Systemdek II

This is my third turntable in 40 years, and so far as I am concerned the best. I like it's ability to be leveled at the chassis, platter and tonearm, and its small footprint.

The chassis levelers are easy to reach, I added a small round bulls eye level to the inside of the chassis on the bottom plate where it was easy to see with the platter off. It is permanently attached with a small dab of silicone glue.

The platter levelers are on the underside of the chassis and are a little hard to reach but they do work. I added a small bulls eye leveler (also with a very small dab of silicon glue) to the mounting arm where the tone arm rests, it is easy to see and adjustments are easy to make. All leveling to the platter was done with a 180 gram record mounted, my 400 gram record clamp and the tonearm at rest near the middle of the track area with the needle guard down. The player is off during this adjustment.

I use a SME 3009 tonearm for this turntable project and any further adjustments to leveling the tonearm itself are made with small flat washers under the tonearm base where the four screws that attach it are located. It could also be done by careful filling on the balance bearing but that is the hard way and in some respects is not a good idea.

Since this is the only turntable currently in my system it is not easy to compare to others sonically but to me it works and sounds wonderful, there is no hum at any volume level and all music is delivered in a very life like manner.

I use a 400gram record clamp on my acrylic platter (it was considered an upgrade and was this way when I bought this turntable). I use a cork platter cover, it does a good job of controlling the static charge that playing 180 - 200 gram records was causing me. My original wool felt cover was always getting stuck to my records by static on the heavy vinyl records, a problem I never had with older thin records.

This turntable and all its parts has cost me less than $1k to assemble and so far I am pleased with how it looks and how it plays.

My only complaint on this turntable so far is that the spring suspension is very active and using the tonearms lift was difficult, to me this was an easy thing to work around as I am used to the finger lift on the headshells for raising and lowering my tonearm. I expect the next time I do any maintenance on the tonearm I will remove the Lowering device.

Phono System list as of today;
*SYSTEMDEK II turntable
*Yaqin MS-22B Phono amp
*Yaqin MC-100B Integrated amp (stock tubes)
*Klipsch Heresy speakers (original type)
*SHURE V15 Type III cartridge w/Ed Saunders stylus, headshell cables are List wire type.

I am a novice user as far as tube amps go and the Yaqin Tube amp and Phono amp were the only equipment I could afford at this time.

All my previous stereo sound systems were based on Dynaco ST400-ST416 and Pat-5 BiFET preamps. I still have those but now they are in storage. My other turntable is an old but trustworthy AR ES-1 which is still in very good shape.

One last statement and I will rest my fingers - Anti-Skating adjustments were always a mystery to me and these were set by guessing, I now have a very simple and accurate means of setting this - Get a Demo LP with groves only on the play side A, make sure it is totally smooth and glossy on the side B, use this smooth side to set your anti-skating, place your stylus near the middle of the smooth side and start your player, If the anti-skating is off the needle will move inward or outward, make your adjustment until the needle stays in one place on the record and you are done!

Thanks you - please enjoy your music no matter what type you like.

8/10 by mtgray123