The massively popular Dual CS505, here in versions 1 and 2. We talk about it's history, performance and common issues. Also how to access the insides as it isn't obvious
Yes, I'm 57 and have the CS505-2 Deluxe on the right which I bought as a student in 1986 (You could buy the -2 with the plastic plinth too but I paid the extra for the wooden/ black ash vinyl plinth. Swapped out the Ortofon cartridge for a Goldring GX1020 which was a great improvement. It's under my bed now with 'issues'.
The nostalgia comes flooding in with these videos. CS505-2 was my first deck too as part of a bundle with A&R C77, Rotel RA-820 and JPW P1s in 1985. Thanks Phil.
I had both decks, the 505-2 I had was rosewood finish with a Nagoya MP-11 and cost me £120 without the cartridge but was a superb deck back in 1983. Thanks for the video Phil😎… The original version cost £75:00
Great video as ever Phil. My dad had a 505-1, with the almost obligatory Nad 3020 and AR18s. I remember his had a Nad cartridge and would occasionally emit a deafening hum mid song that could only be fixed by quickly removing the cart (which was easy) and replacing! Great trip down memory lane!
I still have and use a Dual 505-3, mainly for 45's nowadays. Upgraded cartridge to an Ortofon OM20. Only had new drive belt and pitch belt in its time plus the 'sticky' power switch problem. It replaced my Trio KD 1033. The 505 was resigned to 45rpm singles duty after I purchased a Rega Planar 3/RB300. A friend bought my Dual 506 from me years and years ago and it's still going strong. The 506 had a light on it which made it easier to see strobe on the platter when turning, much the same idea as the Technics 1200 series except you didn't have the option of turning it off.
I have a 505-3 "Audiophile Concept" (It has a plaque on the front!) and I absolutely love it, even more than some of my newer, much more expensive decks, so thanks a lot for the video! Thanks also for showing how to get the platter off. I'm sure that knowledge will come in mighty useful to me, at some point in the future!
Yes this was my first deck and was given to me my kind brother in law when I was 18. It was my first experience of hi-fi. Together with an Armstrong 621 (retro review?).. good memories mate.
Hi All,in my 35 years of listening to hifi,phil,is one of the nicest,if not the nicest guy i have ever dealt with in the HiFi world,so so helpful,so knowledgeable ,just an all round great guy,if he can help you he will,and wont charge you for the privilege ,basically im recommending him to all you new and old music lovers,if your looking for a good honest deal ,with great back up,he is the go too guy. Love the videos Phil,keep em coming,always up for learning new stuff. Kind Regards Mark
My 1980s Dual 505 was paired with (shown) A&R 18s and a Nad 3020 amp. With a Nagaoka MP-11 Cartridge fitted it was a great balanced, and lively sounding system for the money. The other popular speaker would be the Kef Coda 2 with this combination. Great to see this again and you can tell its German technology when you lifted the bonnet. Another great Retro review Phil.
Just bought a reconditioned 505-1 and so this and the set up video were really interesting. I've not had a turntable in years and decided to get one of these to have a bit of a play and not spend much money.
I've still got my Dual CS505.1 and use it for my 12 singles. I bought it brand new for £89 and HiFi news said it was the best deck under £200. It was hand built in Germany. I'd never part with mine.
The 505-2 was the first deck I bought myself after having used a hand me down Thorens for a number of years. It was a great and I really enjoyed listening to it. It went into storage when records died out and cd’s became the main media. When I eventually dusted it down to use it again it wouldn’t work and rather than try to fix it (or find someone else who could) I stupidly chucked it in a skip. Not the best decision I’ve ever made, I would love to have a go at fixing it now ! Ah well, you live and learn ……..
The original style pitch belts are available, but a bit expensive for what they are. There are people selling plain, rather than toothed, rubber belts that work and are fairly cheap. I've picked up a 505-1 which sounded great with it's annoying tks cartridge and more recently a 505-3 with "wood" plinth and normal half inch headshell. This is a pretty decent turntable.
I remember both the Pioneer and Dual turntables being around when I was a teenager (now 56 years old). The Dual was one I considered when I got my first job, but it lost out to the RB250 equipped Rega 2.
Great Videos! I myself am a big fan of the old Dual turntables. In Germany they are all over the place and you can get get them for very fair prices. I own a 704 myself, which has a direct drive, and would be really interested on your opinion. If you ever get one in your workshop, i would love a Retro Review of the Dual 704! Cheers
I had a Pioneer PL12 (still have it in the basement) but never a Dual 505. I am going backwards :D with the Dual 1019. That deck defies all logic and should not be nearly as good as it is. It has something to it that draws me to it. I keep telling my self that other turntables are obviously better but then I ignore my brain and play my records on it.
I dread to think how many of these superb sounding machines have hit the landfill due to minor issues. It was extremely common sadly for people to neglect them "in the loft" for years on end, then when the CD fad finally wanes, they power it up and wonder why it no longer works!
I have the 505-3 that I bought for my teenage sons to use with it being semi auto so as not to damage my better deck and to be honest I can’t fault it.
These were excellent turntables for the money ... Hahaha ... I gave you a wrecked 505 for free some years ago (whilst I was buying some other stuff from you) I hope you saved it and it went to a good home ... but probably not !!! 😂🤣 ... excellent stuff Phil !
My first turntable, never rated it. I wanted a Linn, but it was way out of my price range. Got and RD40 after that which was better, but not brilliant. Didn’t bother with vinyl for a several years then bought a used Roksan Xerxes 1 which was a revelation.
The one on the right was known as the 505/2 deluxe, due to the plinth. I had one from around 1987 until 2006 when the motor died on me. Always liked the sound, depsite the budget cartridge but was never impressed with the build. Not compared to my previous Technics. Good decks for the money though.
In my circle there was just one 505, and it was a troublesome beast, lots of irritating issues. Lots of PL12Ds, a Trio KD1033, and I was the outlier with a Luxman PD264
Yes, I'm 57 and have the CS505-2 Deluxe on the right which I bought as a student in 1986 (You could buy the -2 with the plastic plinth too but I paid the extra for the wooden/ black ash vinyl plinth. Swapped out the Ortofon cartridge for a Goldring GX1020 which was a great improvement. It's under my bed now with 'issues'.
You are correct, I am 55 and owned a 505-2 in 1988. From this I went to a Michell Gyrodec Export with the QC power supply
Still have my CS505-1 somewhere - great sounding deck & my 1st 'Hi-Fi' purchase when I was 18 (still have the receipt!)
The nostalgia comes flooding in with these videos. CS505-2 was my first deck too as part of a bundle with A&R C77, Rotel RA-820 and JPW P1s in 1985. Thanks Phil.
I had both decks, the 505-2 I had was rosewood finish with a Nagoya MP-11 and cost me £120 without the cartridge but was a superb deck back in 1983. Thanks for the video Phil😎… The original version cost £75:00
Great video as ever Phil. My dad had a 505-1, with the almost obligatory Nad 3020 and AR18s. I remember his had a Nad cartridge and would occasionally emit a deafening hum mid song that could only be fixed by quickly removing the cart (which was easy) and replacing! Great trip down memory lane!
I still have and use a Dual 505-3, mainly for 45's nowadays. Upgraded cartridge to an Ortofon OM20. Only had new drive belt and pitch belt in its time plus the 'sticky' power switch problem. It replaced my Trio KD 1033. The 505 was resigned to 45rpm singles duty after I purchased a Rega Planar 3/RB300.
A friend bought my Dual 506 from me years and years ago and it's still going strong. The 506 had a light on it which made it easier to see strobe on the platter when turning, much the same idea as the Technics 1200 series except you didn't have the option of turning it off.
I have a 505-3 "Audiophile Concept" (It has a plaque on the front!) and I absolutely love it, even more than some of my newer, much more expensive decks, so thanks a lot for the video! Thanks also for showing how to get the platter off. I'm sure that knowledge will come in mighty useful to me, at some point in the future!
Yes this was my first deck and was given to me my kind brother in law when I was 18. It was my first experience of hi-fi. Together with an Armstrong 621 (retro review?).. good memories mate.
Yes I’m mid 50’s first turntable was a Dual 505/2 paired with NAD 3020e and AR 18bx speakers. Great sound loved it.
I have many turntables,also 2 Dual CS 505,great little turntables and very musical ✌️🎶
Hi All,in my 35 years of listening to hifi,phil,is one of the nicest,if not the nicest guy i have ever dealt with in the HiFi world,so so helpful,so knowledgeable ,just an all round great guy,if he can help you he will,and wont charge you for the privilege ,basically im recommending him to all you new and old music lovers,if your looking for a good honest deal ,with great back up,he is the go too guy. Love the videos Phil,keep em coming,always up for learning new stuff. Kind Regards Mark
Aaaw thanks Mark, I'm blushing now :-)
My 1980s Dual 505 was paired with (shown) A&R 18s and a Nad 3020 amp. With a Nagaoka MP-11 Cartridge fitted it was a great balanced, and lively sounding system for the money. The other popular speaker would be the Kef Coda 2 with this combination. Great to see this again and you can tell its German technology when you lifted the bonnet. Another great Retro review Phil.
I was given a pair of AR18s by the original owner.... guess what they were paired with, exactly as you say. ;)
Me too only I went rogue with the Rotel RA820BX.
Dual 505, NAD 3020 and Wharfdale Diamonds or KEF Coda’s was the first proper HiFi most of my friends had. Good kit.
Just bought a reconditioned 505-1 and so this and the set up video were really interesting. I've not had a turntable in years and decided to get one of these to have a bit of a play and not spend much money.
Always fancied one of these, back in the 80's. Ended up getting a used Thorens TD-104.
My first proper turntable. Still got it! I can't bear to part with it although I don't use it anymore. Using a modded Thorens TD160 now.
my first good stereo was Kenwood separates, pioneer hpm100 speakers, and a Dual 502 in 1977. thanks for the review
I've still got my Dual CS505.1
and use it for my 12 singles. I bought it brand new for £89 and HiFi news said it was the best deck under £200. It was hand built in Germany. I'd never part with mine.
The 505-2 was the first deck I bought myself after having used a hand me down Thorens for a number of years. It was a great and I really enjoyed listening to it. It went into storage when records died out and cd’s became the main media. When I eventually dusted it down to use it again it wouldn’t work and rather than try to fix it (or find someone else who could) I stupidly chucked it in a skip. Not the best decision I’ve ever made, I would love to have a go at fixing it now ! Ah well, you live and learn ……..
Yes, you’re right! I had a Dual 505-S2 as my first Hi-Fi deck along with a NAD 3020 & Mission 700 speakers. Great nostalgia video.
Classic combination
The original style pitch belts are available, but a bit expensive for what they are. There are people selling plain, rather than toothed, rubber belts that work and are fairly cheap. I've picked up a 505-1 which sounded great with it's annoying tks cartridge and more recently a 505-3 with "wood" plinth and normal half inch headshell. This is a pretty decent turntable.
I remember both the Pioneer and Dual turntables being around when I was a teenager (now 56 years old). The Dual was one I considered when I got my first job, but it lost out to the RB250 equipped Rega 2.
Loving the vintage reviews - pure nostalgia👍 Thanks, Philip.
Great Videos! I myself am a big fan of the old Dual turntables.
In Germany they are all over the place and you can get get them for very fair prices.
I own a 704 myself, which has a direct drive, and would be really interested on your opinion. If you ever get one in your workshop, i would love a Retro Review of the Dual 704!
Cheers
I had a Pioneer PL12 (still have it in the basement) but never a Dual 505. I am going backwards :D with the Dual 1019. That deck defies all logic and should not be nearly as good as it is. It has something to it that draws me to it. I keep telling my self that other turntables are obviously better but then I ignore my brain and play my records on it.
Of course I owned a 505, then went to a Thorens TD160 with a Mayware arm, wish I had never sold that deck...
I dread to think how many of these superb sounding machines have hit the landfill due to minor issues. It was extremely common sadly for people to neglect them "in the loft" for years on end, then when the CD fad finally wanes, they power it up and wonder why it no longer works!
I have the 505-3 that I bought for my teenage sons to use with it being semi auto so as not to damage my better deck and to be honest I can’t fault it.
These were excellent turntables for the money ... Hahaha ... I gave you a wrecked 505 for free some years ago (whilst I was buying some other stuff from you)
I hope you saved it and it went to a good home ... but probably not !!! 😂🤣 ... excellent stuff Phil !
I will have done! :-)
A tight, thick elastic band will work in place of the toothed pitch belt.
Good idea!
I’ve still got my cs505-1 bought back in 1981 - my user manual has long been lost so is there a way of checking the pitch without a strobe?
hi i have a duel 505-1 and my stylus pressure setting knob does not work cannot ssee what to do cheers
My first turntable, never rated it. I wanted a Linn, but it was way out of my price range. Got and RD40 after that which was better, but not brilliant. Didn’t bother with vinyl for a several years then bought a used Roksan Xerxes 1 which was a revelation.
Can i install a Stylus Needle Pickup Cartridge Grado Prestige Blue. i have dual 505-1 serviced by me.
Phil: how about a retro review on the old Rega clamshell amps? (Brio/Mira)?
Definitely if one comes in
The one on the right was known as the 505/2 deluxe, due to the plinth. I had one from around 1987 until 2006 when the motor died on me. Always liked the sound, depsite the budget cartridge but was never impressed with the build. Not compared to my previous Technics. Good decks for the money though.
Deluxe, of course, I'd forgotten that
In my circle there was just one 505, and it was a troublesome beast, lots of irritating issues. Lots of PL12Ds, a Trio KD1033, and I was the outlier with a Luxman PD264
One of my favourite tables to work on. Lovely design, wonderful sound. But, they need service!
Cheap buy so if it breaks I will bin it and buy another
CS505? Modern rubbish. I have two Duals - a 1209 and an even older, 1015. Those are turntables. :)