Lenco Owners & Discussion Thread

[marcusD]

4 minutes ago, kffern said:

@marcusD my top plate is very different to yours. Around 5 years ago I think. His first version. The wheel on my old lenco was aftermarket bonded rubber and very well made.

OK,  AudioCreative sell the stealthdrive, it is a great piece of kit. I picked up a idler wheel collar that keeps everything nice and tight (off LencoHeaven).

[Bell Ringer]

56 minutes ago, kffern said:

I sold my best idler along with the best running Lenco to Spider. The plinth wasn't pretty but it sounded good and worked well. I see its up for sale.

 

I am now using an original idler wheel which looks OK. I have an idler wheel from the Russian guy on ebay but the clear rubber rings he provided seem to wear and leave rubber on the motor shaft. Speed wasn't good either. I need to find an O ring for it instead. Speed wasn't much better. I find that when I disengage the wheel and then re engage it I get a different speed. The motor is very silent and I assume runs at correct speed. My hunch is that it is the motor mounting. I really should have got Reindeer's top plate. I still could as its not flush with the corian but I have threaded inserts in the second Corian layer. The Corian does give it a clear and tight sound. Stick with plain colours though.

@Bell Ringer Are you using mains AC? Do you find the speed changes at different parts of the record?

kffern

@kffernspecs are here and a good review https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/phoenix-engineering-eagle-psu-and-roadrunner-tachometer/

The speed adjusts constantly, depending on warps etc., each album is different. Some don't vary much at all. I assume the variance is warps, stylus drag, and how the vinyl is cut. 

Apart from waiting for the speed to settle at start up I've stopped looking at it! It was really distracting when I first installed it. 

 

[kffern]

@Bell Ringer 

Oh, you have the whole thing. The eagle and the roadrunner? It continuously adjusts the frequency according to the speed.

I have the poor DIY cousin, generously designed by the same guy after he sold the business to SOTA.

It doesn't adjust for speed and the frequency accuracy not quite as good. A couple of smart guys have modified theirs to take the signal from the tach and adjusts the 4phase unit. I have just moved on to an old SP10.

[McCvinyl]

What options are out there for speed controllers at the moment?

I see Phoenix engineering are no more but I can only find the PTP one which is quite expensive.

I have not looked too heavily into the DIY options as I am unsure if my electrical knowledge is up to it.

 

I have just built my PTP6 test plinth and already I am thinking the speed change set up will become annoying.

[marcusD]

3 minutes ago, McCvinyl said:

What options are out there for speed controllers at the moment?

I see Phoenix engineering are no more but I can only find the PTP one which is quite expensive.

I have not looked too heavily into the DIY options as I am unsure if my electrical knowledge is up to it.

 

I have just built my PTP6 test plinth and already I am thinking the speed change set up will become annoying.

Long Dog Audio (LDA) has one and there is one that is advertised on Trade Me over here in NZ as well

[kffern]

Looks like Sota has discontinued the Eagle. They have changed to the Condor which is 3 phase for a BLDC motor. I wonder if the motor can be retrofitted to a Lenco motor housing?

BTW. I don't have a spare XR2206 chip as I mentioned before. I do have 3 of the recommended trimmers if anyone want to pay for shipping or collect.

kffern

[marcusD]

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/electronics-photography/home-audio/turntables/listing/4047052194

[crtexcnndrm99]

My Nigel controller is currently in the mail from Andy hopefully this arriving this week. 
 

Options that aren’t DIY would be the PTP controller or often there’s one on eBay advertised as Lenco/Garrard, at about the same price. 

 

Will update here when mine arrives

[kffern]

Hope this helps anyone considering these builds.

I have built the Pyramid SG4 (2 units) and 1st and 3rd link for rpm measurement. I used an aftermarket Arduino hence the built in calibration value may not be accurate. Comparing the 2 I don’t see much difference though. I can say that its worth buying a Meanwell PSU for the amplifier with the SG4. The rest are unreliable or don’t have enough amps.

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/display-turntable-speed-with-an-arduino-nano.393849/

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/digital-tachometer-for-record-player-lcd-display.301609/

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/pcbs-to-build-a-turntable-speed-measurement-device.350978/

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/60-wpc-amplifier-for-diy-turntable-motor-drive.300371/

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/diy-4-phase-sinewave-generator-for-turntable-motor-drive.298018/

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/2-phase-synthesised-sinewave-generator-for-synchronous-motor-drive.365849/page-8#post-7262972

 

I also built the Silicon chip PSU but that won’t drive a Lenco for long. It does work but gets warm. Further heatsinking might help but I haven’t tried.

kffern

Edited March 20, 2023 by kffern

[McCvinyl]

3 hours ago, marcusD said:

Long Dog Audio (LDA) has one and there is one that is advertised on Trade Me over here in NZ as well

Looks like LDA have taken it off their product list.

 

[crtexcnndrm99]

On 20/3/2023 at 10:26 AM, crtexcnndrm99 said:

My Nigel controller is currently in the mail from Andy hopefully this arriving this week. 
 

Options that aren’t DIY would be the PTP controller or often there’s one on eBay advertised as Lenco/Garrard, at about the same price. 

 

Will update here when mine arrives

Controller picked up yesterday.

 

First impressions are in line with expectations - the Lenco is the quietest it has been. Silent at the plinth; SQ also apparently improved due to reduced noise, evident in more reverb and spaciousness in chamber music, such as this Harmonia Mundi release this morning

 

Tried switching to 45rpm but will need to have a fiddle to get the speed spot on. Currently only using the Whirlometer app, thus measurement could be improved upon. Adjusting one speed influences the other so it’ll take some patience when I’m not listening to Mozart trios in the time limited coolness of a Saturday morning. 
 

 

The Lenco is about as far as it will go, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the tinkering with accessories:

- PTP bearing

- stacked platters (Rega glass, leather mat, 5mm stainless mat)

- PTP 3 plate

- FR-64 tonearm with ~350g stabiliser nut fixing to the armboard

- Trio DS-20 stabiliser weight

- Audio silente (?) idler wheel 

- replaced idler spring 

- Permali armboard 

[Bell Ringer]

4 minutes ago, crtexcnndrm99 said:

Tried switching to 45rpm but will need to have a fiddle to get the speed spot on.

I think this might be due to the increase in speed, seems to be more difficult to control/correct. I think I noted above that on the Road Runner set up that there is more variation at 45. I haven’t checked Lenco Heaven but there is probably some discussion about it.

 I can’t hear it, but maybe pitch perfect listeners could.

[Bell Ringer]

Thought I should post a pic of my Lenco. There are some other pics on the turntable thread. Hifi guru plinth with MDF/HDF/acrylic layering.

 

Kuzma 12” with ZYX Ultimate 100. 
Helius Orion not actually setup yet with a Stanton 500 with interchangeable styli for my early monos but this cart usually lives on the Thorens 521 for 78s and microgrooves. Planning on a Cadenza mono for modern mono reissues.

[crtexcnndrm99]

33 minutes ago, Bell Ringer said:

Thought I should post a pic of my Lenco. There are some other pics on the turntable thread. Hifi guru plinth with MDF/HDF/acrylic layering.

 

Kuzma 12” with ZYX Ultimate 100. 
Helius Orion not actually setup yet with a Stanton 500 with interchangeable styli for my early monos but this cart usually lives on the Thorens 521 for 78s and microgrooves. Planning on a Cadenza mono for modern mono reissues.

I’ve been contemplating a mono setup as well.

 

That’s one heck of a tonearm! Coincidentally, quite similar platter organisation and feet by Micro Seiki (?) - is that the Lenchohell platter mat? 

[Bell Ringer]

@crtexcnndrm99 Yes, it’s the Lenco Hell corian platter. The feet were some I picked up a few years ago, can’t remember the brand but they are sitting on Hexa shoes and absorbers. The Hexa look ugly and probably don’t do too much considering the platter, although they are good under the Thorens.

[Bell Ringer]

I use a vibro-stop platter on top of the corian. Seems to be the best combo but it’s fun switching things in and out.

[andyr]

1 hour ago, Bell Ringer said:

I think this might be due to the increase in speed, seems to be more difficult to control/correct. I think I noted above that on the Road Runner set up that there is more variation at 45. I haven’t checked Lenco Heaven but there is probably some discussion about it.

 I can’t hear it, but maybe pitch perfect listeners could.

 

Should be no more difficulty getting 45rpm right, compared to 33.33rpm.  All the 'Nigel' AC motor speed controller is doing is outputting a higher-Hz sine wave, for 45rpm.  It offers a trim-pot adjustment to get the speed exactly right.

 

The only proviso being ... if you use a strobe disc then if you do the maths - whilst you can set 33.33 exactly when you use a 50Hz strobe (as there are an exact no of bars on the strobe, for 33rpm / 50Hz) ... for 45rpm, there is an extra fraction of a bar needed.  The makers of 50Hz strobe discs (obviously!) leave out this fraction - so in fact the '45rpm' you set, if you use a 50Hz strobe disc ... will be very slightly fast!  

 

Whereas using a 60Hz strobe & strobe disc, there is an exact number of bars for both the 33 & 45 speed settings.

 

[TemaadAudio]

Hi, Just thought I would let you guy's know about an interesting article on L/H. It's about how to allow 12'' arms to be fitted to a standard L75 plinth.

https://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=42470.0

 

Cheers

[Rustee]

1 hour ago, TemaadAudio said:

Hi, Just thought I would let you guy's know about an interesting article on L/H. It's about how to allow 12'' arms to be fitted to a standard L75 plinth.

https://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=42470.0

 

Cheers

Thanks Derek, a nice solution to fitting a 12" arm!

I will hopefully be pulling my finger out soon to start my GL75 resto and re-plinth. 

 

But first, my GL88 has developed a rumble recently. The rumble is still present even when the I disengage the drive so looks to be in the main bearing and not the idler/motor assembly.

Feels super smooth spinning by hand, and it spins for ages after I switch the motor off, so it is surprising, but hopefully a clean and lube will eliminate the rumble.

 

Cheers,

Russ

 

 

 

 

[TemaadAudio]

Hi, Get a smallish screwdriver that will fit comfortably in your earlobe. Then spin your platter by hand first. Next put the screw driver handle up to your ear & then the blade point on the plinth & note what you hear. Then repeat with your motor spinning but not engaged, lastly repeat with motor engaged. That should pin point where the problem is.

With my 1st Lenco I had a motor noise problem, but only when I played my 0.18,v favorite Acurphase MC cart. I solved the problem by turning my 75 into a Mylar belt driven DC motor T/T. No noise with the MC cart after that.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

[Rustee]

3 hours ago, TemaadAudio said:

Next put the screw driver handle up to your ear & then the blade point on the plinth & note what you hear.

The ol' listening rod technique. Used to do this daily listening for bearings in pumps, gearbox's, rolls, etc... in heavy industry. Didn't even think to try it on my turntable. I'll give it a whirl, thanks. 

 

Cheers,

Russ

 

[Rustee]

On 11/04/2023 at 3:07 PM, TemaadAudio said:

Hi, Get a smallish screwdriver that will fit comfortably in your earlobe. Then spin your platter by hand first. Next put the screw driver handle up to your ear & then the blade point on the plinth & note what you hear. Then repeat with your motor spinning but not engaged, lastly repeat with motor engaged. That should pin point where the problem is.

I tried this today and could not hear a thing both with the motor engaged and disengaged.

 

Now I'm not sure why I did this next step, but I lowered the stylus onto the record with the platter stationary, and to my surprise I heard the rumble!  So its not anything in the drive and it's not the main bearing. The only remaining possible culprits I could think of were; the cartridge itself, or possibly my left speaker being too close to the turntable.

 

I unplugged my left speaker and moved it further away, and the rumble was gone!

Now this is where it gets strange, once I was happy and relieved that I found the cause, I put my speaker back on the stand and the rumble was no longer present. So now I don't know if it was in fact the speaker being too close, or the disconnecting and reconnecting of my speaker. Very strange, will be interesting to see if the rumble returns. But at this point it doesn't appear to be anything to do with the turntable.

 

 

 

Cheers,

Russ

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by Rustee
replaced 'hum' with 'rumble'

[andyr]

Oh boy ... I think you are down the rabbit hole, Russ ( @Rustee )!  

 

[Rustee]

10 hours ago, andyr said:

Oh boy ... I think you are down the rabbit hole, Russ ( @Rustee )!  

 

Yes Andy, this one was a strange one! Low freq rumble (unlike the hum you me helped me fix) and only present at good volume level. 

 

By the way, that phono cable is still working a treat, dead silent 

 

 

Russ

Edited April 14, 2023 by Rustee
replaced hum with rumble

[TemaadAudio]

Ok, Well what arm & cart are you using.

 

Cheers Derek