TEAC TN-3B-SE Turntable

Teac TN-3B-SE turntable is a stylish belt driven model that includes a built in MM phono preamp and Audio Technica AT-VM95E cartridge. Available in cherry, black and white finishes.

This model replaces the prior TN-3B and features a range of updates designed to get even better sound from your vinyl. The high-end tonearm is made by the renowned SAEC. It has knife-edge, pivot-point bearings for excellent stability and sound resolution. The belt drive system damps out any cogging from the motor for a smooth platter rotation.

Top-end Tonearm

The Tonearm on the TN-3B-SE turntable is made by SAEC and uses knife-edge, pivot-point bearings. The major parts are precision manufactured to micron tolerances, to ensure the sound is as accurate and distortion free as possible. There is also an anti-skating mechanism. The tonearm provides a solid and friction free mounting for the cartridge. The tonearm needs to support the cartridge at the correct height and angle as it moves inward, hence the need for low friction bearings. The TN-3B-SE turntable has a removable head shell to make upgrading the cartridge easy.

High Quality Construction

The belt drive motor is mounted on top of the rigid, high-density MDF plinth that has a multi-layered lacquer finish. The heavy aluminium platter is driven on the outside. Notably, the belt reduces cogging effects, caused by the fine pulsing of the motor. As a result, rotation is stable and accurate. This is a two speed unit supporting 33-⅓ and 45 rpm. The turntable also has shock absorbing feet. The sound is well balanced and sets a new standard in this price range.

Built-in Phono Preamp

As many modern amplifiers do not have a phono input, the TN-3B-SE has a high quality built in phono preamp. This uses a Hi-fi grade op-amp, the NJM8080. This is a very low noise low distortion surface mounted IC. The preamp is switchable for amps with a phono input.

The turntable comes with the VM-range cartridge the AT-VM95E manufactured by Audio-Technica, which features an elliptical diamond stylus. These follow the grove modulation with better accuracy than a conical tip. The result is better frequency and phase responses, with lower distortion.

Cartridge and Stylus Types

There are two types of magnetic cartridge - moving magnet and moving coil. These are more expensive than moving magnet and have a lower output. The built in preamp in the TN-3B-SE only takes moving magnet. However there are several upgrade paths available in the Audio-Technica range as well as other manufacturers.

There are also several types of stylus tips. Notably, there are three basic shapes, conical, elliptical and Microlinear. Conical tips are the most common and often found in budget cartridges. They have a larger contact area and produce a rich solid sound. Next are elliptical tips, they are oval shaped with the narrowest part tracking the groove. They have a smaller contact area and thus have better tracking and a better high frequency response. The final type, microlinear are more expensive to produce. However the shape matches the shape of the cutting head, as a result they have the best tracking accuracy of all.

Who are TEAC

TEAC has been producing fine audio equipment since 1953. Their first product was the TD-102 tape recorder. TEAC were best know for tape recorders in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The next milestone was the s A-4010 tape deck in 1968. This was a 4 track machine that sold at an affordable price, and established TEAC as one of the best tape deck manufacturers in the world. Today they produce a range of amplifiers and network players as well as turntables. They are also one of the few manufacturers still producing cassette decks.