newbee Technics SL-QL1 question

[jleilich]

Hello folks, first post here. So I'm a casual vinyl listener and collector. Don't care much for how much anything is worth as I do just listening to my records. My mother in law bought me a new Sony USB TT last year for Christmas so I was able to get my old records out and listen again. Now I am re-hooked and have been a thrift store junky ever since looking for records and equipment.

I just picked up an SL-QL1 for $30, I got it because it seems like a cool TT. I plugged it in and it works and plays records. All the functions seem OK. It hums but I didn't connect the ground to anything (i was just testing to see if it worked)It also seemed to play at a low volume. I assume this will go away once I connect the ground?

Is there any basic maintenance I should be doing right away on this? You know like when you buy a car, you check the oil, brakes, fluids ect. What should I be going over on this TT? I have also read about upgrading the RCA cables, should I get into this as well?

Thanks all in advance.
Joe

[jleilich]

Sorry, just realized this probably should have gone in the Technics forum.

[fscl]

Hello folks, first post here. So I'm a casual vinyl listener and collector. Don't care much for how much anything is worth as I do just listening to my records. My mother in law bought me a new Sony USB TT last year for Christmas so I was able to get my old records out and listen again. Now I am re-hooked and have been a thrift store junky ever since looking for records and equipment.

I just picked up an SL-QL1 for $30, I got it because it seems like a cool TT. I plugged it in and it works and plays records. All the functions seem OK. It hums but I didn't connect the ground to anything (i was just testing to see if it worked)It also seemed to play at a low volume. I assume this will go away once I connect the ground?

Is there any basic maintenance I should be doing right away on this? You know like when you buy a car, you check the oil, brakes, fluids ect. What should I be going over on this TT? I have also read about upgrading the RCA cables, should I get into this as well?

Thanks all in advance.
Joe

Nice tangential tt to start, a steal for $30. If the current cartridge is still good, this should sound better than the Sony USB.

As it seems that it is working as it should, automatically playing LPs of various sizes to the end and shutting off, use it until it starts to act up. My default is IIABDFI...... (If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It as opposed to the more agressive IIABFix It Till It Is camp..... )

The link below is an answer to the SL-DL1 which is the same as the QL1 except for Quartz speed lock, the DL1 has the ability to vary pitch a bit....There is a link to the QL1 manuals. Download both service and owners manuals and put the QL1 through its paces...... This link also gives a heads up to what may go wrong with the QL if it starts to act up and needs service. The long SL-7 thread gets into a lot more detailed tweaking, operating principals remain the same.

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=49513

Hopefully when connected to a proper ground and receiver / amplifier phono input, you will get proper volume.

You will need a phono stage / preamplifier to feed into an Aux or modern line input. Don't know your budget, however we have a topic for that....

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=31799

Good luck and welcome to VE......

Fred

[raphaelmabo]

It hums but I didn't connect the ground to anything (i was just testing to see if it worked)It also seemed to play at a low volume. I assume this will go away once I connect the ground?

The hum will go away when you connect the ground, but it will still play at low volume if you don't have a phono stage in your amplifier or a separate phono pre-amplifier. The Sony USB had one built-in. Only some of the entry level turntables of today has phono pre-amps built in. Older turntables does not. In the old days, phono stages (phono pre-amps) was built into the receivers or integrated amplifiers so you connected the turntable to the phono input. Now, since vinyl is no longer the dominating format for music replay, many of the modern receivers and amplifiers lacks a built in phono stage, but no worry there are plenty of them available as external units. So you hook up the turntable to a phono pre-amplifier and then this phono pre is hooked up to a receiver or integrated amplifier.

[jleilich]

Thanks for the replies guys. I really appreciate it. Sounds like I just need to hook it up properly and go from there.

[jleilich]

Hey guys, the TT works great! Sounds awesome. Thanks again for the advice.

[fscl]

Hey guys, the TT works great! Sounds awesome. Thanks again for the advice.

Now the question...... (drumroll) does it sound better than the Sony USB.....

Happy vinyl playback....

Fred

[jleilich]

Hey guys, the TT works great! Sounds awesome. Thanks again for the advice.

Now the question...... (drumroll) does it sound better than the Sony USB.....

Happy vinyl playback....

Fred

It has a much warmer, softer sound than the sony. I have them both hooked to the same tuner and played the same record on both. The Technics definitly sounds better.