Upgrading your AT-LP120 turntable

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Ben Adams, May 30, 2012.

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  1. aunitedlemon

    aunitedlemon Unity is in the pith.

    Location:
    Oregon
    You don't have to do any soldering to bypass the preamp. When I bypassed the circuit in my previous LP120 I just snipped, stripped, and reconnected using twist caps as shown in the video above. I found it made a very tangible improvement to the sound quality and never regretted it. I also didn't regret giving my LP120 to a good friend and getting myself a Technics...
     
    gmcjj likes this.
  2. imthetxman

    imthetxman HardMediaMan

    Location:
    USA
    I've watched the YouTubes on this as well and it certainly appears easy enough. I know I should just do it..
     
  3. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I did this quite a while ago. I used Krazy Glue and they're still there. I don't recall if it was in response to this post. It might have been a YouTube video.
     
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  4. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Other cheap "upgrades" - who knows if they really help with my ears, but I figure they at least don't hurt - have been (in addition to the counterweight washers):
    (1) raising the platter by adding thicker matting (the tonearm seems to angle too far down even when on "zero" height)
    (2) rubber washers on the tonearm
    (3) a variety of new carts/styli
    (4) aligning the slightly off azimuth
    (5) practice hockey puck (orange) record weight
     
  5. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    The extra mat helps get it to a level tone arm height and helps. Definitely different carts help. A microline was a huge improvement. Rubber washers I didn’t hear any difference.
     
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  6. imthetxman

    imthetxman HardMediaMan

    Location:
    USA
    Yup... I put in a Ortofon 2M red ($99) and it mattered big time.
     
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  7. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I was surprised to see how low the platter was in relation to the tonearm (which would not go any lower). It still makes me think I'm doing something wrong. Right now, I have my tonearm at zero for standard records and my almost 3/8" mat of four layers - thin small cork and vinyl discs to level the platter, rubber shelf liner mat and flat cork mat topped off with small cork discs - brings the tonearm to a level height.

    I also got a microline, bringing my cart/styli additions to six.
     
  8. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I was thinking of getting the Ortofon red, but went with the microline because I was very curious how one would sound (at least with my audiophile records). I also figured there still is plenty of life left in my Shure M97xe.
     
  9. Thoughtships

    Thoughtships Forum Resident

    Location:
    Devon, UK
    Here's the problem. I have one of these turntables and everyone who owns one needs to know this.

    The mat supplied with it is 3mm felt. This makes you think you need 3mm.
    But AT or Hanpin or whoever makes it copied the technics sl-1200. But on the 120x they removed the arm height adjustment. And the Technics they copied had 6mm rubber on it.

    So you need a Technics RGS0010 or its old part number.. Something like STR 1701 or something like that... 6mm rubber mat.

    Then the arm tracks at a perfect height.

    Hope this helps.
     
    misterjones likes this.
  10. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    I've done the following so far (had my LP120 for 5 years now)-

    1.) Stacked cork and rubber mats to correct VTA. (Turntable Toys and Technics rubber)
    2.) CW-1 counterweight. This should be mandatory for better tracking and ability to use heavier carts.
    3.) AT618 stabilizer, weight. This adds mass to the platter and gives it more consistent speed accuracy. Flattens inner grooves.
    4.) Have added silicone gel to the arm lift, which lost it's damping after a couple of years.
    5.) Better headshells. AT HS-10, LPG Ultimate, AT 13g, Ortofon SH-4. LPG HD-5 headshell leads.
    6.) Emotiva XPS-1 Pre-amp. Provided a huge improvement. Got it within a few months.
    7.) AT VM95ml microline and Denon 103 MC carts.

    The issue with the built in pre-amp isn't the pre-amp entirely but the low pass filter on the board. This can be easily solved by removing the two capacitors on the board. No need to rip out the whole preamp. I have not done this however as I plan on gifting this TT to somebody else. I also do not hear any HF roll off with the LP-120. It sounds great with good LP's and has been an excellent turntable after some improvements. I wouldn't get the newer LP120x today because it doesn't have VTA adjustment. The LP140x is the way to go.
     
    Stanton56 likes this.
  11. Dmitry

    Dmitry Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    The SL-1200 overhang is 15 mm, the Audio-Technica AT-LP120 overhang is 16 mm.
    1 mm away from the same thing.
     
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  12. Stanton56

    Stanton56 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Idaho

    Agree 100% on that.
     
    Boltman92124 and misterjones like this.
  13. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Not sure if it constitutes an AT-LP120 upgrade, but I did get an overhang gauge and applied the appropriate measurements as you indicate.
     
  14. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I haven't been following along with the latest AT TTs, but I assume that one has no preamp.
     
  15. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    If you have the Technics plastic gauge, push the stylus out a little farther (1mm) beyond the tip. But I really prefer using the Hoffman protractor for the LP120. You can use 214.5mm as the spindle to pivot distance, although it has been said it is really 214.15mm. I like Lofgren B the best.
    http://www.conradhoffman.com/TemplateGen.zip
     
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  16. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    It's also got a damped, heavier platter and separate ground wire. Plus arm height adjustment (120x does not). Stronger motor too. The 140x looks nice.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2021
  17. Dmitry

    Dmitry Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I doubt one will hear a difference between the Lofgren and the Stevens curves. And the dampened, heavier platter...it may make zero difference in the listening experience...well, maybe from a psycho-acoustic perspective, like most of these tweaks.
     
  18. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    Poorly aligned carts sound bad to me! As another poster mentioned, the AT's do not match the Technics geometry. A mistake many owners make with these TT's.
     
  19. Dmitry

    Dmitry Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I'm not sure I understand how you meant this as a response to my post...
    I wrote that the stylus overhang is different on this model A-T from the SL-1200.
     
  20. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Get the Blue next. Much more detail.
     
    imthetxman likes this.
  21. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Yes. That's what I did.

    I use the Stevenson protractor (as well as one of those plexiglass leveler doohickies).
     
    Boltman92124 likes this.
  22. Beyond Mania

    Beyond Mania Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I've been reading through this thread to see which of the improvements would potentially apply to my PL120 - the model BEFORE the LP120. The cart it came with is an ATP-2XN and even though it's always sounded good to me, I'm not comfortable with how heavy this tracks. I'd like more clarity and detail as well. I'm thinking of switching out for an Ortofon 2M Red. Would I need to change out my counterweight or will the stock one on the TT work?
     
    Boltman92124 likes this.
  23. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    You wrote> "I doubt one will hear a difference between the Lofgren and the Stevens curves. And the dampened, heavier platter...it may make zero difference in the listening experience...well, maybe from a psycho-acoustic perspective, like most of these tweaks."

    Perhaps you had a post about the difference which is spot on. At any rate, the Technics alignment tool isn't very good for the LP120 overall. Satisfactory maybe but it won't line up on the Hoffman Stevenson protractor at all using it. The Lofgren B arc protractor ends up very close to the 52/53mm washer>stylus distance, but the cart is angled in towards the spindle a bit. Sorry for the confusion.
     
  24. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    Stick with AT carts. VM95 series. The vm95ml optimally IMO. No more IGD and quiet LP playback. No new counterweight needed.
     
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  25. Beyond Mania

    Beyond Mania Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Thanks for the suggestion. I'm researching that vm95ml now(Like what I'm reading so far!)
     
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