That makes no sense. Probably got some clueless customer service rep. who is just regurgitating boilerplate responses. Be firm and ask to escalate the issue.
I've finished a little project recently. I wanted an automatic arm lifter for my Marantz because I do needle drops in silence, and often don't know when a record finished. The objective was: It should not need a reset after each play, use the existing manual lifter so I would not forget to lift it manually. And has to be removable, if needed, without leaving a trace. Take a look if you are curious :
Hey Marantz TT15 owners! While swapping out the cartridge (VMN760SLC), I accidently broke the connection from one tonearm wire (blue) from the brass/copper pin sleeve that connects to the cartridge pin. I tried my best not to but needed to gently use the plier end of a small set of wire splicers (I tried my fingers and tweezers with no luck) which inadvertently left teeth marks. Anyway, I purchased a solder set, Kester solder, and repaired the connection. Seems to be working great. Is it possible to purchase just a new wire harness and replace the old one myself? I know it's working but I don't like the teeth marks on the stiff plastic sleeve or clunky looking solder job where the stiff plastic sleeve just covers up. Also, should I be concerned about any audio deficiencies (I may not be noticing) because of a different solder connection?
I bought one of these when it first came out (2003 or so?), and it has been through a lot. I moved it to my office system a while back, and tried a few different MM cartridges, even did the DYI replacement of the Virtuoso cartridge using the stylus from the Audio Technical 95. That was fun, and it sounded great for $40! The only issue is that the motor lost one of its sticky “feet” on the bottom so it’s not balanced - I need to figure out how to replace that. Anyway, recently, it continues to punch way above its weight in my office system. I currently use an Ortofon Quintet Bronze cartridge which sounds very good with my new Luxman E-250 phono amp.
Those connectors are really fragile and far too tight for any cartridge pin. To avoid accidently break them, before inserting I suggest to enlarge them with a toothpick. How does the Vmn 760 sound compared to the Virtuoso?
Thank you for the tip. I'm really enjoying the VMN760. It is truly the best cart I've had experience with (which is limited). I'm not gifted to articulate adjectives and metaphors but here's my 2 cents. I was a little disappointed in the Virtuoso. It was an upgrade for me and silky smooth with good bottom end and I enjoyed the improvement of my overall listening experience (Ortofon om3, Red, Bronze, shure iv) going from a (pro-ject essential,U-Turn Orbit,80s JVC,Dual) but I agreed with the opinions here that it under performs for it's price range and I continued to have intermittent IGD issues. I did like the ebony wood and silver combo. Last year I put on an AT-440 mla. At first it was way too bright for me. I'm not used to the AT shine. But I lived with it for a year and really appreciated it's tracking ability, performance, and sizzling cymbals. The last few weeks with the 760 has given my ears the best of both worlds. The 760 tracks extremely well, has a smoothness, amazing sound separation, clairity, bass response, and clean defined highs without being too bright. It seems to be more sophisticated if that makes sense. Some of my favorite pressings were really exciting to listen to over again with the new cart. I also like the gold and black look vs the awful purple. It seems to be more forgiving than the Virtuoso. Right now, I feel like It's going to stay on the Marantz for the life of the needle.
I'm curious as to whether anyone else has had difficulty (or luck) sourcing a TT15 lately. Mine has been on back order for two months, like so many other scarce items these days. I've been tempted by some TTs in the general price bracket that are still available, like the Rega Planar 6 and the MoFi Ultradeck, but haven't changed course yet.
Seems like it's been out of stock/backordered everywhere for quite a while now, usually an indication it's been discontinued, but who knows in this continuing worldwide pandemic climate, may just be a supply shortage, all it takes is one missing part to shut down production. But I wouldn't be surprised if it has been discontinued, it's had a very long run without any substantial changes.
I heard a report/rumor from a dealer in Portland OR- at least a year ago and maybe more - that the TT15 had indeed been discontinued. I think the speculation was that Clearaudio felt the arrangement to build tables for Marantz was not working out that well for them. Given the value represented by the TT15 in relation to other Clearaudio tables, this would not surprise me. But to be fair, it appeared to be mostly speculation on the dealer's part, and the TT15 has remained available until recently. So who knows..
It's been a year or two since I last visited Marantz's product page for this turntable, but unless my memories are cloudy, I think they have new (within last couple of years) photos, etc., up on that product page. For example, I really don't remember that dark-wood wall and wood-backed headphones photo in particular. And the photos of the cartridge and the overhead shot of the belt seem new as well. TT-15S1 Belt Drive Turntable with Cartridge Reference Series | Marantz It's uncertain whether fresh photos has anything to do with whether it's been discontinued or not. It's even possible that their marketing department did go to the trouble of taking fresh photos and updating the product page, only to have a different part of Marantz discontinue the product weeks or months later... Also encouraging: A search for TT-15S1 in their "product archive" (for discontinued products) yields no results: https://www.marantz.com/en-us/support/product-archive Instead, it's the only turntable they list on their "Turntables" section: https://www.marantz.com/en-us/turntables
Yeah, I noticed the new page a few months ago. The "Info Sheet" .pdf is still very 2006, though, with its reference to "digital discs". I'd forgotten about those.
Would be a shame if it were discontinued. With Technics discontinuing production of its turntables in Japan, the TT-15 is now the most attractive option at this price point, at least for me.
They are widely available here in UK but not such a big discount as previously, so now usually £1400 rather than £1200.
The shop in Wisconsin where I ordered the TT15 says new stock is expected in early June. At least that's what his sales rep says.
That's encouraging news! It's an excellent value turntable. Probably my favorite audio component of all time (that I've owned) - even more than my Oppo players, as great as they are.
Has anybody had experience with this custom made alignment protractor for the TT15? It looks intriguing. Marantz TT-15S1 Custom Designed Turntable Tonearm Cartridge Alignment Protractor | eBay
I am interested in this table..wanting to upgrade my Thorens TD203 and AT ML740VML..might not be a significant upgrade but I will likely upgrade to MC cart in the future. Anyways, I play 45rpm quite often and I am shying away from the absence of a 33/45 switch. How to others find moving the belt on the pulley over the long term?
It’s trivially easy to me. Now I guess purists might say to put in the white glove to do it to avoid skin oil on the belt, but if my hands are clean, I just quickly move the belt. I’ve had the table for about 3yrs and am still on my first belt with no indications it needs changing anytime soon - and they come with a spare, so I have another brand new one to put on when needed.
I don't yet have my TT15 (still on order), but currently have another model (Pro-Ject RPM 1) that requires moving the belt. It's not a huge inconvenience. I've had mine for five years, and have had no issues. Except when I forget to move the belt on a 45, and wonder why the singer's voice just got really deep.
It's a hassle for me, but it's worthwhile because this turntable sounds so great. I end up building up a batch of 45 RPM media to play in a session, then switch the belt just for that day's session. I use the white gloves to avoid transferring any oils, etc., to the belt. A couple of times I've missed the groove and the belt has dropped down onto the plinth. It's kinda annoying to put it back on, especially when I'm ready to listen to music, not fuss with reinstalling the belt. (My turntable is on a drawer in a Can-Am cabinet, so the space is a little constrained for belt-moving.) I'd say if switching between 33.3 and 45 speeds frequently (e.g., several times a day), this may not be the turntable for you, as the hassle might outweigh the joy of the sound quality.
You’re probably already doing this, but keeping a little bit of extra tension on the belt as you switch it helps. I don’t think I’ve ever had it slip off the platter. I use my right thumb and index finger to gently pull the belt out of the groove in the pulley, maintain tension, and my left index finger to gently guide the belt into the groove in the other pulley. But that might be more difficult, feel-wise, with gloves on.
