TJN '70s Classic Lenco Super with new Grease Bearing On Commission

This turntable/tonearm combination IS NOW SOLD, but can be ordered to suit any shorter tonearm or wood veneer, or the same veneer as I bought stock of this particular Morado wood, lead time two months.

The buyer's review is here: "Jean,Took the headshell w/Shelter 501 MkII off the Technics 1200 where it had been aligned a long time ago using a 2 point protractor (cardboard?) or some other alignment method (I have had a bunch over the years). Checked it out a few weeks ago with a newly obtained 'Dr. Feickert' protractor that is really easy to use as it includes the pivot to spindle measurement arm that makes sure the protractor is exactly pointed at the pivot point which I have a problem with using just the Geo-Disc. Short version:  The Shelter 501 Mk II in a light headshell is a perfect match for this arm and the Sorane is a perfect match for this TT. After much fiddling and the use of a digital, hand held, microscope, I got lucky with the alignment (pic. below).  Then off the play records. How does it sound?  You know the answer! All of those 'Cult of Lenco' stories are true for good reason. Count me in as a 'cult' member. It's like going from a $100 MM cartridge to a $10,000 MC cartridge, but it's the same cartridge. Everything in my system suddenly sounds better.  Things one normally would not expect from 'just' a major TT upgrade. Most noticeable (and expected from a really good idler table) is impact.  Everything has IMPACT.  And, of course, with 106 dB horns, any 'slam' is going to be heard. The beginning of every note starts exactly as it should.  On time. The beginning of a note is the hardest to get right which is why the piano (a percussion instrument) is one of the hardest instruments to record and play back.  Every time a stick hits a cymbal or drum head the sound jumps out at you.  Even very soft notes are there and distinct. Have no idea how a TT should have this much effect on soundstage, especially when compared to other decent sources.  Each instrument and/or voice is locked into position; not blurred with all the others. And, of course, PRAT!  Some I know call it 'jump factor'. Some credit to the arm.  No wobbly unipivot here!  Solid as a rock and does the job of keeping the stylus in the groove!  Also easy to cue as doesn't drift about over the record in an attempt to trash the stylus by falling off the side of the record. Reminds me a bit (performance wise) of the Tri-Planar arm, but with a lot less mechanical nonsense. It's a winner and worth the wait. And I waited over 25 years. That's from the time I saw my first well-restored hammer-tone grease bearing 301 at CES in Las Vegas.  Poor guy was using it as a source for the speakers and/or amps he was trying to sell and all anyone showed any interest in was his turntable (which was NOT for sale!)."

It is tested with a Hana ML and Sorane 1.2 tonearm, which is representative of most MCs with similar compliance to the norm. The result was very even-handed with tremendous attack and bass as is normal for idler-wheel drives done right, and the tonal balance was perfect with clean and extended high frequencies. Sorane tonearm not included, but upper Rega tonearms would be fantastic on the 'table, as would be any high end 9" tonearm, in early days clients paired the world's best - Graham Phantoms, Dynavector DV-507 MKIIs, SME Vs etc. - and much inferior models like my early 'tables lacking man of the new parts and the developed plinths.

My 'tables are routinely compared with 'tables at multiples of their price, for those on a budget who want top performance, this is your only choice. Reviews from my website:https://www.idler-wheel-drive.com/about-tjn/reviews/

Here the report I made when setting it up to test it out, as reported on my Facebook account:
(13) Jean Nantais - Good morning fellow vinyl lovers from the Frozen... | Facebook

Read below for some audio magazines review quotes, more coming from customers, like this customer review:

 "Hello Jean,
The Lenco was finally assembled with a Zyx R50 Bloom cell for the moment.
I'm saving my final impressions for later, when I've decided which cell will stay (we'll try different zyx's to start with, as well as my Benz LP S), but what's clear now is that the return to my Origin Live (almost the same price as your Lenco, grrrrr) which is not even a year old is impossible. It’s truly astonishing what you’ve already shown me.
Thank you for that!""

New model budget Reference Lenco in handmade rosewood veneer. In terms of sonic performance, this model sits above the Classic Lenco MKII (but at a lower price) which gained a Writer's Choice Award from Positive Feedback in November 2020, but below the Reference Lenco MKI sent to TNT Audio for review in 2021.

"One of principle contributors, possibly the main catalyst, for this resurrection was Jean Nantais. His "Home Despot" post on Audiogon, in 2004, spotlighted the inherent qualities of the Lenco L-75 idler drive turntable and described the modifications one could do to transform this forgotten design into a giant killer. The Home Despot post went on to become the longest post in the history of Audiogon and spark a tectonic shift in the turntable world." TNT Audio

This is a new model in my lineup which is being changed to reflect rising costs of shipping (made smaller/lighter), and upgraded as a result of decades of experience. It is the slightly stripped down version of the "Reference Lenco MKI" sent to TNT Audio for review in February of 2021 in order to bring down the price (it can be upgraded to full Reference Lenco MKI at extra cost). Though it looks different (contrast with the photos of the Reference Lenco MKI with black side panels and an orangewood main body), the plinth is made of the same materials as the one in the TNT review, which, along with Direct Coupling, is the most important element in terms of sound quality in extracting performance from a Lenco (or any other idler). Introductory price without tonearm $4000 USD including Lenco.

Pure MDF plinths are a waste of money, beyond making the machine operable by providing a platform and eliminating some noise. Pure birch-ply also sounds bad. My plinths are made of carefully chosen materials assembled according to the principle of Constrained Layer Damping (the bonding of different materials to create a sonically and musically superior and tonally accurate whole with a lower noise floor). The Reference Lencos for which I am famed have carefully chosen and tested solid tonewoods in the critical layers which makes a HUGE improvement to the sound. Many of the tonewoods used in record players today are chosen not for sound quality but because they mimic metals, a bad idea. Generally-speaking, what applies to guitar making also applies to plinths, and guitars are not bullet proof ;).

The plinth for the '70s Classic Lenco Super incorporates a different tonewood from my Reference Lencos MKIIs and MKIIIs, a tonewood with slightly more energy and high end sparkle than strictly neutral, to create a more fun and lively presentation while being head & shoulders above most of the competition in terms of detail and imaging. For more truthful consider my '80s Reference Lenco and other true Reference Lencos (two different tonewood layers for absolute tonal fidelity and balance).

After the plinth, tolerances are tightened at critical points in the drive train to further improve the already excellent speed stability, wheels are measured for absolute concentricity, torque is optimized, a special motor treatment resulting in superior speed stability and lowered noise, and various other improvements such as my new Classic Grease Bearing. Special Tiptoe footers included for superior focus and clarity, in a tripod making it easy to level perfectly, and it cannot rock/tilt. Includes special budget but very effective bonded acrylic mat.

The '70s Classic Lenco Super is a model above my lowest-priced model ($2500 + Lenco), seen in the last photos. Hand-made veneer with a 3/4" black Wenge band across the bottom identifies the Super. I take my inspiration in terms of overall look and size from the classic Thorens TD-160s  of the '70s, Thorens offered also a TD-160 Super which was different in many important particulars, not retrofittable. 

Some excerpts from the TNT review: 

"Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms: The title track stands out; crisp, clean, sharp attacks on drum beats. The low volume vocals on the title track were remarkable because of the clarity of the Knopfler's voice. One could understand every word even though it is almost a whisper. I don't think that I have ever been able to say that before."

"Oregon - Out of the Woods: Deep crisp, tight bass. Very punchy. Precise focus and separate instrument placement. The percussion solo on track 2, I think it's a Tabla, is a "you have to hear this" experience. I have played this album many times over the years" and I believe that I have never heard it sound this good; detail, articulation, imaging, bass .....

"Saint Saëns - Organ Symphony. Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, Charles Dutoit conducting. This record has everything a reviewer could ask for, dynamics, speed, slam, and of course lots of bass from the pipe organ. I have been to OSM concerts and can visualize the placement of the instrument groups in the orchestra. Listening to the record it was easy to reconstruct these placements. Everyone was in their place. the Adagio was a revelation; the contrast of the deep bass organ notes against the string melody awakened me to an aspect of this compositions that I had not fully appreciated until now. Definitely a consequence of the clarity and precision of the TJN Reference MKI. This record is going on my desert island list. How would I get speakers that go that low on to a desert island?"

From the Positive Feedback review:

"When listening to some of my favorite albums I noticed most importantly that everything came from an incredibly dark background. Somewhat like the splashing of neon colors of paint, á la Jackson Pollack, on a black sheet would cause the colors to pop with an incredibly vivid explosion (as opposed to the same effect on a white sheet), everything in the musical palette exploded out of this incredibly black background. The last turntable I reviewed that did this on this level was the Montigero Lusso a number of years ago. That table cost $75,000. Was it worth $75,000? Yes it was for so many reasons, but the TJN Lenco Idler Wheel table in my possession matched this aspect of the Lusso's performance at about $68,000 less in cost. How can you not love that?"

"No matter what I played on the TJN MKII it just presented itself with more life, snap, and detail than any table I have had anywhere near the price since I have been reviewing over the last twenty years. This turntable is a must audition if you can swing the price and are looking for a turntable to last a lifetime and never find it disappointing."

I have decades of experience shipping my 'tables safely. this model can be shipped internationally via regular post at a tremendous savings ($300 USD or so). Shipping to the US via ground very reasonable.

Prefer bank transfer or personal cheque.