Best sounding turntable you ever heard?

Best I've ever heard was a SOTA. I believe it was a Cosmos. It was owned by someone who worked for several high end audio companies. He also arranged for me a visit to Pacific Microsonics HQ in Berkeley, CA. All very nice people, good times.

 

the best I've heard was a Rega P9 with a Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua cartridge.

blown away.

 

All of the best sounding turntables are SOTA.

 

I would agree the P9 is a fantastic turntable for the money.

 

Probably the best I ever heard, for lifelife dynamics, silent backgrounds, rock solid stability, was a VPI TNT with a Wheaton Triplanar tonearm.

 

That Sondheim TT looks as if the picture was taken in a bordel.

 

That would be my Technics 1200II.

 

Well, yeah

 

I've heard so many great turntables over the years, but I think the one that really made the heavens part for me was the original Wilson-Benesch ACT One with a Breuer Type 8 arm and a Koetsu Coralstone cartridge. I've also fallen in love with the Shindo Labs Garrard 301, anything made by Steve Dobbins and some of those wonderful old EMTs.

 

Why my own of course............

 

Fair enough question...

We can credit Judith Spotheim herself for those pics...

Here's some pics minus the Red Velvet:

 

I agree. My dream table (anything made by Steve Dobbs), sadly they are slowly getting out of my reach. I'll probably have to settle for a VPI DD.

M~

 

VPI DD within reach?

 

I would not consider a VPI Classic Direct to be "settling". More like "achieving".

 

I heard a Brinkmann Balance recently that was excellent.

 

Thorens TD-125 long base, Ortofon rs-312 d, classic spu

 

You are serious about upgrading from the Aries 3? I've been considering that Aries. I'd love the DD myself but so far but the price is too steep by about $10-$15K.

I'm hoping to get out of my TT upgrade with cart for no more than$2oK--table, 'arm, cart, setup, taxes, shipped, done. I've been a bit surprised at how difficult I am finding this to decide. Part of the problem is that I am not altogether sure I want the VPI unipivot arm.

 

I've not really heard too many top end tables.

Towards the top of my particular shop, we're talking Rega P5, Linn LP12 + Ekos, Roksan Xerxes + Artemiz and commensurate cartridges (Dynavector 20 / Linn / Roksan - all MC).

All were very good to great, all had different strengths and weaknesses, but by that I mean relative to each other - none were dogs.

The best I've ever heard though, and which had the best all-round sound for me, on the music I like, was a Michell Gyrodec SE, SME 309 arm + Goldring 2500 (MM). You don't necessarily need to shell out millions to get and entirely entrancing record playing system.

We tried the Dynavector in there for comparison, I still preferred the Goldring on the music I took along (and I know the DV20 is a very good cart).

http://www.michell-engineering.co.uk/
http://www.sme.ltd.uk/
http://www.goldring.co.uk/

 

I'm keeping the Aries, because, I'm overly materialistic, and want more "stuff". On the serious side, the Aries has a different sonic signature than the Classic series, in that, it is for lack of a better expression, neutral. The Classic series is for lack of a better expression, warmer. My point here is that they have different sonic signatures, and being the flake that I am, there are times I want one rather than the other. I love my Aries, but sometimes miss my Classic 1 and it's midrange warmth. The Aries is all business, what you have on the record is what you get, warts and all. The Classic will deceive you by making you focus on the music and not the the warts in the performance. Finally, having lived with, and listening to the Aries3, there is simply no way I could back to a Classic only setup.

The VPI arm is utterly simplistic in it's design and operation. It's a set-it and forget-it deal. My only hang up is that the configuration (I have a Classic 3 arm) makes me want to buy more arm tubes to stick different cartridges on them. I can swap armtubes in seconds and be on my way. The thing is stupidly simple to setup, virtually idiot proof, stays set and looks good. You could say that I love mine.

Just some thoughts
M~

 

That Goldring GL2500 is a sweet cartridge, the only caveat is that I paid $500.00 for mine and now they are up to $700.00. It's still a good buy though.

M~

 

Has anybody run a VPI Classic with another arm like a Funk Firm FXR or Well Tempered LTD? Just curious.

 

You're referring to the direct drive? I'm curious as well. I asked Mat Weisfeld if they'll sell them bare and he said yes. There's also room for a second tonearm on the plinth if anyone is into that.

 

Interesting and I really appreciate this perspective so thanks. My local place--Speaker Shop--has a Classic III w/3D printed arm on it and there's presently an Ortofon A90 in it (which is a pretty analytical cartridge from what I hear and read) so I wonder to what degree that would counter the weight (ooh! a turntable pun! LOL) of warmth you attribute to the Classic TT design. I've been impressed by what I have heard from that setup. It doesn't strike me as leaning one way or the other.

One final thing is that I am a little confused by what VPI is actually trying to do in their line. I see you have the Classic I so maybe you can't comment but the Aries 3 and and Classic III both list for around $6K, right? and don't they both ship with the same JMW arm? I know the Aries has an outboard motor so that'd be one difference. I do prefer the appearance of the Aries 3. Which is supposed to be the better performer?

 

Oh my god, I'm so dim I never realized until now why the SOTA company was named that.

 

I have very fond memories of a Mitsubishi vertical linear tracking table I had when I was young. It seemed to make everything sound wonderful. If I ever went in for an ultimate table I would really consider a linear tracking arm, or possibly a very long tone arm.