Advice & help on EMT turntables

[anilva]

Folks,

I know that quite a number of members have managed to get an Ex-AIR EMT turntable. Most of them are not in good shape - cosmetically or functionally.

I have had the privilege of owning more than half a dozen EMT machines of various types. All of them have been serviced and brought up to prime condition by myself. This involved years of reading, talking to ex EMT engineers and practically trying out on my systems and sometimes buying very expensive spare parts from Germany.

I keep getting lot of messages from forum members wanting to talk and answer some of their questions and possibly some solutions.

This thread is being created to help any of the EMT owners on restoration, repair, spares, maintenance etc. of their EMT machines. Please feel free to post here. I will try my best to answer them or give you a solution.

EMT is a world of it's own. Most of it is unique to the design, right from tonearm cable to headshell. Every spare is very expensive. I can feel how it is to own a EMT and not being able to play or use it in a sub-optimal way. Hence this thread.

Cheers

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Folks,

I know that quite a number of members have managed to get an Ex-AIR EMT turntable. Most of them are not in good shape - cosmetically or functionally.

I have had the privilege of owning more than half a dozen EMT machines of various types. All of them have been serviced and brought up to prime condition by myself. This involved years of reading, talking to ex EMT engineers and practically trying out on my systems and sometimes buying very expensive spare parts from Germany.

I keep getting lot of messages from forum members wanting to talk and answer some of their questions and possibly some solutions.

This thread is being created to help any of the EMT owners on restoration, repair, spares, maintenance etc. of their EMT machines. Please feel free to post here. I will try my best to answer them or give you a solution.

EMT is a world of it's own. Most of it is unique to the design, right from tonearm cable to headshell. Every spare is very expensive. I can feel how it is to own a EMT and not being able to play or use it in a sub-optimal way. Hence this thread.

Cheers

Thanks for your offer of help anil

I will take the liberty of being the first to post.

Iam not entirely EMT. But got a EMT TSD15 cart, and a EMT STX21 SUT. My phono stage is a Bigbottle mk3, with variable impedence loading via plugs at the back .

What range impedence plugs should I be looking at under the 2 different possibilities please :

1. EmT TSD15 cart direct into the MC input.
2. EMT STX21 SUT into the MM input.

Thanks in advance for your time

 

[anilva]

Thanks. I have always used TSD15 with a EMT built in phono preamp with a pre pre daughter card for MC step up or EMT SUT before the phono preamp.

Typically TSD15 loading is 100 to 200 ohms. I have restricted myself always to full EMT stack.

 

[anilva]

STX21 is an SUT in a box. It can go into any 47K input MM preamp.

If one wants to have an EMT tone, best is to keep the phono chain all EMT. It has a distinct bold tone.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

STX21 is an SUT in a box. It can go into any 47K input MM preamp.

If one wants to have an EMT tone, best is to keep the phono chain all EMT. It has a distinct bold tone.

Thanks a ton for the advise anil

The designer of the phono preamp, did include a pair of 100 ohm loading plugs with the phonostage. Will start off with these and see, before including the SUT into the mix. Thanks again anil

 

[flute]

Hi ,
As you are a senior member of the forum I got to know that you are very much experienced member and are very much into the vinyl.I am a vinyl lover and present own a TT which is the forth one and is Technics SL 1500 mk2 and SL2000 now that I want to upgrade my TT and planning to get an EMT 938 with denon103 or garrad 301 /401 or linn sondek LP 12 now I want your valuable input and guidance in this regard hope you will help in this regard and further if you can guide me by providing me any leads in getting one of these as such I have managed to find a PTP TT if that too is a good one then please let me know.
Hope you will extend me your help
Thanks & Regards
Flute

 

[Lancaster]

Folks,

I know that quite a number of members have managed to get an Ex-AIR EMT turntable. Most of them are not in good shape - cosmetically or functionally.

I have had the privilege of owning more than half a dozen EMT machines of various types. All of them have been serviced and brought up to prime condition by myself. This involved years of reading, talking to ex EMT engineers and practically trying out on my systems and sometimes buying very expensive spare parts from Germany.

I keep getting lot of messages from forum members wanting to talk and answer some of their questions and possibly some solutions.

This thread is being created to help any of the EMT owners on restoration, repair, spares, maintenance etc. of their EMT machines. Please feel free to post here. I will try my best to answer them or give you a solution.

EMT is a world of it's own. Most of it is unique to the design, right from tonearm cable to headshell. Every spare is very expensive. I can feel how it is to own a EMT and not being able to play or use it in a sub-optimal way. Hence this thread.

Cheers

Dear Anil (and other members),

I'm a first time poster here, thank-you for your generous offer of advise and constributions on EMT products!

My interest in audio equipment has steadily grown from well known mid-fi brands to a mixture of vintage and DIY. I recently bought a EMT 929 arm - my entry to the brand. I've mostly owned British equipment, but now very curious to hear renowned Swiss/German gear. I also have a couple of Thorens Turntables (TD126 Mk2 & 3) and was thinking of trying the arm with them.

My first question is around the installation of the arm. I've attached an image, unfortunately it wasn't supplied with the Black mounting base. I've seen these listed for sale online, but I want to make sure it will work.

How is the arm fixed into the base? There are 2 grommet screws in the base, that seem to match up with 2 drilled indentations in the arm shaft. However these are located near the bottom, and would result in the arm sitting too high above the plinth. Is the idea that the arm can slide further down (adjust VTA) and the grub screws are used on any part of the shaft to hold the arm in place? I don't want to screw hard into the polished metal, or is this design?

Many thanks for your consideration and advice,
Lancaster

 

[anilva]

EMT tonearm sits into a metal base which would have 2 grub screws. They hold the cylinder on the tonearm and height is adjustable (VTA). The design is that the grub screws hold onto the polished cylinder. Only caution I would advice is not to overtighten the grub screws and damage the tonearm cylinder.

Cheers

 

[anilva]

Hi ,
As you are a senior member of the forum I got to know that you are very much experienced member and are very much into the vinyl.I am a vinyl lover and present own a TT which is the forth one and is Technics SL 1500 mk2 and SL2000 now that I want to upgrade my TT and planning to get an EMT 938 with denon103 or garrad 301 /401 or linn sondek LP 12 now I want your valuable input and guidance in this regard hope you will help in this regard and further if you can guide me by providing me any leads in getting one of these as such I have managed to find a PTP TT if that too is a good one then please let me know.
Hope you will extend me your help
Thanks & Regards
Flute

It is very difficult to find a good working EMT in India. You could buy and import from Dusch or Fabritius in Germany. Other turntables like Garrard 301 or a Linn Sondek are also difficult to get but not impossible. Again these tables need to be in good condition to give you the best results otherwise, you would be spending a lot of money on spares.

 

[Lancaster]

EMT tonearm sits into a metal base which would have 2 grub screws. They hold the cylinder on the tonearm and height is adjustable (VTA). The design is that the grub screws hold onto the polished cylinder. Only caution I would advice is not to overtighten the grub screws and damage the tonearm cylinder.

Cheers

Many thanks Anil,
I just ordered a EMT TMD cartridge from Japan, which is looks in great condition, so looking forward to getting it together and running. I can share an update when ready.
L

 

[murliblitz]

Anil,
My 938 speed selector switch is damaged,kindly advise how to procure one or alternative,

also need service instructions in English kindly help

thanks and regards

 

[JohnnieB]

Hello and thanks for any help in advance. I have an EMT 945 which hasn't been powered for a while. I’m looking at bringing back to the best it can be, I’m a Broadcast Engineer and have been repairing electronic stuff for many years.

Q1, would you recommend blanket changing of electrolytic and Tantalum capacitors?

Q2, the turntable platter needs a re-paint, I can get a part Ex from Germany, is that the best option?

Q3, were can I get the special oil for the bearings or can this be any machine oil?

Q3, were is the best place to sell this when finished, eBay would get the best worldwide coverage I guess?

Folks,

I know that quite a number of members have managed to get an Ex-AIR EMT turntable. Most of them are not in good shape - cosmetically or functionally.

I have had the privilege of owning more than half a dozen EMT machines of various types. All of them have been serviced and brought up to prime condition by myself. This involved years of reading, talking to ex EMT engineers and practically trying out on my systems and sometimes buying very expensive spare parts from Germany.

I keep getting lot of messages from forum members wanting to talk and answer some of their questions and possibly some solutions.

This thread is being created to help any of the EMT owners on restoration, repair, spares, maintenance etc. of their EMT machines. Please feel free to post here. I will try my best to answer them or give you a solution.

EMT is a world of it's own. Most of it is unique to the design, right from tonearm cable to headshell. Every spare is very expensive. I can feel how it is to own a EMT and not being able to play or use it in a sub-optimal way. Hence this thread.

Cheers

 

[anilva]

Hello and thanks for any help in advance. I have an EMT 945 which hasn't been powered for a while. I’m looking at bringing back to the best it can be, I’m a Broadcast Engineer and have been repairing electronic stuff for many years.

Is it a EMT 948? AFAIK there is no EMT 945.

Q1, would you recommend blanket changing of electrolytic and Tantalum capacitors?

Please change all tantalum and electrolytic capacitors. Tantalums are a must change.

Q2, the turntable platter needs a re-paint, I can get a part Ex from Germany, is that the best option?

Best is to repaint with matt black paint. I usually get it powder coated.

Q3, were can I get the special oil for the bearings or can this be any machine oil?

Regular sewing machine oil is good. There is nothing special about EMT oil.

Q3, were is the best place to sell this when finished, eBay would get the best worldwide coverage I guess?

eBay will fetch better prices. EVen audio forums would be a good bet to sell.

 

[Sushant Sharma]

Hello members,
I have bought a EMT 938 table and the phono section and the amplifier section work. The arm 929 seems alright too. While the previous owner showed me a demo with a not so highly regarded Classic 700 mm cart, I am now in search for a mm cart for it. I have an emt type headshell which will accept any cartrdige. I was told this is a universal tonearm. Would anybody know from the attached photo?

The internet told me of shure sc35c which is a low compliance and heavy tracking weight (4 to 5g) cartridge. This seems to have been used by the broadcasting stations. Rolls off top end and good bass.
These were very inexpensive 5 years ago but now cost about 15k after the closure of Shure. The tsd15 is out of budget right now.

I would like to try the internal phono of the EMT which is MM and hence am looking for an inexpensive mm cart. I don't want to commit too much in terms of price as I am not sure how well the phono section works since it hasnt been recapped or looked into but the good news is, it works..

My question is are there any modern equivalent carts in similar price range that might be worth trying? OR should i stick to a tried and tested combo in the shure sc35c?

Will appreciate your advice and inputs.

Thanks

 

[anilva]

Hello members,
I have bought a EMT 938 table and the phono section and the amplifier section work. The arm 929 seems alright too. While the previous owner showed me a demo with a not so highly regarded Classic 700 mm cart, I am now in search for a mm cart for it. I have an emt type headshell which will accept any cartrdige. I was told this is a universal tonearm. Would anybody know from the attached photo?

The internet told me of shure sc35c which is a low compliance and heavy tracking weight (4 to 5g) cartridge. This seems to have been used by the broadcasting stations. Rolls off top end and good bass.
These were very inexpensive 5 years ago but now cost about 15k after the closure of Shure. The tsd15 is out of budget right now.

I would like to try the internal phono of the EMT which is MM and hence am looking for an inexpensive mm cart. I don't want to commit too much in terms of price as I am not sure how well the phono section works since it hasnt been recapped or looked into but the good news is, it works..

My question is are there any modern equivalent carts in similar price range that might be worth trying? OR should i stick to a tried and tested combo in the shure sc35c?

Will appreciate your advice and inputs.

Thanks

You seem to have the earlier model of Meltron EMT 938. The later versions did not have a scratch filter. The tonearm is a EMT 929 tonearm with EMT cartridge pinout and not SME pinout. Because the EMT 929 has a longer tonearm tube, for geometry reasons, the headshell is supposed to be a small headshell. You seem to enough space on the modified Pioneer headshell. You can use any high tracking force MM cartridge on this. The most popular is Stanton 500 cartridge. They must be available. Shure SC35 is good too. The phono preamp inside the EMT is one of the best and it cannot be bested by many high priced external phono preamps.

All the best.

Cheers
Anil

 

[arj]

somehow putting a cheap MM on an EMT 938 feels like putting entry level apollo tyre on a merc

 

[Sushant Sharma]

@anilva thanks.i was hoping you would comment. Appreciate it. I have read your previous posts on the emt and they were a great help.
So yes the stanton and the shure are popular inexpensive choices. May i ask if you have used any other mm carts on this table or did you always go with to the mc tsd15? I have seen multiple users say emt is a complete package and don't try to best or separate the sun of the parts. The denon 103 is another popular choice but I want to use the inbuilt mm phono and i dont see myself buying the mc card.

So I understand now, this is not the universal tonearm but the modified pioneer headshell with the diamond pattern which now allows me to use lots of other carts. What does a iniversal tonearm look like? Might get a
Audiosilente headshell at a later stage.
Also thinking of getting a cable to outboard the phono just to satisfy my curiosity. The anadialogue video tells you how to Diy one else I see a dusch cable listed on ebay.
Another thing I opened up the table and what an engineering marvel. The solder on the boards is stil new with a silvery sheen. After all these years. Wow. Attaching photos just for viewing pleasure.

 

[Sushant Sharma]

somehow putting a cheap MM on an EMT 938 feels like putting entry level apollo tyre on a merc

@arj
The stanton and the shure sc35c are tried and tested combinations and the internet has multiple people who have before me used this combo.So not a bad idea to check.
Also this table hasnt been looked up and restored by the 2 guys who are in Europe so I will tread cautiously.

 

[anilva]

The best option is to buy a MC daughter card for MM PCB and connect a TSD15 for full experience of EMT. Otherwise you can use a DL103 as a stop gap on the modified pioneer headshell.

The last option is to run the MM board as it is with a Stanton or a Shure MM cartridge. BTW AIR has been using stanton cartridge all these years. Amongst multiple EMTs that I have, one of the favourite go-to TT is the EMT938 MM with Stanton 500. I bought a Jico stylus for it. Its terrific. It's also great for playing not so good condition LPs. Playing them on a TSD15 is risky.

The cable from the 5pin round EMT socket to RCA out is not easy to make. The connectors are unique. Best is to get it from Dusch.

No big maintenance is required. You can get the electrolytic caps replaced by an decent electronic technician and also replace the small yellow tantalum capacitors on the audio board as they tend to get short with age and will cause smoke and fumes and the board dead at some point in time. Unfortunately they are used across the power supply rail for filtering.