Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Lenco L75 Turntables by Munkie

Model:	L75
Category:	Turntables
Suggested Retail Price:	$200
Description:	vintage idler wheel drive TT
Manufacturer URL:	Lenco
Model Picture:	View

Review by Munkie_NL ( A ) on February 13, 2006 at 06:10:43
IP Address: 217.121.120.27

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This is not a new off the shelf product you can buy. It's a DIY project with the following ingredients:
-(Goldring)Lenco L75/76/78/88/99 idler wheel drive TT, vintage
-Decca International unipivot tonearm, vintage N.O.S.
-Shure M97 cartridge, mine is vintage with a N.O.S. N97EJ stylus but a new M97xe is still available from ca. 60 USD/85 euro
-massive new DIY plinth made from layers of birch multiply and MDF
Dismantle the Lenco, keep only the TT itself and the dustcover. Take apart the main bearing, idler wheel bearing and motor, clean and relube. Damp the chassis with bitumen tape or Dynamat. Replace the idler wheel spring with elastic. Glue the rubber mat onto the platter. Make a big plinth and couple the Lenco directly to it, no rubbers or springs. Put 3 cones/spikes under the plinth.
Placement and setup is critical like any other TT.
This is a lot of DIY but it transforms a rather noisy old TT with an oldtimy sound into a monster TT. Product strengths are AFTER DIYing the Lenco. You can use other arms and carts of course, this is an affordable setup which works for me. Total cost for me (I'm Dutch): 200 euro. In the US, US model (Goldring)Lenco's are hard to find and they're getting expensive. In Holland, Germany, UK they're plentiful and cheap. A Euro Lenco will not work in the US due to the 50/60 Hz power grid problem.

Product Weakness: -It's a lot of work especially making a new plinth. You have (have access to) a workshop with tools. It's not a particularly difficult project.
-US model Lenco's are hard to find
-The original tonearm sucks, you have to get a new arm. Most good vintage arms have been discovered already with prices going up. A Rega RB250/300 is a good match with the Lenco OTOH although it's 10 mm longer than the original arm.
-A vintage 70s TT with a perfect dustcover is ultra rare. Replacement dustcovers are hard to find.
-It's a kind of mass TT which is sensitive to placement.
-The Mighty Motor sends vibrations to the chassis which can lead to audible rumble in the amplified sound. So one of the purposes of the rebuild is to make the Lenco quiet.
Product Strengths: -PRAT, speed, rythm, bass slam, dynamics, details, solid stereo image, MUSIC that demands your attention!
-(In Europe) low price for a used Lenco
-simple TT with ultra high build quality
-vertical idler wheel so no stress on the main bearing
-powerful brushless motor, 4 kg metal platter with most of the mass in the rim
-Vintage Vibe and Conversation Value! It's even more 'undergound' than a Garrard 301/401 or a Thorens TD124!
-Bang for the Buck: only the Technics SL1200mk2 (ca.500 euro) comes close in build quality.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	NAD C350/Marantz MA-500
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	none
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony X7ESD CDP
Speakers:	Elipson 1303
Cables/Interconnects:	VandenHul
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Jazz, classical, blues, pop, rock
Room Size (LxWxH):	8 m x 4 m x 3 m
Room Comments/Treatments:	square room, carpet, wooden floor
Time Period/Length of Audition:	a couple of days for this setup
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner