Another killer AR turntable from Vinyl Nirvana

Here's another gorgeous AR turntable courtesy of Vinyl Nirvana. This one has all of the Merrill-Scilia mods as well as some extra ones from Vinyl Nirvana. And yes, that's an SME 3009 arm mounted on it.

It's going for $2295 shipped. That may sound like a lot, but this one looks nearly perfect and I'm sure it sounds great.

If you're interested in it, check it out at www.vinylnirvana.com.

You snooze you lose...look at this beautiful vintage Thorens TD-147!

I think we all missed out on this one. This beautifully restored Thorens TD-147 from Vinyl Nirvana sold within days. The cost was only $625 shipped. For those who don't know the TD-147, it's the version of the famed TD-160 with the auto shut-off function. This particular model has a stunning plinth, and the entire TT had only one minor scratch.

This just proves that the market for first-rate vintage turntables is still thriving. For future reference, just bookmark the Vintage Turntable page on Vinyl Nirvana at http://www.vinylnirvana.com/vintage-turntables-for-sale/ and you'll be able to monitor these offerings before they sell.

Oh, and for the record, I receive nothing from Audio Nirvana, Echo Audio or anyone else for spotting these TTs. In fact, I don't even think that Kurt Doslu or David Archimbault know about my blog. I just think about something that Gene Rubin of Gene Rubin Audio once told me: "Finding homes for used audio gear is good karma. All of these pieces can bring musical joy to SOMEONE..."

Latest offering from Vinyl Nirvana...this AR/Moth beauty!

The latest gorgeously restored turntable from Vinyl Nirvana is this amazing AR EB-101 with a Moth RB-301 tonearm. The plinth is oiled walnut, and it has several mods from Merrill including a very cool platter. Here's the blurb from Tom at VN:

"The AR EB-101 is one of those tables that makes my heart beat faster. It has looks that demand attention.

On to the turntable…cosmetically, this table is an 8.0 on a scale of 1-10. (I’m a hard rater.) The oiled walnut veneer is in very good shape, with one area of wear on the left front top edge (see pic) and one area of wear near the right front side edge (see pic). The metal portion of the plinth is in very good shape with some very light scuffing not visible with the platters in place. There are also two scuffs on the power switch. There is a dustcover in very good condition, however, it will not sit in place with the record weight in place.

The table has been highly modified with the CURRENT incarnation of the Merrill-Scillia/Vinyl Nirvana mods. The drive platter has the upgraded bearing, and the outer platter is brand new acrylic. The mat is the Merrill-Scillia lead mat. To complete this ultra-mod, I installed the outer periphery record clamp.

The springs, grommets and studs have all been replaced/upgraded, and I have installed a new co-polymer pulley and new co-polymer armboard. Note the Bren1 solid aluminum record weight. In short, I have not offered a table this “loaded” for a while."

The price for this TT is a very reasonable $1795. As Tom states, the arm and armboard are a $475 value alone. Knowing Tom's meticulous restoration skills, this has to be one vintage analog rig that will make some audiophile a very happy camper.

If you're interested, check it out at vinylnirvana.com.

One-of-a-kind Rosewood AR turntable

Here's a rosewood version of the AR turntable from the '80s. It's not just rare...it's the only one of its kind. It's featured on the Vinyl Nirvana site and has a very interesting story behind it. Apparently AR wanted to test several different kinds of veneer before they went with the walnut. This was the one made from rosewood and wound up in the hands of an AR employee, who kept it for many years. He sold it to David Archambault, the owner/proprietor of Vinyl Nirvana.

You can read the entire story here: http://www.vinylnirvana.com/ar_gallery_rose.shtml.

I would grab this one in a heartbeat, too...but it's practically priceless. What a beautiful turntable.

SOLD!

I just checked the Vinyl Nirvana website (at vinylnirvana.com) to see if any more interesting AR turntables were for sale, and I noticed that the beauty I talked about last week was sold. I wonder if it was purchased by anyone I know. So if you were thinking about buying it, too late! If the person who bought it reads this blog, send me a note. I'd really enjoy hearing about your experience buying, receiving, setting up and playing this gorgeous machine.

Completely stock AR "The Turntable"

Now this is the AR turntable, known simply as "The Turntable" that I had back in 1983. This one is completely stock, even with the original so-so tonearm from AR. It's hard to find one like this that's still in this good of a condition, so it's a real find.

Again, this is from David Archambault's Vinyl Nirvana site (http://www.vinylnirvana.com/), and it can be yours for just $675 shipped. I know, I know...I paid only $300 for mine when I purchased it new. But I've seen AR 'tables like this one fetch close to $1000 on e-Bay, which is obscenely high. This one, fully checked out and restored, is a bargain at the price. You can buy a Rega P2 with an Ortofon 2M Red for about as much money, and you'll have a slightly better-sounding 'table in my opinion, but it won't have the coolness factor. When I had my AR turntable, people constantly walked up to it and admired it. All that wood, quite frankly, is tactile and gorgeous. My old black Rega Planar 3 was a little drab by comparison.

Again, I'd highly recommend this 'table to anyone in the market. Just don't put a Grado cartridge on it or it will hum like a mofo (something I found out when I tried to put an 8M Signature on mine back in 1983). Get an Ortofon like the X5-MC or the 2M Blue and you'll be happy for a long, long time.

Modded AR Turntable from Vinyl Nirvana!

Look at this beauty! It's an AR ES-1 turntable with a custom cherry base, a Rega arm and a Merrill platter. It's difficult to even know it's an AR!

It's currently for sale at Vinyl Nirvana (http://www.vinylnirvana.com/), my favorite site for restored vintage turntables. Here's the description:

"I am truly excited to offer this table. Someone is going to be VERY happy.

"The AR the Turntable is one of those tables that makes my heart beat faster. It has looks that demand attention. When I recently acquired one with badly damaged veneer, I commissioned a finish carpenter friend to build a new cherry veneer plinth. What you see before you in these pictures is the finished product: one of the most gorgeous AR tables I have offered.

"As a mix of old and new, this table is cosmetically a 9.0 on a scale of 1-10. The cherry veneer plinth is in as new condition.I listed the table as 9.0 overall because the "guts" of the table are used.

"In terms of mods, this table has it all: used Merrill lead mat and acrylic platter, used Merrill outer record clamp, new MS record weight, new co-polymer armboard, and a new co-polymer 33/45 pulley. In addition, the springs, grommets, and studs were also replaced. Do the math based upon the pricing on my AR MODS page, and you can see this unit is an unbelievable value!"

The price on this gorgeous TT is just $1475 shipped! Wow! If I was in the market...


I had an AR ES-1 'table from 1983, when I was still in college, to 1993, when I switched to a Rega Planar 3. Along with the Naim NAIT 2, it was one of those componnts I label "The One That Got Away." By the time I traded it in, I had removed the bottom board (a worthwhile and free tweak), I had replaced the stock arm (crappy) with a Premier MMT, and I mounted the still-available Ortofon X5-MC cartridge. That was a fine rig, and when I switched to the Rega it almost felt like a lateral move. Perhaps I was just tired of looking at it after a decade. But I wish I still had it.