JVC is a bit of a dark horse in the vintage audiophile community. While not widely acclaimed IMHO during the Golden Era of the 1970s they produced many beautifully designed and innovative technologies with excellent build quality. And this 1977 direct-drive turntable is a perfect exhibit.
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6A classic professional grade turntable from 1977. The JVC JL-A40 is a semi automatic direct-drive model featuring an sophisticated electronic servo motor with a specified wow and flutter of less than 0.03%.
By the latter 1970s many of the high-end audio manufacturers were introducing plastic plinths throughout their turntable range. However these plinths are not to be confused with the light-weight cheap plastic turntable plinths of the 1980s. And this JVC especially so.
Firstly the the JL-A40 is very solidly constructed and weights 7.2kg in total. Secondly it incorporates a parallel isolation suspension system that utilises coupled rubber dampers and coil springs to soak up shakes, jolts and jarring giving this turntable a good degree of immunity to jumping.
Other features that JVC built into this model include an ‘auto-reject’ feature to prevent your stylus from grinding in the last grooves of your vinyl, a cueing feature, anti-skate, an adjustable height tonearm, pitch control and strobe light. It was also fitted with a statically balanced S-shape tone arm to correct tracking errors.
The icing on this cake is that it comes with JVC’s very own high-end Z-1 moving coil cartridge. This cartridge is designed for 2-channel and 4-channel playback (including CD4) and features a wide range, clear definition and transparent tonal quality.
Fitted with a Shibata Stylus that places less load on record grooves than elliptical styli, it follows the groove contours more faithfully thus improving frequency response. Furthermore it’s low mass moving structure extends the frequency response to 50 kHz. Other features include a Beryllium Cantilever (better than Titanium), One-Point Suspension, a Light Weight Cobalt Samarium Magnet and Laminated Permalloy in the Pole Pieces.
All up this turntable is setup to enjoy beautiful sounding stereo and quadraphonic in both SQ and the superior CD4 format – another innovation brought to you by JVC!
Posted In: Turntables
Dan L
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Nice article… I have had this turntable for 6 months now and can’t bring myself to sell it. I was only planning on keeping it as a back-up, but it works and sounds awesome with Ortofon OM2 Blue. Grab one quick if you can find one because this is a solid TT.
jim
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I have our original purchased in 1978 and still play it everyday almost 40 years on. Other than the stylus and cartridges I have not had to replace anything! When it stops working I will feel as if I have lost a family member.
Florencia
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Hi. I would like to know if this type of turntable could work as a dj turn table.
admin Author
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Its a direct drive turntable, so yeah it can easily be used.
Roger Martinez
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I have this turntable bought it brand new and it still works, but I have to turn the speed up all of way. Can it be fix?
admin Author
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A good technician should easily be able to sort that out.
Mizuno Takahashi
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The main faulty part in speed issues is the micro-switch under the 33/45RPM selector, it’s part of the circuit as a resistor (0 of infinite resistance), not just as a contact or mechanical link. It rusts over time and can’t make a real zero ohm contact. Replace it with a quality standard one, cheap enough e.g. https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/microswitches/8046234/
BTW, real nice turntable (I think “professional” stands for the nice/fast/big motor), should sell it (my main one is a Thorens) but just can’t let it go…
Mizuno Takahashi
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And a coarse adjustment (a pot inside the turntable) may be required for speed after the new switch and contact cleaner on coarse/fin pots for 33 and 45RPM.
While a tech at it change the few electrolytic capacitors. Back on track for years!
Carl
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I need to find a stylus for my jl a40
I can not find a cross over replacement or no idea where to look. Can any one help me please
Mizuno Takahashi
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https://www.turntableneedles.com/search.asp?keyword=md-1025
Marin
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Bought this one recently for 80 Euro in mint condition through online ad. Has Numark CC-1 catridge. It’s a pleasure just to look at it, not to mention the sound.
Vicky
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Hi, I saw your comment Jim. I am insterested in buying a new needle and stylus. You seem to know about that.. What would you recommend?
Thank you for taking time to reply, Jim or anyone else.. I dont want to scratch anymore vinyls but i love to play them.
Vicky
arjen
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a question: the Berrylium cantilever nowadays seems a cantliver not to touch because it is highly endangering health or i am a completely wrong i this?
the oxide and touch be hand would tranfer oxide to skin
i was considering buying this beautiful styled turntable but was shocked reading about this material
does anyone know more about this?
thanks already for answer
arjen
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it is not a Moving Coil element but
Moving magnet