GARRARD 301 or 401? Which is the best?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Citroen, Sep 22, 2014.

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  1. Citroen

    Citroen vinylholic Thread Starter

    Anyone have any experience with both of these turntables?

    Which is the better turntable and why do think that is so? Prices for 401's seem to be almost half that of the 301 (for turntables in similar condition).

    Is it rarity, aesthetics, sound quality, something else, or a combination of the above?
     
  2. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    Depends. I prefer the look of the 401 and would say the 301 is a bit darker sounding. I've read the 301 is more suited to mono and the 401 to stereo which ties in with their respective manufacturing dates. Frankly they are similar in design except if you think that a 301 grease bearing is superior. The earlier 401s are the better made according to those in the know. I think the high price of 301 is down to both rarity and aesthetics plus perceived sound quality in the case of grease bearing versions.
     
    alexpop likes this.
  3. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    From what I know, 301 was the better turntable overall. 401 was more spotty from sample to sample QC wise past the early production. But excellent once all is reconditioned. The 301 also is easier to install it's classic partner tonearm on, the SME 3009 series. Overall, the 301 is more highly regarded. But the 401 is excellent in it's own right.
     
  4. kt66brooklyn

    kt66brooklyn Senior Member

    Location:
    brooklyn, ny
    I've had both. There are grease bearing 301's and oil bearing 301's. The grease bearing examples are more sought after and are considered more 'mono friendly.'
    I sold my 301 oil bearing because I found a 401 in more or less unused condition. The 401 sounds much better than 301 did, mostly because the 301 was well worn from years of use. The 401 is also an early example, so it's not plagued by the bugs of the later ones.
     
  5. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Why would the drive system affect whether or not something was more or less mono-friendly? It seems to me that the choice of cartridge and arm are what's relevant.
     
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  6. heman__

    heman__ Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    When i was searching for a Garrard I researched the same thing; it's almost impossible to figure out. Inevitably, people will prefer what they own.

    I ended up going with a 301 and since then, after hearing many 301s and 401s, I've found that the 401s I've listened to sound a touch less bold.

    I think though, that the two are very similar and any decision should come down to the quality of the units in question.
     
  7. Halloween_Jack

    Halloween_Jack Senior Member

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    General consensus from those that worked at Garrard was that the 401 was the better designed of the two, but the 301 was (by and large) the better made. I think there's truly very little in it, and I've owned several of each deck. Bare in mind both were designed to run 78s as well as the more common two speeds. The 301 was designed in an era where heavy tracking forces were common. Comparatively an LP spinning at 33rpm with a cart tracking at 1-2gm is just a walk in the park for either deck.
    Lastly, the plinth is all important. Much depends upon this and how it's all setup. And the mechanical condition of the deck. If you want top flight performance from either, there's no alternative but to take them completely apart, cleaning & relubricating where required. Half measures will result in so-so performance.
    When all is said and done, go for the one you like the look of the most - I stuck with the 301 in the end ;)
    Cheers,
    John.
     
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  8. Moko

    Moko Forum Resident

    Location:
    London/UK
    I think which you prefer is down to taste, in general do you prefer 50's styling or 60's styling?

    I suppose some people would say the Jaguar XK150 is better looking than an Jaguar E Type but again it probably relates to when you were born.

    In regards to plinths go with whatever is good and heavy, personally I use a 2" thick slate plinth which deadens any vibrations but I know a lot of people who prefer a good heavy ply plinth. The mechanics of both decks are pretty simple so don't be afraid to do the work yourself if you have some basic DIY mechanical experience.
     
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  9. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Why is this relevant? They were not supplied with a tonearm, were they?
     
  10. Halloween_Jack

    Halloween_Jack Senior Member

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    It's relevant in that they were designed to cope with far heavier arms & tracking weights than is the norm these days. In comparison spinning an LP at 33rpm is easy work for either the 301 or 401. Any real-world sound quality differences between the two will be down to plinth design and how well each deck has been maintained, rather than one being inherently better per-se, or more suited for mono, one better for stereo LPs etc.
     
  11. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    How is the ability to spin a platter related to the weight of the arm? Torque?

    I'm not trying to be challenging or argumentative, I'm just trying to understand this.
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2014
  12. Citroen

    Citroen vinylholic Thread Starter

    So personal preference, maybe not that much difference in absolute sound quality? One 301 will sound different to another depending on age and condition, as will one 401?

    So they aren't THAT different.

    I still have to wonder then why the 301 fetches much higher prices?

    It can't be rarity as if anything it looks like the 301 was produced in higher numbers than the 401.
     
  13. Tony L

    Tony L Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    That's my impression having heard both many times (a slate-mounted 301 is my main turntable). The design is about 90% similar between them, the only important differences being that the 401 has a very slightly more rigid chassis and improved motor screening. In practice you are comparing individual 40-60 year old turntables so I'd buy on condition if the aesthetics are unimportant to you. FWIW I went for the 301 mainly because I prefer the look, especially of the non-strobe platter variant such as my own.
     
  14. Citroen

    Citroen vinylholic Thread Starter

    Again, so why is the 301 almost twice the price of the 401?

    Does the cream/white appearance of the 301 appeal that much more than the brownish 401?
    If so, a quick paint job would fix that!
     
  15. Halloween_Jack

    Halloween_Jack Senior Member

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    It's those 50s looks, and the comparitive rarity (check out grease bearing 301 prices!). In Japan - where they were way ahead of everyone else in discovering how good the Garrards could be - 4 is considered a very unlucky number, so the 301 was/is always more popular for that reason too. Over the decades the myth just grew. I'm sure if the 401 was rarer things might be different...
    It really comes down to condition, and the plinth.
    If you need more definitive answers, try Audio Grail, or Loricraft Audio.
     
  16. Dubmart

    Dubmart Senior Member

    Location:
    Bristol, England
    Mainly looks and people being easily led, following fashion, at this point in time which performs better is going to be entirely down to maintenance, restoration, plinth, arm, cartridge, if you fancy a Garrard and aren't worried about looks save some money and buy a 401.

    I got myself a Goldring G-99, if I ever get it fully restored I reckon it will hold it's own against either, I also bought it long enough ago that it cost me under £30.:D
     
  17. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    That is true - the Japanese word for "4" (shi) is also the word for "death." But 401 is not an unlucky number. :)

    The Japanese are not really all that superstitious, so I really doubt this has anything to do with its relative popularity.
     
  18. Halloween_Jack

    Halloween_Jack Senior Member

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    "The late 401 reverted to a spec not unlike the late 301, both of these models are in many ways the better designs. However, with the power supply correctly set and the adjustments made, the differences are minimal, model to model.

    Folklore has it that the best Garrard's are the grey 301s, 1955 to 1957. This has probably come about as in Japan, a grey 301 using oil in place of grease will run happily at Japan's 100 volts. A 401 would not be popular in Japan for 2 reasons: 1. the voltage is too low. 2. the number 4 is unlucky (China also) as number 13 is in Britain. For this reason, the 401 may not have the status of a 301, if you are looking for the best value for money, a late 401 is the one to go for."

    http://www.garrard501.com/faq.html
     
  19. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    This.
     
  20. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    401 combining both numbers is "5 "The number 23 also both numbers combined is "5". The 301 numbers combined "4". Numerology speak.
    Saying that I'm very happy with my 401' though the> 301 <does look cooler.
     
  21. Citroen

    Citroen vinylholic Thread Starter

    Thanks guys.
    That Loricraft FAQ section is excellent.
     
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