The Hitachi HT-460, produced between 1977 and 1978, stands proudly as the flagship model of Hitachi’s HT turntable series at the time—a fully automatic unit that blends precise engineering with remarkable sonic performance.
From the moment it starts, it impresses with a super quiet mechanism, smooth automatic operation, and the added convenience of a repeat function, rarely found in competitors of the era. Everything about its operation feels refined, responsive, and thoughtfully executed.
At the heart of the HT-460 is Hitachi’s Uni-Torque motor system, which ensures flawless rotational stability. This direct-drive design utilizes a donut-shaped magnet and two sets of eight-pole star-shaped coils, eliminating brushes, slots, and cores. The result? Minimal resistance, constant torque, and near-silent operation, right from the very first second of playback.
The tonearm is precision-engineered, with highly accurate tracking force and anti-skate calibration, helping to extract every detail from your records. Combined with its excellent damping and balance, the overall sound reproduction is clear, dynamic, and richly detailed—a genuinely audiophile-level performance.
The construction is equally impressive: a solid aluminum top plate sits independently of the wooden base and motor, enhancing isolation. Even the dust cover is insulated, reducing resonance. The insulated feet are effective at absorbing vibration, making it a turntable that performs beautifully even in less-than-perfect environments.
Speed is quartz-locked and adjustable, offering spot-on accuracy at both 33 and 45 RPM.
The only weak point? The plastic control levers on the right-hand side—they feel slightly stiff and lack the tactile finesse of the rest of the unit. But functionally, they still do the job reliably.
If you’re after a fully automatic turntable with low noise, high fidelity, and thoughtful design, the Hitachi HT-460 is a serious contender. Understated in looks, but outstanding in performance.
it looks good too...
Motor Flat form non-commutator DC servo motor (uni-torque motor)
Turntable 308mmphi aluminum die casting
Wow and flutter 0.03%(WRMS)
SN ratio 74dB(DIN-B)
Tone arm Stylus-force Direct-reading type static balance type pipe arm
Head shell exchange system
Arm effective length 220mm
Stylus-force adjustable range 0-3g / 1 rotation (being a 0.2g step Direct reading)
Cartridge man-month type (MT-24)
Frequency characteristic 10Hz – 25kHz
Output voltage 3mV (1kHz is level 50 cm/s)
Channel balance 1dB
Crosstalk 25dB
Stylus force 2g
The needle used 0.5mil diamond stylus (DS-ST24)
Supply voltage AC220v, 50Hz/60Hz
Power consumption 4W
Dimensions Width 450x height 141x depth of 367mm
Weight 8.3kg
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Hello Ulrich.
First of all, thank you for your visit and your comment.
If there is anything you would like to say about Hitachi please feel free.
Best regards.
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Hello.
Thank you for your visit and your comment.
Best regards.
I just picked up an HT-460 for a restoration project. It is cosmetically very beautiful but needs some TLC to make it functional. The first order of business was to repair the manual tonearm lift. The lift mechanism is actually fully mechanical not an oil discharge type.
Thanks for the indication friend, I’ve already corrected it.
I never got to open mine, 45 years old but it was perfect….
I based myself on some technical information I found in an online site but I realize now that they should not be from the same device…
Regards.
I have an HT-460 as well that was functioning great for several years, until last week the cue arm stopped working. I tried to open it up and but couldn’t figure out where the wire from the up/down switch is supposed to attach to the cue arm….. it just seems to be flopping around in there.
Hello, MCoval.
I’ll email you the Service Manual for the device, see if it helps!
Thank you! I have the service manual, but it’s just not diagrammed well in there. It kind of just shows the wire off to the side. I appreciate the help though!
I’ve had one for years. Yours seems to have a shiny top on the plinth whereas mine is a flat (non-shiny) black surface. I stopped using mine due to speed issues. Yes, I opened it up and adjusted the pots to no avail. It also has needle drag speed issues. So I am guessing it needs some new caps somewhere.
Hello, it’s a beautiful device, simple to operate with a few mechanical gears in the mix.
The first thing to do in this case would be to apply a little contact cleaner to the speed regulators, both the top ones and the ones on the internal plate, apply it and play with them a little to free them from any dirt they may have.
If this doesn’t solve the problem, the next step would be to check the caps and replace them.
I’d say that if the first step doesn’t solve the problem, the second will.
Good luck and regards.