AEC C81: 70 turntables, originally packaged and dating back to the 1980s, are being released on the market.
Some stories from the Hi-Fi world sound too good to be true. This is one of them: In a remote warehouse, there were 70 original, unopened boxes containing AEC C81 turntables – high-quality direct-drive turntables from the early 1980s. "New Old Stock," as the experts say. Now, they are gradually being released for sale.
Claus Bücher, who runs a Hi-Fi studio in Taunusstein, discovered them. The warehouse had been rented by his late friend, Hermann Hoffmann, who had brought over a thousand AEC turntables from Japan to Europe. In 1983, a C81 cost 1,285 German Marks – a time when the CD was becoming a "savior" and turntables suddenly seemed outdated to many.
Technically, the turntable is more interesting than its appearance suggests: It features a direct drive from the Japanese cult brand Micro Seiki, a 1.5 kg aluminum platter illuminated by a red lamp with four stroboscopic rings (33⅓ and 45 RPM, each for 50 and 60 Hz). Hartmut Perner from Wiesbaden, who previously worked at Lenco, helped with the refurbishment: Two dried-out capacitors in the power supply were replaced, and instead of the originally intended Decca tonearm (the last 100 of which have disappeared), a Lenco L75 from the same era is now installed – complete with a "corkscrew" for the anti-skating weight and the nickname "level crossing."
In a listening test with an Ortofon MC X10 cartridge, the vintage turntable sounded relatively soft, largely neutral, with a wide soundstage, plenty of dynamic range, and good timing. Compared to a modern Clearaudio Concept Signature, it sounded smoother, but without any dropouts. One criticism: it is quite susceptible to vibrations. Price: €1,450 without cartridge, €1,750 with a calibrated Ortofon MC X10 cartridge, plus a one-year warranty.
What I particularly like about this is the concept: it's not a retro reproduction, but genuine devices from that era, carefully refurbished – and there are only 70 of them. Those who want to see one in person: Claus Bücher will be exhibiting at the Finest Audio Show on October 17th and 18th at the darmstadtium in Darmstadt. More information: https://www.cba-audio.de/
Source: LowBeats
Claus Bücher, who runs a Hi-Fi studio in Taunusstein, discovered them. The warehouse had been rented by his late friend, Hermann Hoffmann, who had brought over a thousand AEC turntables from Japan to Europe. In 1983, a C81 cost 1,285 German Marks – a time when the CD was becoming a "savior" and turntables suddenly seemed outdated to many.
Technically, the turntable is more interesting than its appearance suggests: It features a direct drive from the Japanese cult brand Micro Seiki, a 1.5 kg aluminum platter illuminated by a red lamp with four stroboscopic rings (33⅓ and 45 RPM, each for 50 and 60 Hz). Hartmut Perner from Wiesbaden, who previously worked at Lenco, helped with the refurbishment: Two dried-out capacitors in the power supply were replaced, and instead of the originally intended Decca tonearm (the last 100 of which have disappeared), a Lenco L75 from the same era is now installed – complete with a "corkscrew" for the anti-skating weight and the nickname "level crossing."
In a listening test with an Ortofon MC X10 cartridge, the vintage turntable sounded relatively soft, largely neutral, with a wide soundstage, plenty of dynamic range, and good timing. Compared to a modern Clearaudio Concept Signature, it sounded smoother, but without any dropouts. One criticism: it is quite susceptible to vibrations. Price: €1,450 without cartridge, €1,750 with a calibrated Ortofon MC X10 cartridge, plus a one-year warranty.
What I particularly like about this is the concept: it's not a retro reproduction, but genuine devices from that era, carefully refurbished – and there are only 70 of them. Those who want to see one in person: Claus Bücher will be exhibiting at the Finest Audio Show on October 17th and 18th at the darmstadtium in Darmstadt. More information: https://www.cba-audio.de/
Source: LowBeats
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