[henrylr]

I found this Dual 1249 info on worldradiohistory.com. "The rumble measurement, alluded to before, is -63 /2 dB by the CBS-ARLL method. ANSI/IEEE peak wow is very low at 0.05% average and 0.08% maximum". What would the CBS-ARLL value be if converted to SNR DIN-B.
Thanks

[henrylr]

I just found this interesting article which includes some info on rumble testing standards.
worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Audio/Archive-Stereo-Review-IDX/IDX/80s/HiFi-Stereo-Review-1983-05-OCR-Page-0056.pdf

[S Clark]

I really wouldn't worry about specs. That Dual is a bulk manufacturer mid fi table designed to make music from records... not to retrieve the last bit of detail from the groove. If it works for you, enjoy it. 

[henrylr]

I've been asking about SNR standards and searching for info because I thought a Technics or Pioneer direct drive table with rumble/SNR spec.s of 73dB to 78dB might sound noticeably better than my Daul 1249 that I bought new in 1975. Its rumble spec is listed as 63dB so I was going to sell it and buy a DD TT. However, after reading answers and finding the documents it seems the Dual rumble would be around 75dB A weighted. I'm glad I got hung up on the spec.s because now I'm keeping the Dual. It has always sounded good to me.

[S Clark]

Great.  My Dual was better than the bottom end Garrard that it replaced 45 years ago, but not as good as the BIC 980 that replaced it, or the B&O that followed, or any of tables I use now.   
If you can, compare it to the Pioneer. Buy from a source that will take returns if you decided it's not an improvement. Don't make the mistake of deciding because one manufacturers (questionable) specs are slightly better than another.

[henrylr]

One of the reasons my Dual 1249 sounds so good, to me, is that it is located in a closet.

The Closet is almost dust free. haven't had to wipe the dust cover in a couple of years. And the boards, the components rest on, rest on wall mounted 1" x 1" pieces of wood that are the full length of the depth of the closet. This makes getting to the back of components a little easier because the boards easily slide. That is one can be pushed all the way in and another can be pulled out a bit. I also have a 12" x 3" mirror that hangs on the back wall. I spent a 1/2 hour trying to get the pic vertical but gave up.

[SteveFord]

[henrylr]

Thanks for fixing the photo.

[henrylr]

Now that I've decided to keep my Dual 1249 I think a hi-output MC cartridge might be a nice improvement There are many on ebay and I don't want to spend more than $300. What would be a good match?

Thanks

[henrylr]

After some research it seems the NOS SAE 1000lt MC cart might be a good match. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[henrylr]

Are thing pins on the SAE 1000tl the same size as pins on a Grado cart?

[S Clark]

You could look at the Ortofon Quintet Red.  Easy to mount, very detailed.  Kinda the opposite of the SAE that you're looking at.  Both are good options.   I see one Ortofon on Ebay for $300   Usually they run $400 
Have you mounted many cartridges before?  The pins should be the same on 95% of all cartridges.   

[henrylr]

I've mounted a few different carts on the Dual over the last 48 years. I found reviews of the SAE 1000lt that make me think it may be equal to or better than other carts in the $300 range.  Do NOS carts that have been sitting on a shelf for years develop problems?

[S Clark]

They can.  The suspension (rubber) can lose elasticity.   If the deal is good enough, it's worth the risk. 

[henrylr]

Thanks for the info. I passed on the NOS SAE 1000lt MC cart. I did a bit of research and found documents that list types of rubber and shelf life. Most types have a shelf life of 5 to 10 years. Based on that I'm only going to buy new. What would be a good, new, $300 max, MC cart for the Dual 1249.



Thanks

[S Clark]

Thanks for the info. I passed on the NOS SAE 1000lt MC cart. I did a bit of research and found documents that list types of rubber and shelf life. Most types have a shelf life of 5 to 10 years. Based on that I'm only going to buy new. What would be a good, new, $300 max, MC cart for the Dual 1249.



Thanks

My experience is that the rubber is good for longer than that.   I'd avoid something 30 years old, but not 10.

[WGH]

What would be a good, new, $300 max, MC cart for the Dual 1249.

The Dual 1249 has a low mass tonearm, a MC cartridge will have to be carefully matched. Info on this arm is hard to find. My old Dual 1009F has an ADC VLM cartridge that has long been discontinued. I can't comment on the sound because all the electronics and speakers I owned at that time were low fi. I use the 1009F to play 78 rpm records.

AudioKarma has a thread about the Dual 1200 series tonearms:

Mass of a Dual 1200 series tonearm?
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/mass-of-a-dual-1200-series-tonearm.439674/

"I've tried the [Dynavector] 10X5 ($800) on a 1219 and it sounded fine. It doesn't sound better than any number of other cartridges, though, IMHO. The 1219 - for whatever reason - just doesn't allow the 10x5 to show how good it is. On my Scout, the 10x5 shows a remarkable soundstage and detail with a clarity that is excellent. On the 1219 a large part of that is lost. I really wish that I knew why."

Dual 1219 tonearm with Shure M 91