Yamaha YP-701

The Yamaha YP-701 is a beautiful turntable. Pretty much all of Yamaha’s YP line is clean and sophisticated looking. The YP-701 with it’s wood grain plinth, smooth metal base and countersunk platter is maybe the best looking of the line. I believe it was Yamaha’s flagship model at the time. It was introduced around 1974 or so and is an auto-return belt-drive turntable. The arm will automatically raise at the end of a record and return to the rest.

The YP-701 features a precision designed S shaped tonearm. The cueing lever is silicone damped. The main counterweight is 0-4 grams while two additional sub counterweights allow for adjustment if you’re using a lighter or heavier cartridge.

The metal base incorporates a spring suspension and motor has its own base and springs which really cuts down on noise from vibration. The auto-cut feature keeps sound from being produced until the needle is in the groove of the record. This means you won’t hear that loud thump through your speakers when the arm drops to the record.

The platter is big and heavy. It’s 12″ (30cm) wide, made of diecast aluminum and precision balanced.

Specifications:

• Type: auto start/return record player
• Drive method: belt drive
• Platter: 12″ (300mm) aluminium diecast
• Speeds: 33 and 45rpm
• Wow and flutter: 0.08%
• Signal to noise ratio: 48dB
• Tonearm: S-shaped, static balance type
• Overhang: 17mm
• Headshell: 12g universal plug-in type
• Cartridge weight range: 5-15 grams
• Dimensions: 19″ x 6 1/4″ x 6 1/2″ (480 x 410 x 161mm)
• Weight: 20.2 pounds (9.2kg)

The YP-701 didn’t originally come with a cartridge but it has a universal plug in shell design so most standard cartridges should work. It has a sliding mount that allows overhang to be adjusted for whatever cartridge you’re using.

If you’re contemplating purchasing a YP-701 make sure all the small weights for the anti skating and lateral balance are there. It’s very hard to find replacements and the tonearm cannot be setup properly without them. Overall the Yamaha YP-701 is a great turntable with superb build quality and performance. However, despite its qualifications it still seems to be a little underappreciated in the market, which is good if you’re looking for one. For about $200 to $300 you can have an excellent belt drive turntable.