Turntables/Elac Miracord 45

Stevenj

Well-Known Member
I am an equipment addict. I admit it. Up until now, I've been listening to my favorite turntable, a Lenco L75. I've just acquired a Realistic Elac Benjamin Miracord 45 (does it have enough names?). I really am enjoying this automated wonder more than the audiophiles say I should. It's bass is off the charts with it's original shure cartridge, maybe a bit to uncontrolled. I'm spinning Joe Jackson Night and Day, which is one of the best recordings I can think of.
 
ELAC revived the Miracord turntable line a few years ago, as the company has been re-introducing itself to the US market. Realistic (Radio Shack) didn't make their own turntables, but contracted them out over the years. The ELACs were probably among the better turntables they sold back in the day.
 
ELAC revived the Miracord turntable line a few years ago, as the company has been re-introducing itself to the US market. Realistic (Radio Shack) didn't make their own turntables, but contracted them out over the years. The ELACs were probably among the better turntables they sold back in the day.
I currently use vintage TDL Monitor Transmission Line speakers, which use ELAC bass drivers. I knew about ELAC, but didn't realize they revived Miracord. I just looked up the new offerings and they look nice, but I really like idlers and heavy platters.
 
Those Garrard 301 and 401 idlers from the past are very much sought after these days. Sadly it has driven the price through the roof, and a handful of "restoration" companies now install them in custom plinths and often sell in the higher 4-digit or low 5-digit range.
 
Those Garrard 301 and 401 idlers from the past are very much sought after these days. Sadly it has driven the price through the roof, and a handful of "restoration" companies now install them in custom plinths and often sell in the higher 4-digit or low 5-digit range.

Rudy, The Garrard 301 and 401 idlers are also higher end to begin with too. Also, bear in mind, the 301 was never a hot USA seller, the grease bearing version was imported to the USA by British Industries Corportation and sold in small numbers, mainly to a few broadcast stations and professional users. And a few high end audiophile users. Remember without arm, plinth, or cartridge in 1957, it was $100. Which was not cheap. The oil bearing 301 and 401 were never catalogued by BIC nor imported here in very much numbers (BIC would import them for you on special order if you knew they existed and wanted one, and would also supply a spare parts kit and full service literature, and would order more parts if you needed them from England).
 
While watching the Showtime series Billions last Sunday, they showed a tech hooking up a very expensive VPi turntable with a Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement MC cartridge attached. The cartridge sells for a whopping $17,500.00 by itself. It’s range 20Hz-100kHz. Wow! I wish they would have spent more time on it instead of moving to a new scene. It looked pretty amazing. I know the audiophiles on here would have been curious anyway. Hey Mr. Chris May, what does Richard use for a system nowadays?I’m sure he still has some kind of turntable in his sound room.
 
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Yeah, those top Clearaudio cartridges sell well into the five figures, although they do have entry level cartridges that us mere mortals can afford. The Dynavector DV17D3 also had a frequency range similar to the Goldfinger, but it was discontinued and replaced with a newer model that costs twice as much. It was a marvel of engineering though--the cantilever was only 1.7mm long and made of diamond (think industrial diamond, for the stiffness, as opposed to expensive jewelry-grade diamond).

I never was a fan of VPI, though--their turntables look too much like mechanical contraptions, and I do not like the unipivot arms they use, which are frustrating and fussy to set up. I've heard a Classic 2 and was less than impressed, to be honest, and countless others at audio shows that really didn't make an impression on me.

I do like Clearaudio's turntables, and the Performance DC and Ovation models still look like traditional turntables. (Although at those price levels, I'd be more inclined to get the Technics SL1200G Grand Class instead, mainly for the speed stability.) The Innovation series is one that I like but again, the price of entry is too high (even for the Innovation Compact). But while they look a bit different, there is sound engineering behind them, and a reason for why they are set up the way they are.
 
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