Dual 1219 (circa 1970)

Six-point-eight kilograms of Black Forest watchmaking dressed up as a record changer. It tracks like it has no business being one.

Overview

The 1219 is the turntable Dual built when it decided the auto-changer should be taken seriously. It arrived around 1970 at $175 in the States - less cover and base, so budget another chunk for the plinth - and ¥59,900 in Japan. It has a 30.5 cm aluminum die-cast platter, mass-loaded to 3.1 kg, spun by a synchronous continuous pole motor at 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm. The whole chassis weighs 6.8 kilograms without a cabinet.

The arm is what separates the 1219 from the long line of Duals before it. This was the company's first turntable to combine a 30 cm platter with dual gimbal bearings. The tonearm is a gyro-gimbal dynamic-balance design that holds its vertical angle steady at 15 degrees, whether it is playing one record or stacking six. Tracking error stays under 1 degree 30 minutes across the side, and the extra-long pipe arm geometry is a big part of why. Audio (January 1970, p.33) predicted the 1219 would get a warm reception from the independent testing labs, the same reception earlier Duals had earned, and singled out the four needle bearings pivoting the arm within its ring assembly as the reason. Stereo Review, quoted in Dual's own trade advertising, went further and called the arm capable of working with the lowest tracking force any current or foreseeable cartridge could use.

The result is a changer that behaves like a single-play table. Purists who dismissed auto-changers as convenience tools had to deal with an arm that tracked grooves far better than they expected from a stacking mechanism. Owners report the 1219 does double duty. Stack a half-dozen LPs for a dinner party, or drop the single-play spindle and use it like a manual deck for a critical listen.

Key Features

Four-Point Gimbal Tonearm with Needle Bearings

Dual hung the arm in a ring-in-ring arrangement. The tonearm and inner ring move vertically on hardened, finely polished steel points, while the pair moves horizontally around the outer ring's vertical axis. The 4-point gimbal support uses needle bearings, and the design is essentially friction-free in both planes. The manual describes it as a departure from the single-pivot arms common in late-1960s auto-changers. Tracking error is held below 1 degree 30 minutes, and the arm is dynamically balanced throughout play, so tracking force doesn't drift as the stylus rides the groove.

Rotating Single-Play Spindle

The center spindle on the 1219 turns with the platter instead of standing still. A stationary spindle drags against the center hole of the record, and that friction fights the platter. Dual mounted the spindle in the platter so it rotates with the record, which eliminates the drag. Collectors note this is the feature that lets the 1219 function as a genuine manual turntable, not a compromised one.

Silicon Dump Cue Control

The arm lifter is an oil dump type - a silicon-damped cylinder that raises and lowers the arm with hydraulic resistance instead of a spring-loaded snap. The mode selector governs it, so the vertical angle stays consistent in single-play, multi-play, or repeat mode. The arm comes down in a fluid descent rather than with a mechanical click, which is easier on the cartridge and stylus.

Direct-Reading Tracking Force and Anti-Skating Dials

Tracking force adjusts from 0 to 5.5 grams on a direct-reading dial. The anti-skating correction is continuously variable on its own direct-reading dial, with separate scales for conical and elliptical styli. The arm accepts cartridges from 1 gram to 12 grams. High Fidelity (December 1969, p.111) noted that the anti-skating system was among the refinements that would draw favorable attention from the testing labs. Skating compensation was still an afterthought on many changers at the time.

Pitch Control and Three Record Sizes

The pitch control spans 6% on each of the three speeds - roughly half a tone in either direction - which is enough to correct for drifted masterings or match pitch to an instrument. Three record size selectors handle 30, 25, and 17 cm diameters, so 7-inch singles, 10-inch EPs, and 12-inch LPs all get the correct set-down point. The head shell detaches by moving the fingers back and forth, so cartridge swaps need no tools.

Die-Cast Platter and Synchronous Motor

The 30.5 cm non-magnetic die-cast aluminum platter weighs 3.1 kg and is dynamically balanced. That gives it enough flywheel mass to smooth out any motor ripple the synchronous continuous pole motor might pass along. Wow and flutter is held to ±0.06% or less per DIN 45 507, a figure that would have been respectable on a dedicated single-play deck, let alone a changer. The platter's mass also dampens vibration and keeps the motor's drive noise out of the signal path.

Historical Context

The 1219 came out of St. Georgen in the Black Forest, where Christian and Joseph Steidinger had set up a precision mechanics shop in 1900 making watch components and hand-wound gramophone drives. The company moved into electric motors as electrification spread. By 1927 it had reinvented itself with the Dual Motor, a hybrid that combined a clock spring with an electric motor and brought in enough international capital to fund the decades that followed. The 1219 is a fully electric synchronous design that still carries the mechanical discipline of a watchmaker's bench.

It was Dual's first turntable with a 30 cm platter and dual gimbal bearings, and it sat directly above the 1019, a model that had been enormously popular in the US market. StereoLife notes the 1219 was introduced four years after the 1019 specifically to capitalize on that demand with better specifications. Thorens and Garrard offered serious competition in the auto-changer category, but the 1219's combination of manual-grade arm geometry and full changer automation was aimed at domestic users and semi-professional environments alike.

Collectibility & Value

The 1219 is not rare. Used units turn up on over 400 second-hand hi-fi sites and shops. Condition separates a $150 project from a $700+ restored deck, and a fully serviced example recently listed on eBay at $734. Enthusiasts argue that a properly restored 1219 holds its own against any modern turntable under $1,000. The dedicated DB-31 cabinet adds value, with cartridge shells and spindles stored in the front lid, though the conventional DB-3 with DCOV-3 is a viable alternative.

Two failure points dominate. The big rubber idler wheel underneath the chassis wears, and the motor, drive, and arm mechanisms dry out their lubrication over the decades. A proper restoration means replacing the idler and relubing everything. It also means confirming the silicon dump cue control still has its hydraulic resistance, because a cue mechanism that has lost its damping will eventually cost you a stylus. When inspecting, bring a flashlight and look at the faceplate at a raking angle for corrosion or pitting on the aluminum die-cast surface. This is a mechanical turntable, not an electronic one, so service is about patience and parts rather than unobtainium chips. Owners report that once sorted, a 1219 runs flawlessly.