301 Player System

About the 301 Player System

The Shindo 301 Player System is a comprehensively re-engineered Garrard 301 transcription turntable from Shindo Laboratory, incorporating Shindo's own high-mass platter, bearing, plinth, and an Ortofon SPU-based cartridge system for turnkey, reference-level vinyl playback. The system uses a damped integral mat and a custom Shindo platter that is approximately 20 mm larger and about 3 lb heavier than the stock Garrard platter, coupled to a higher-mass, larger-diameter main bearing machined to very tight tolerances and run in special oil for improved speed stability and noise performance. The layered laminated hardwood plinth, glued and lacquered by traditional master carpenters, is built with no voids under the chassis so the Garrard 301 fits precisely, providing both striking visual appeal and excellent control of vibration and resonance. Shindo's tonearm is a dynamic, spring-loaded 12-inch arm derived from the classic Ortofon 12-inch design, rebuilt with modern high-precision bearings, intended to be used with Shindo's modified Ortofon SPU-based cartridge, which receives proprietary changes to its damper, coil, suspension, and cantilever. Setup is centered around the SPU geometry: the user balances the arm, dials in the specified 2.8 g tracking force, adjusts vertical tracking angle by raising the rear of the arm slightly, and ensures the turntable and support shelf are perfectly level, as the chassis itself offers no leveling adjustment. The complete 301 Player System is widely regarded by Garrard enthusiasts as one of the most musical and fully realized 301 implementations, prized for its natural dynamics, low noise floor, and highly engaging, live-like presentation.