EMT 950 professional turntables
Posted by: JohnMak on 02 August 2003
Does anyone on the forum know anything about these turntables and arms.
I think they used to be used by the BBC.
Are they suitable for home hi fi use and how would they compare to modern machines?
Cheers
I think they used to be used by the BBC.
Are they suitable for home hi fi use and how would they compare to modern machines?
Cheers
Posted on: 02 August 2003 by JohnMak
I've spent a lot of time on the internet researching the EMT 950 turntable but being the industrial type machine it is, now one actually comments how "it sounds"
I found one site which mentioned they cost GBP10,000 when new and that's 10 grand 30 years ago!!!
I'd still love to hear a comment from anyone who may have actually heard one though.
Frank Abela ... are you out there?
I found one site which mentioned they cost GBP10,000 when new and that's 10 grand 30 years ago!!!
I'd still love to hear a comment from anyone who may have actually heard one though.
Frank Abela ... are you out there?
Posted on: 03 August 2003 by neil w
john mak
go over to the www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum talk to tony lonorgan hes found one in a rubbish bin
neil
go over to the www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum talk to tony lonorgan hes found one in a rubbish bin
neil
Posted on: 03 August 2003 by JohnMak
Hi neil w durham uk,
The lucky guy .... I did check, but it was one of his friends. (My first visit to Pink Fish ... some interesting viewpoints there)
I still would really like to hear from someone who has actually heard an EMT turntable and can comment on its sound/performance compared to modern designs.
From what I've been able to find out they were widely used by the BBC so I'm surprised I haven't had a response from a UK forummer who has heard one .... damn, it just makes it more tantalizing.
The lucky guy .... I did check, but it was one of his friends. (My first visit to Pink Fish ... some interesting viewpoints there)
I still would really like to hear from someone who has actually heard an EMT turntable and can comment on its sound/performance compared to modern designs.
From what I've been able to find out they were widely used by the BBC so I'm surprised I haven't had a response from a UK forummer who has heard one .... damn, it just makes it more tantalizing.
Posted on: 03 August 2003 by Jean-Marc
John,
if you want info on EMT TTs, visit this site:
http://www.stefanopasini.it/Main-English.htm
The man is an EMT/Thorens/Garrard fanatic and has even wrote a book on EMT TTs.
He also sometimes posts on the Vinyl Asylum.
I've seen an EMT running in a shop in Switzerland and it is an impressive machine! (but sadly I've not heard it)
Shop is www.schopper.ch
Hope this helps
Jean-Marc
if you want info on EMT TTs, visit this site:
http://www.stefanopasini.it/Main-English.htm
The man is an EMT/Thorens/Garrard fanatic and has even wrote a book on EMT TTs.
He also sometimes posts on the Vinyl Asylum.
I've seen an EMT running in a shop in Switzerland and it is an impressive machine! (but sadly I've not heard it)
Shop is www.schopper.ch
Hope this helps
Jean-Marc
Posted on: 03 August 2003 by JohnMak
Thanks Jean-Marc,
Good grief, the more research I do on these turntables the more I am suprised that so few people who spend poo loads of money on hi fi - myself included - know anything about them.
I've just discovered they EMT owned Thorens at one time ... from around the time of the TD125.
There's and Italian Ophthalmologist, Dr Stefan Pasisni who's written a whole damned book about all the EMT models. Fascinating stuff.
(He also writes about exotic sports cars and cameras etc - he's got a great web site)
But wouldn't you know .... I cannot find any comment from anyone (other than Stefan Pasini) describing how they sound who describes them as perfect in bass, mid and treble.
Come on guys ... the UK used to be the Head Office of the Beeb who used hundreds of these machines - even had their own specs for them. Somebody must have heard one? ..... even though they were German.
Good grief, the more research I do on these turntables the more I am suprised that so few people who spend poo loads of money on hi fi - myself included - know anything about them.
I've just discovered they EMT owned Thorens at one time ... from around the time of the TD125.
There's and Italian Ophthalmologist, Dr Stefan Pasisni who's written a whole damned book about all the EMT models. Fascinating stuff.
(He also writes about exotic sports cars and cameras etc - he's got a great web site)
But wouldn't you know .... I cannot find any comment from anyone (other than Stefan Pasini) describing how they sound who describes them as perfect in bass, mid and treble.
Come on guys ... the UK used to be the Head Office of the Beeb who used hundreds of these machines - even had their own specs for them. Somebody must have heard one? ..... even though they were German.
Posted on: 03 August 2003 by Paul Ranson
I'm pretty sure I've heard one or more EMT turntables in BBC studios. Also a rather nice Studer tape machine packed full of valves.
But I've no idea what it sounded like in a hifi context. I would expect disappointment, the requirements really aren't the same.
Get yourself a Rega of some form, fit and forget, great sound, good enough longevity and resistance to ham fisted operators. Don't put coins on the end of the arm...
Paul
But I've no idea what it sounded like in a hifi context. I would expect disappointment, the requirements really aren't the same.
Get yourself a Rega of some form, fit and forget, great sound, good enough longevity and resistance to ham fisted operators. Don't put coins on the end of the arm...
Paul
Posted on: 03 August 2003 by neil w
john
get yourself over to here
http://aca.gr/turntable_a.htm
i didnt know so many tt existed
would like to see how much some of them are, theres at least 9 emt variants on there
neil
get yourself over to here
http://aca.gr/turntable_a.htm
i didnt know so many tt existed
would like to see how much some of them are, theres at least 9 emt variants on there
neil
Posted on: 05 August 2003 by hifidaddy
EMT is famous for their idler wheel models EMT 930 and 927, but those are silly expensive now. They are different, but not better than a Garrard 301 or Thorens 124 (note: I had them all, except 927).
In a head-to-head comparison between EMT938 (direct drive) and EMT930 (idler drive), the old idler drive wins in terms of swing, drive and all those flat earth qualities. The 938 though is cleaner in the midrange.
In a comparison between Technics SP10 equipped with 12 inch Ortofon tonearm and EMT 938 equipped with EMT 929 tonearm (that is the 10 inch tonearm made by them), the Technics wins.
The EMT938 is handicapped by its own tonearm, as the 929 is lesser than say a Rega. With a better tonearm, like Schroeder or Ortofon 10 inch, it should be OK.
kind regards,
Hartmut from Munich
In a head-to-head comparison between EMT938 (direct drive) and EMT930 (idler drive), the old idler drive wins in terms of swing, drive and all those flat earth qualities. The 938 though is cleaner in the midrange.
In a comparison between Technics SP10 equipped with 12 inch Ortofon tonearm and EMT 938 equipped with EMT 929 tonearm (that is the 10 inch tonearm made by them), the Technics wins.
The EMT938 is handicapped by its own tonearm, as the 929 is lesser than say a Rega. With a better tonearm, like Schroeder or Ortofon 10 inch, it should be OK.
kind regards,
Hartmut from Munich
Posted on: 05 August 2003 by Haddock
Back in the 80's I used to be an engineer at the BBC. Every continuity suite had several of these turntables and as far as I remember all had a fairly nasty looking tone arm with cheap looking headshell and cheap Ortofon cartridge. The cartridges all had very thick needles (the correct word escapes me just now) to enable the DJs to back cue records with out constantly pinging them.
The turntables themselves were a hefty afair with a thick boxmetal frame and a mechanism to enable very quick starts. This is important in broadcasting as you cannot affort to wait for the platter to slowly spin up to speed.
Another important thing about broacasting equipment is not that it is the last word in sound quality but that all units sound the same. I suspect this was a major point in the selection of these turnatables for use by the BBC. I certainly don't remember them sounding fantastic.
Nick
The turntables themselves were a hefty afair with a thick boxmetal frame and a mechanism to enable very quick starts. This is important in broadcasting as you cannot affort to wait for the platter to slowly spin up to speed.
Another important thing about broacasting equipment is not that it is the last word in sound quality but that all units sound the same. I suspect this was a major point in the selection of these turnatables for use by the BBC. I certainly don't remember them sounding fantastic.
Nick