This JVC QL-Y66F is one of JVC’s high end offerings in the turntable category. It was introduced in 1985 and is a quartz locked fully automatic turntable. It has two speeds, push button controls and meters for tracking force, anti-skating, and damping. Overall the QL-Y66F is a nice looking turntable. The burgundy plinth with gloss finish, gold front emblem, over-sized 13″ platter and well organized control panel all lend to its high end feel.
The direct drive motor in the QL-Y66F is one of the best. It’s a magnetic levitation drive which means there is no bearing contact and has bi-directional quartz servo control. Electro magnets are used to apply both VTF and anti-skating. The tonearm also has electro-magnetic servo damping for Low frequency resonances. The tonearm tube is exchangeable and originally there were three versions available – the S-Arm (mid mass), Straight arm (low mass), straight arm – carbon fiber (ultra-low mass / damped). The S shaped arms are becoming more and more difficult to find.
One weakness of the machine is that it tends to have resonance or feedback which can be cured by replacing the stock hard feet with soft feet and possibly spraying the particle board plinth bottom with rubber dampening material.
Here are a few of its other specifications:
- Motor – coreless DC, quartz FG servo motor
- Drive system – direct drive
- Speed detection system – frequency generator
- Servo system – bi-directional servo quartz lock
- Wow and flutter – 0.015% WRMS
- Signal to noise ratio – 80dB
- Speed deviation – 0.002%
- Platter – 2.9kg 350mm diecast aluminium
- Tonearm – straight or s-shaped arm pipe
- Effective length – 254mm
- Overhang – 15mm
- Tracking force – 0 to 3g
- Dimensions – 495 x 187 x 405mm
- Weight – 12.3kg
You don’t see this turntable on the market too often. It’s possible that past buyers looking for a high end table looked toward Pioneer, Technics and Marantz rather than JVC. So, there seem to be fewer of the tables around now. Still, they can bring pretty good prices when available. A JVC QL-Y66F in perfect working order and only small cosmetic issues, but without a dust cover, brought $787.00 (8-11-2012). I’ve seen others sell for upwards of $1000.00.
Is VTF and antiskate automatically controlled and somehow constantly monitored? Or have these been set to certain settings or user adjustable? Have there been any known issues with this magnetic system( possibly the cause of feedback)?
Thank you for posting
I own one of these. It’s in excellent condition. Everything works perfectly. I found by padding the hard feet it reduced feedback by over 80%. Mine has the straight tone arm. I bought a Rega to replace it but haven’t got around to listing it anywhere yet.
did you decide if you will sell it yet?
Nice. My unit is still running great. I changed the feets, damped the interiors, changed the power cord and rca’s, seat the unit over a bearing base etc… looks amazing but is not for sale as long as I live or the unit keeps running.
Hello all I am about to put a QL-Y66F up for sale. Looking for where to start my $$. Works great! Have the lid but it does have a lot of gouges.
HERE are the last two eBay sales. The “like new” one sold for $661. The other, which sounds closer in condition to the one you have, sold for $425. But, it sounds like it wasn’t tested, so the buyer was taking some risk which affects price. So, I’d guess somewhere easily over $450.00. If you’re going to sell on eBay then you could use a ‘Buy It Now’ auction with a fairly high price ($550-$575?) but with a ‘Best Offer’ option to allow buyers to send an offer. You can always lower the price later if it doesn’t sell. Then you can see what type of demand there is. Just remember to pack it well if you ship it. Good luck!
I have a JVC AL-Y66F. It appears to have the same features as the QL-Y66F. Anyone know the difference?
Are you sure it’s an ‘A’? JVC’s Q font looks a lot like an A on the front badge. Does it say ‘A’ on the back model plate?
“It’s a magnetic levitation drive which means there is no bearing contact….”
Sorry, but not true. There is ever contact. The great feature of this motor, is that the contact force is REDUCED to 1/10, but not cancelled. So if the total mass applied to bearing is 4 kgs, when the motor is turned on, the applied mass eill be 400 gms.
I have a JVC QL-Y66F that I purchased new from JVC in Dublin and its in excellent condition – has been kept boxed and I recently tested it – and its working 100%
I may consider selling it – not too pushed to be honest but if there are people out there looking for this rare and excellent vintage turntable – might consider selling once the price is right
Paul
LET ME KNOW OF ANYONE SELLING ONE.
I am considering listing mine for sale. It has the original cartridge that needs a stylus, both tonearms, The S one has a MM cartridge on it and sounds great. a few very minor scratches on the dust cover.
Hi. Do You still have this JVC for sale? I looking for one of those…give me a feedback if want to sale yours…
paul, did you ever end up listing the turntable?
Hi. Can you tell me the price?
I bought one while working in Japan last year, was about $450 usd. Very good visual condition and works flawlessly. That shop at that time has a few for auction on Yahoo Japan. Shoot, I just checked and there’s one now listed…. So back in the states a power converter was added to step down 120v to 100, and sorbothane pads were placed under the pads. Also while in Japan I picked up a Nagaoka MP-500 for a decent deal – still breaking it in (life is busy ya know).