the original owner and comes with all the factory manuals, documentation, original box and packing materials.

The QL-A5 was designed to compete in the very crowded market of "mid-fi" units in the late 70's.  Not quite top of the line but definitely not entry level either.  The QL-A5 is a quartz-lock, direct-drive, semi automatic turntable that has automatic return, reject and auto-shutoff.  

JVC's super dependable quartz-lock Super-Servo frequency generator combined with the "no cogging" corless, direct-drive DC servo-motor are easily the table's best qualities.  The basic circuit configuration of the QL-A5 is the same one used in their higher end QL-A series of turntables.  Unique to the QL-A5 (and QL-A4) was the "one row" strobe so you can visually confirm speed accuracy.  Since the frequency is changed with the speed, only one row of calibration dots is necessary.

The S-shaped tonearm features angular contact bearing with oil-damped cueing.  The original JVC headshell comes mounted with an excellent Audio Technica ST-800 cartridge and new stylus.

The original factory feet have additional 1/2" thick foam pads to help provide excellent vibration isolation.  The satin finish aluminum plinth with the silver accents really does look stylish and cool!  This is a really good looking, high quality turntable.

Essential specs:
Drive method: direct drive
Motor: quartz locked DC servomotor
Speeds: 33 and 45rpm
Pitch control: +-6%
Wow and flutter: 0.025% WRMS
Signal to noise ratio: more than 75dB
Tonearm: tracing hold type
Frequency response: 10Hz to 25kHz
Dimensions: 6"H x 17.2"W x 15"D
Weight: 15 lbs

About JVC turntables...
JVC was a great manufacturer of audio gear...especially during the 70's. The name had sadly become cheaper in the recession of the late 80s and never really recovered from it. Originally, the Japan Victor Company was once associated with the RCA Victor Company. They built a name providing competing audio equipment at a lower price point than the more established names. 

Their cheap gear was exactly that...cheap. 
But...their mid-fi and upper ranges were very good to exceptional. There is also some discussion about the competition between JVC and Denon turntables. Looking at the higher end turntables of the two manufacturers, there could be some merit, but who helped who is the big question.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(1980)  $350

In excellent cosmetic condition, fully serviced and fully operational, this Philips AF-829 turntable was the top of the line in 1980 from Philips North America division referred to as "HiFi International".

The linear, low mass tonearm comes with a new Ortofon Omega cartridge and stylus.  One of the very best features on this table is the built-in weight scale that accurately lets you know how many grams of weight the stylus is tracking with.  The quartz lock display is measured with red LEDs on the front panel and all the controls are pressure touch buttons.

The AF829 turntable is front operated, direct control, and fully automatic. Their direct control was a new system combining the advantages of measuring the actual speed at the turntable and the well-known advantages of belt drive, in combination with the subchassis  principle used in earlier Philips turntables. 

The major achievement was bringing the specs to the level of direct drive, but without the inherent problems of direct drive which requires extremely fine construction to avoid rumble, suppress microphony, and decrease sensitivity to shocks. 

Tech info:
The direct control begins rotating the motor at 33 or 45 RPM, as selected. The belt transfers the rotation to the turntable. The speed of the turntable is continuously sensed by the tacho-generator and converted into a voltage, the output of which is fed into the control unit where this voltage is compared to a reference voltage. The resulting difference voltage is used as a control signal to adjust motor speed. Thus in this system all external influences are compensated, including changes in tracking force, different record weights, use of a dust bug, changes in environmental temperatures and relative humidity, mains voltage, and frequency fluctuations. 

Features:
~free-floating sub-chassis
~low torsion tonearm
~tachometer
~speed regulation
~CMOS memories (CMOS, which stands for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor, is utilized for designing integrated circuits. This technology finds applications in microprocessors, static RAM, digital logic circuits, and microcontrollers.  The main purpose of CMOS in a turntable is to store important automatic system configuration.)

Specs:
System:  Direct Control
Operations:  Fully automatic
Speeds:  3.33 and 45 rpm
Wow and Flutter : less than 0,025 (WRMS)
Rumble:  less than 73 dB (DIN B)
Tonearm Type:  Linear
Tracking Error:  less than 0°9' /cm
Dimensions: 18"W x 6.5"H x 14.4"D

About Philips North America...
Gerard Philips introduced Philips & Co. in 1891 in Eindhoven, Holland. Anton Philips, Gerard's brother, joined him to help create a prospering company. By the 1900s, the company became Europe's third largest light-bulb manufacturer. The company began constructing plants abroad by the 1930s, including Philips Electronics North America (known then as North American Philips).  Televisions and appliances were added to the company's production lines in the 1950s. Two years later, the company signed an agreement with Matsushita Electronics for technology-licensing operations. Philips began producing the audiocassette, the VCR, and laser disc technology by the 1960s. In 1974, North American Philips purchased Magnavox as well as a small interest in Grundig, a German electronics company, in 1979. GTE Television was purchased by North American Philips in 1981, followed by the purchase of Westinghouse's lighting business in 1983.  Due to slow computer sales, the company sold its Magnavox Electronics Systems unit in the 1990s. The company also sold its interests in Whirlpool and Matsushita Electronics, and in 1997, Grundig. In 1996, Philips and Sony announced plans for a joint effort to license digital video disk (DVD) technology.

About Philips High Fidelity International...
Philips goes way back to the late 1800's and has always been a respected name in Europe and the Netherlands.  Their early development of loudspeaker technology pushed them into the high end section of audio.  A little known fact: They also invented and developed the cassette tape among other things.  Before they became well known in America, they were a leading maker of turntables, speakers and higher end electronics all over the rest of the world.  When they moved into the North American market in 1974 and purchased Magnavox, they dropped the "High Fidelity International" and became "Philips" and/or "Philips Laboratories". 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++