Realistic LAB 440 tell me about it.

I know that a few on this forum have experience with the late 70s/early 80s Realistic LAB series turntables. I have used the search, seen the pictures, and read the testimonials. However, I've found that UBB forum searches are not the most reliable and don't often come up with all the results. I have an eye on a straight tonearm version the LAB-440 to replace my plasticy 90s Denon T4P table.

Edit: I believe the table I'm considering may be LAB-4400.

Please share pictures and more up-to-date testimonials with me. Thanks in advance.

 

LAB-440 Specs straight from the owners manual which still have:
Platter: Aluminum alloy die-cast .65kg
Pitch controll range: +- 4.5%
Signal-to-noise ratio/rumble: better than 70dB
Wow & Flutter: Less than .03% (WRMS)
Weight: 13 lbs
Dimensions: 5.2 in (H) 16 in (W) 14.1 in (D)

 

From what I read about the LAB-400, it is a good "sleeper" model that can be had pretty cheap and supposedly-compares with more well-known models that aren't found for such a good price. I can't recall what the LAB-400 compares to as far as specs are concerned, but I've heard that it's a good, solid table for the money.

BTW, is that an old "Dark Side Of The Moon" pressing (or is it the 30th Anniversary 180gr. LP)? It's hard to tell with it spinning in the picture.

 

That looks like it. I think I'm going to do it. If it's not an upgrade from my mid-90s direct drive plasticky Denon it's not much of a loss. The tonearm and mount looks very clean.

 

Interesting info

Doing some google searches for the Realistic LAB turntable family, look what I found. An online guide yielded some very small scans of some of the original marketing materials for the 400 and 500 models. Prices $299 and $399 respectively, that's probably circa 1977 and 1982 dollars. What in the heck was Radio Shack doing selling such an expensive turntable???? I remember my pops got a Technics belt drive model in about 1981 for a little over $100, that was a pretty nice table, too.

 

Well, I got it. Here's a picture:



Used, in very good condition (considering its age). I put my Audio Technica cart in because it had a universal mount in place already. The noise floor is lower and the music peaks are higher according to the levels in SoundForge. I don't know how that can be, but so be it. A little less sibilance distortion I think on the real tough records like the new U2. We'll see. I may pull out the Grado green that I have sitting in a droor (sounded poor in my 90s Denon plasticky table).

 

I have a Lab 440 TT with its original shure R1000 cartridge that has started to have a faint crackling static while spinning a record, and the static is not there when I play the same LP on my Technics SL230 with Audio Technice ATS-10 cartridge and new stylus. I'm wanting to know if there is a way to test it and isolate the trouble? Do these cartridges need to be degoused or demagnefied with a soldering iron like tape heads do?

 

Not 100%, but 95% sure that this deck was made by Mitsubishi. The Grado should work well with what looks to be a low mass arm.

 

No, it was not OEMed by Mitsubishi. I can't remember the name of the OEM (It's three letter name) but they also manufactured for Marantz, Rotel, and others, perhaps including Mitsubishi. I love this turntable it shows up fairly often on the "Listening on Vinyl" thread in "Long and Winding".

 

I don't think it's a CEC table. There is a thread on audio karma about some of the LAB tables I'll find it and post a link. http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=340621

 

It is CEC. Mitsubishi may have OEMed the LAB-500 as in that thread, but the earlier LAB-400, LAB-420, and LAB-440 were more than likely CEC.

 

sweet turntable. realistic made some really nice stuff, it's often overlooked or people think since it was sold by radio shack it's not good which couldn't be further from the truth. I remember their receivers were really quite nice and actually made by pioneer in some cases.

 

Yes, the general low quality of much Radio Shack merchandise meant selling that which was any good pretty tough, so they just sold junk after awhile. Plus which, corporate made it tough to hire anyone who wasn't pushy and ignorant of electronics so buyers of better grades of merchandise were run off. That was around 1980 as I recall.

 

I have a couple of Sherwood branded turntables that look very similar (no repeat/stop/start buttons, just a cue button), but the pitch control is in the same spot, and the tonearm looks identical.

 

My mom has (and still has) the LAB-300 table, heavy-duty made and still plays great for a belt driven table.

 

Any thoughts on how I can isolate the static that I'm getting on my Lab 440 with the original cartridge and stylus?

 

Is it grounded?

 

I worked for them circa 1988-'89, and the higher end audio and video gear was still nice at that point. The store where I worked wound up closing, and my manager let me buy the floor model $599 VCR for 90% off. It was the best VCR I ever owned, built like a tank.

 

I was in radio shack the other day, they have a decent sherwood receiver for about $100

 

The ground was the first thing I checked, and it was fine? I'm wondering if I should remove a clean the 4 wire connectors to the cartridge? Also need to know if anyone knows if these cartridges need to be degoused by holding a soldering iron close to it for demagnefication?

 

Is it a moving magnet (MM) cart? If so, don't degauss it. It could possibly cause damage.

You might try cleaning or changing out the headshell leads.

Frankly, I'd get a new cart, or try hooking up another one if you have one around, and see if that clears up the static. And possibly try the original cart on another TT and see if the static occurs there, as well. That will help you pinpoint whether it's the cart or not.

 

Define "decent". Did you listen to it?

 

For $89 new I define it as not fisher price. But yeah I see your point. Sadly you can't listen to anything these days in stores like that. But overall pretty positive reviews. I would probably rather have a vintage receiver but this is not a terrible cheap option.

http://www.amazon.com/Sherwood-RX-4109-Stereo-Receiver-Black/dp/B000MBUSD6

 

There's a big long thread on that receiver here I think. It's very well regarded considering the price.

 

I think a lot of that was, that Radio Shack stuff was "perceived" as low quality, when in reality they had some junk, some okay stuff and actually some decent equipment. The idea that one small store could cater to several types of customers and carry a wide line of stuff was quite novel.

I remember many more uh..."audiophile" grade retailers of the day, having either very limited lines of stuff, mostly expensive stuff, or being mildly rude about letting customers hear stuff and so on.

Some of the better speakers, tables, receivers, and tape decks they sold were of pretty decent quality, but convincing any dyed in the wool audiophiles was hard.