How do you audition a turntable?

Well given there is a wall behind it and a huge fan right next to it, optimum sound is not a priority Chez HornSpeakers. They do look impressive.

 

I think the thread title is pretty clear. Are there any tips for choosing a turntable? I think getting the best one you can afford may be the most accurate and straight forward advice.

Perhaps the most sober and disappointing advice it that once you cross a certain threshold of quality the table is just silent and your are really only hearing the cartridge.

 

The system I had when I bought the Brinkmann was completely different than what I have now. There's nothing wrong with the Brinkmann and it looks great. But I bought it used and will likely not lose much money on it when I resell.

Mostly I'm looking at this from a systems standpoint. Shindo is a big believe in the idler drive sound. Having heard that combo, I think there's definitely something magical about it with the other components I already have. I may end up with the Shindo table, but I did have some small concerns (which I noted above) that have me looking at the Artisan Fidelity Garrard build.

But if I'm looking at tables, I figure I should consider a few others. And, like I said, I bought the Brinkmann used so it's not like I've pissed away money. In fact, most of my system was purchased used for that very reason. It's not costing me much to move up to higher quality / better system matching.

 

Spoke at length with Jonathan Weiss from OMA yesterday and he's convinced me to make a trip up to their Brooklyn showroom in early August to hear their stuff. Now I just have to figure out how to distract him long enough to haul away a pair of AC-1's.

 

whoops. sorry

 

Yes, it had the SA9 mounted. For me that is too much money, I just don't hear drastic differences in well engineered tonearms. And my personal preference after owning two completely free unipivots is traditional bearing or unipivot with stabilization.

And while it was the Inspiration that I auditioned, it's the Debut that I am interested in. Unless an Inspiration came up used.

 

Thats true with all components, not just TTs.

 

I will change that to buy the TT you like of the ones you can afford.

You are always hearing much more than the cartridge, never mind the set up. There is no such thing as an inert TT or arm.

 

Hvbias,

I agree, the $16k for the SA9 is way too steep--more than double the price of their regular Vector arm for a design that is essentially the same. But, it has recently become "more affordable" in that Swedish Audio Technologies recently launced an arm that costs $28k; the SA9 seems like a bargain by comparison.

 

I agree, the same cart on a different table sounds different. The question is how does the table make it sound better? What does the platter, plinth and motor contribute to the sound that you are hearing from a record.

My point (or thought) would be that the greatest contribution those components can make is silence. It all comes down to vibrations. If the only vibration the cart is picking up is from the groove in the record, then the table is really doing everything that it can do. Is there a sound signature that the most high end tables create that is desirable or is it their ability to be completely neutral that makes them great?

 

If I go with a more modern table, the Kronos would probably be high up on my list. All of the reviews talk about how silent it is too, so it might be your cup of tea as well. One of the few modern tables that I think I could love aesthetically as well.

Or maybe I stay in the Brinkmann family and move up to the Balance. I like its looks as well though it doesn't photograph well.

 

You should also check out the AMG Viella V12.

 

One day I'd like to say, "Eff it. I'll take one of each. And one for all of my forum buddies too!" That would be nice.

 

The Shindo player system is the best looking TT out there imho.

That being said best of luck getting one.

 

Hey Brian check out this dude's setup.
6moons audio reviews: Jeff Day's Music Lovers Series - RoadTour 1, Exit Pitch Perfect Audio

 

lord have mercy, these look sweet. I think two arms is where you want to be. Mono cart.

 

Brian,

I have a few thoughts on the whole Shindo/Garrard 301 thing. I went the vintage idler route myself, now I listen to a 401, but I had the benefit of having the time and ability to DIY many of my options when I was putting together my turntable. With that in mind, I'll talk you through a few of the options I discovered along the way.

First, there's a few ways to put together a Shindo system. You can buy it all at once or you can put it together bit by bit. An excellent 301 can be had for comparatively reasonable money. Then, you can buy the Shindo main bearing and a heavy plinth, arm and cartridge that fit your budget. After a while, you can upgrade to a Shindo platter arm and plinth as funds and interest allow.

Second, I think there are other turntables out there that can compete with the Shindo system, some of which are more reasonably priced.

Third, I discovered, in my DIY process, that tweaks elsewhere in my system yielded the greatest benefit to the sound of my turntable. So, the modest arm and cartridge I have now are delivering startling results because the rest of the system is supporting them so well. My most recent mod was a change of super tweeters.

 

I think some are after a sonic signature, while some are after an inert presentation, it will vary. But it´s mostly about mechanics, and that is mostly about mass, springyness , damping and resonances. Some know this better than others, but a cartridge at the end of an arm is never going to be neutral, as an arm can never be inert, nor is the record inert.

 

Brian,
It sounds like you are giving this very serious thought and looking at as many options as possible and that is the way to do it. There are a lot of very good high end TTs out there and when you start getting seriously into the aesthetic aspects, it can also complicate things.

I get the appeal of keeping it almost all Shindo and their TT is great, but I also get the negatives of the lack of arm lift, etc. But as others have said consideration of a DIY Garrard setup with Shindo components may be well worth considering in that you can build it to get past the negatives of the preassembled Shindo.

 

This would be great were it true. You cannot but shindo 301 parts alone. The only option is to buy the whole system. From what I understand the whole system is not in production at the moment.

 

They have a demo of that AMG Viella V12 at the local HiFi shop in Berkeley, FWIW. I guess you'd just have to promise them you'd never actually touch it and call them anytime you needed a record flipped over if you bought it from them.

 

I'm 99% sure that Shindo is no longer selling the parts because too many people were going that route. My understanding is that they only offer the complete system now.

 

Well that certainly makes sense from their perspective. They are probably concerned with having their name associated with TT that they have no quality control over.

 

They have not sold parts for years now.

 

I would not want any table without a tone arm lift. With the price of cartridges and their fragile nature, it is a necessary thing. Way to easy to have a misstep, especially if you are enjoying a beverage, or two.