First, lets look at the most popular Dual turntable that most people go after. For many years, the well-built Dual 1229 turntable has never lost its charm but instead remained in high demand for those of us that like the phrase: old is gold. Some fans of 1229 have touted it as being one of the best inventions in the technological age.
What’s good about automatic function?
Defying conventions, the Dual 1229 model functions automatically completely. For the vinyl listeners, the 1229 becomes very pleasant to listen to as you experience a minimal level of rumble. Furthermore, the Dual 1229 turntable has the ability to play several records at one go, hence getting off the sofa every 4-6 min to change the singles becomes a thing of the past. With the automatic function in place working perfectly, you do not have to monitor your spinning vinyl like before and it gives you quality music!
Benefits of heavy weight platter
The Dual 1229’s heavy weight platter enables it to keep spinning even after the record has finished playing and to my surprise, there is like close to no flutter or wow, period. Although the tonearm is longer than usual for an automatic turntable, the tonearm friction is reduced significantly with the deployment of the Gimbal bearing type. The renowned quality build can be observed in this model from the outside.
Hidden Gem?
Thankfully the Dual 1229 turntables did not position itself to be that of the high end pricey segment or even collectible items. Due to this, many often overlook the Dual 1229 as great turntables – hidden gem! From the appearance, one can tell that the Dual 1229 exudes personality and classiness.
When it comes to servicing…
You may face some difficulties in some countries. This is because of some important components becoming more difficult to source for such as idler wheels and purchasing replacements may not be cheap. However, the good thing is that duals are well-appreciated in many places to the extent that any turntable repair shop that has dealings with Garrads, Linns, or Thorens will also be able to help with Duals.
Just a word of caution, because of the accumulation of lubricant over years, the dual turntables will require a thorough touching up after buying. Don’t worry! Should you be one of those hands-off folks like me, you can always seek professional assistance. Fast local enquiries always pays-off to be sure someone experienced in the vicinity can help if you need it.
Specifications of the Dual 1229 turntable:
- Drive: synchronous continuous-pole motor with radial elastic suspension
- Platter: non-magnetic, dynamically balanced, 3.1kg
- Balanced Pitch Control: 6%
- Wow & Flutter: +/- 0.06%
- Signal to noise ratio (Rumble): 63dB weighted
- Tonearm: much longer than usual
- Cartridge holder: removable, accepts all 1/2″ cartridges from 1 to 12grams
Some suggested cartridges for the Dual 1229 turntables:
- Ortofon OM10
- Shure V15 Type III
- Denon DL-160
- Stanton 681EEE
- Shure M97XE
If you can, please avoid the Grados cartridges, because it produces disproportion hum. Of all the Dual turntables, this model is amongst one of our favorites. For an automatic turntable, the Dual 1229 can be said to be one of the most meticulously designed product with high standard of reliability.
