Turntables – $1000 Class, and 'WooHoo!!' Class

I'd also suggest a look at the tables from George Merrill -- the Polytable and the Super Polytable Super12 with the motor controller -- at $1,500 to $3K depending.

I have the older Merrill Heirloom -- the new tables are basically a variation on the Heriloom without the sprung suspension -- and they're really among the best tables out there in terms of minimizing motor vibration breakthrough and terminating vinyl resonances, especially with some kind of motor control, though I haven't used George's own.

http://www.hifigem.com/polytable.html

http://www.hifigem.com/PolyTableSUPER12.html

 

Thanks for the rec, Cherv. But, *augh,* there seems to be SO MANY more good-to-high-end turntable companies now then when I was last active in the scene, 25 years ago. I think it's impossible to listen to 'em all, even though I'd love to.

What has caused this massive proliferation of quality 'tables, especially at the very high-end? Wasn't vinyl all-but-dead from the early '90s 'til about 2007 or so? And hasn't the competition/digital side gotten better recently too (improved DACs, hi-resolution downloads)?
Not that I'm complaining about all the choices, mind you... it's pretty awesome, actually.

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A lot of newer brands? Yes. High quality?

 

Ahh, you hit upon the biggest problem, as I see it....no where to audition. So hard to make a blind buy. Even with a ?? day return policy...still got to pack it back up and haul it to the shipper...

 

Well, personally, I tend to buy from dealers. Back in the day, the only thing I bought used was my Linn Sondek, and even that was due to the dealer having the 'table as a trade-in, IIRC... everything else was a brand-new dealer buy. Because they'd audition stuff for me... up to a point, anyway.

Am hoping the dealers nowadays are good on auditioning stuff. If not, then used starts to become much more attractive to me. But I'm sure there must still be good dealers out there.

What bugs me are the douches out there who use a dealer to 'showroom' equipment, and then buy used-only or internet-only. That's just wrong, and it helps kill off dealers.


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Some newer brands for sure, but most of the brands that have come up in this thread -- Merrill, Michell, VPI, Rega, SOTA, etc. -- are 20, 30, 40 year old brands, and they all make quality decks (though I'm not a huge fan of the Rega plinth and glass platter myself).

 

Yeah, sometimes I think the turntable market is outpacing the vinyl market, but most of these table companies -- like Rega and Michell and VPI and Merrill -- have pretty much continuously been making tables and arms for 30 year. A lot of new models, but all those cos were around 25 years ago when you were last active.

 

I bought my PolyTable Super12 "blind" which was a hell of a a way to spend $3k. But... and I won't rehash previous posts, but I honestly don't think I could get a better sounding table for less than 5 figures and even then, I'm of the mind it would be "different" but not necessarily better. I've only been at this a short time but I listen to a LOT of vinyl and I can tell you, in my opinion, if you have 3k to spend (and budget a decent cart of course), the Super12 is well into the "WooHoo" range of tables. It's hard to say 3 grand is a "value" but it honestly is. I do really like the fact they are made in the USA and George is, apparently (I've never interacted with him) one of the kindest, most passionate audio nuts in the world.

Just my $.02. Frankly - at this range, it's hard to make a wrong decision. You almost have to cast sound quality aside unless you have a really well-put together system as they're all going to sound simply divine, IMO.

 

Can't believe it's a thread with the words 'WooHoo!! Class' in it, and I forgot to post this...

 

Can ppl who've dealt with Audio Note (two of the 'tables on my list) chime in on what it's like to deal with them?

I have two concerns...

1- Heard from somewhere that you have to wait several months from the date of purchase before you take delivery of their product.

Maybe that's more for their very (VERY) high-dollar amps than anything else, but if it also applies to their 'tables, that'd be good to know.

2- Maybe it's just me, but, does AN have a sort of 'odd' selling technique going on? Prices for their products seem very difficult to find, and there seems to be a sort of 'experience' marketing/selling thing going on with them.

For instance, my local AN dealer doesn't even have a shop, you go into his expensive home and listen there, probably amongst his family. I dunno. It seems odd... like you and him and the wife are supposed to be longtime audiophile buddies or something, even though you've never seen them before, and they're trying to sell you stuff. Oh, and price? That's just so inconsequential.

I guess that sort of vibe can be appealing... or slightly creepy. Also still kinda stealth-status-driven, like you're visiting an exclusive country club ("Do you have good enough taste/have enough money to be here, sir?"). I that high-end audio is sometimes like that even in shops, but, that's just merely awful. This seems like it has the potential to be awful and intimate.

So, folks who've done AN, put my mind at ease here (or tell me, "You're absolutely right! RUN!").

Because, for some odd reason, I'm picturing a guy named Ben putting his arm on my shoulder, and saying, very earnestly, "I'm so glad you've come to us. We will discover the sound... together."


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You should add Well Tempered tables to your consideration.

Products » Well Tempered Lab

I have the original Amadeus and it is lively, musical and engaging.

I have heard several VPI tables and they did not excite me.

Car analogy: Amadeus is a Miata and the VPI is grandpa's Buick.

 

Never bought Audio Note nice though it is and have no idea about US dealers, but have had several contacts with one of the people who runs it and he was very prompt in responding which I can't say for every Hi-Fi company, if you are worried about waiting times only buy if the dealer and distributor guarantee they have stock or will have stock on a given date, if they can't do that walk away. When I bought my SME IV I didn't want to pay out money and wait so I phoned my dealer and he phoned SME, as luck would have it they had one in stock and I had it a few days later so a good dealer and distributor should be able to give you accurate delivery times.

 

Triart's Bamboo Turntable, looks(???) but is getting very positive reviews, weird?

 

I am intrigued by these Nottingham tables. Particularly the SpaceDeck with Ace-Space arm.

Us Distributor For Nottingham Analogue Systems Turntables - Audio Encounter Solutions - Hollywood, Fl

 

Jesus. That looks like something the Professor put together on Gilligan's Island, and set down next to the 'coconut radio'.

 

Do you mean this one?

 

New 1200, surely.

 

Well, now they're just trolling us...

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The use of Bamboo, whilst visually 'challenging', is interesting due it's mechanical properties. There's a Linn LP12 mod, which replaces the frame with one made from Bamboo, it cost more than the Tri-Art deck! Whilst I've not heard the deck, feedback I've been given, is that it can compete with decks three times it's price. I'd certainly be looking to get a dem, if I was in the market for a deck

 

Bamboo is a potentially great material for a lot of things -- it's rigid, lightweight and sustainable because it grows so fast. It's a fine substitute for hardwoods where those might be the material and some bamboo varieties (and we're of course not talking about raw bamboo here but prepare bamboo plywood), are way more rigid that hardwoods and more in line with steel. Not sure about tonearms of bamboo, but maybe, and bearing housings of bamboo and all those kinds of moveable parts, I dunno. Speaker cabinets, maybe even plinths, that I can see, but then, I'm not a mechanical engineer.

 

I've actually heard of the 'Booplinth' LP12 mod, and I have to admit, it seems very intriguing.

If it's even close to what some of the reviews say, it's THE upgrade for any LP12 out there. Sonically worth more by itself than taking your LP12 all the way up to Klimax level(!!), allegedly.

If true, it's actually a strong reason for me to pick the LP12 out of all the 'tables on my 'WooHoo!' list.

That said, and as you yourself allude to, bamboo's visuals are, ahem, 'divisive' on an all-bamboo piece like the Tri-Art 'table. Which, frankly, bears an uncomfortable resemblance to my kitchen's bamboo cutting board. (Maybe it'd help if it had a platter mat...)

The LP12 'booplinth' is a another matter. It actually looks pretty good. Adds a tiny bit of funkiness to the LP12's exterior, but not too much. Just wish it didn't cost so dang much.

But 'Linn' seems to be Scottish for "empty your wallet!"... even when it's a third-party mod.

 

You owned a Sondek at one time. So why not get a new one? A good turntable if you play a lot of rock music.

 

I think the problem with Linn has been expressed by me and others. Way of the pace unless you invest in the ultra expensive variants and of course their pricing policy. This fancy plinth is hardly likely to transform the sound (part of the bamboo fetish).

 

I might get one, it's on my list.

But, it's not a lock, for pretty much the same reasons ClassicRock mentions above... Linn's kinda gone a bit nuts on the pricing since I've been away (especially on the upgrades), and there's a lot more good competition these days as well.

Back in the '80s, Linn Sondeks were, believe it or not, a good value. Roksan or Pink Triangle fanboys aside, the LP12 was quite strong in its price class, to get better sound you usually had to spend more. But that's no longer the case.

Linn has jacked up the pricing so much over the years... I remember when the Michell Gyro/Gyrodec was twice the price of an LP12. Now it's about the same as an entry-level LP12. If Michell can maintain rational pricing, why can't Linn?

And again, don't get me started on the ridiculous upgrades. By the time you're up to a Klimax-level table, you've spent nearly $25k. I'd be very VERY surprised if a Klimax-level Linn was anything but an also-ran 'table in that price range.

The Sondek's on my list simply because I know I already like the Linn turntable 'house sound'. That may still be enough, and I may wind up buying Linn again. Maybe. But given Linn's ways, I'm sorta rooting for one of the other 'tables on my list to have a better 'house sound' still.

(The one wildcard would be the 'booplinth', if it really is that amazing of an upgrade. But I don't live in the UK, so it's not like I could ever audition it, 'cept maybe on vacation. And it wouldn't affect my thinking unless I auditioned it and loved it).

 

Ha, I guess I was a Pink Triangle/Roksan fanboy back then, loved the various Pinks, but was put off by their reliability issues, bought a Xerxes when it came out, I thought both sounded much better than the LP12 and I did a great deal of listening to all three, although I'm more than happy with my Michells I missed having a Xerxes enough to have bought myself a Xerxes 10 a few months ago.