Best sounding turntable you ever heard?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by antonkk, Apr 27, 2014.

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  1. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
     
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  2. BrokenByAudio

    BrokenByAudio Forum Resident

    I like a man who can admit that! I have a collection of head slappers going back years! :biglaugh:
     
  3. JL6161

    JL6161 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    Hell, I'd do it just to eliminate the dang junction box and big loop of JMW wire connecting to it -- one thing that has always prevented me from trying a VPI table. Does the tonearm hole go all the way through to the bottom of the plinth, though, so there's a place for the cable to exit? Otherwise, you'd have to jury rig some kind of riser with a space underneath. It's just in the nature of free enterprise to design your tables so as to discourage people from using anybody else's arms. :)
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2014
  4. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    Basis Audio Inspiration with Superarm 9.
     
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  5. acdc7369

    acdc7369 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    VPI Scoutmaster
     
  6. macster

    macster Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego, Ca. USA
    1. I traded in my Classic 1 for my Aries 3.
    2. The Classic 3 and the Aries 3 share the same arm and are ~$6K.
    3. You won't notice the difference until you listen to an Aries 3
    4. I like the looks of the Aries better also, which probably factors into my loving.

    My system is what you call warm, CJ, Vandersteen, Audioquest Crystal cables which are all balanced out via the Morrow cables which are neutral. For a tad bit of warmth in the phono section I swap out the Morrow cables with the Straightwire Maestros. If I get really warmth crazy, I swap out my Golden Lion tubes (love those tubes) with a set of CV4004's.

    M~
     
  7. rebellovw

    rebellovw Forum Resident

    Location:
    hell
    It would be my VPI Classic or my KAB MG5(MN Bearing) - both are the finest tables that I've heard and enjoy very much.
     
  8. FLEMKE

    FLEMKE Senior Member

    Location:
    CROOK COUNTY IL
    I have a VPI classic 1 that is tweaked out a little. Between the Stillpoints and the ET2.5 arm, I am just amazed.
    Tim
     
  9. socalcm

    socalcm Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego, USA
    Its not the best I've heard but the Rega RP-10 w/Apheta for $6500.00 is my favorite, it is so close to the best in SQ yet is simpler and easier to use and costs a fraction of the price of the best.
     
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  10. YorkeS9

    YorkeS9 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany / NRW
  11. Kevin Gray's cutting lathe.
     
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  12. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    My good friend and fellow SHer 'earwax' has a VPI JW19 with a Benz Micro, and that's the sound I hold up as my standard.

    That said, my Thorens TD-124 with SME 3009 is no slouch, and I presently have an Acoustic Research AR-TX (early AR-XA) in the process of being extensively modded/restored by Marc Morin. That AR should be pretty amazing when it's done.
     
  13. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    :drool:
     
  14. Satrus

    Satrus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cork, Ireland
    For me it has got to be anything by SME! I think that they look the part and are built to a very high standard of construction. Some have commented that they lack emotion but that may be down to the fact that they are very neutral and uncoloured sonically? Sonics apart, I think they impart great pride of ownership. My current SME is the 20/2 but sooner or later I'll upgrade to the 20/3, see link http://www.sme.ltd.uk/content/Model-202-1315.shtml
     
  15. dividebytube

    dividebytube Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grand Rapids, MI
    the first time I heard a VPI HW19 Mark III with an ET2 air-bearing tonearm - this was many years ago - I was blown away.

    I've since heard better - the VPI HW19 Mark IV with a SME309 and my very own VPI Aries 1 turntable with a JMW 10.5i tonearm.

    Gee, sounds like I need to get out more and listen to something besides a VPI ;)
     
  16. JoelWat

    JoelWat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dubai, UAE
    Kuzma Stabi M with 4-Point arm and Dynavector DV DRT XV-1s. Amazing.
     
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  17. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    I bought that table/arm combo recently, but sadly, I don't have a working cartridge yet. The Kuzma CAR-50 cartridge was defective and I'm awaiting a replacement.
     
  18. JoelWat

    JoelWat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dubai, UAE
    Let us know how that sounds....these new cartridges look very interesting. Having to look at your table without being able to play it is an exercise in ZEN :)
     
  19. I've heard plenty of good TT's through the decades, but there isn't one that I felt blew any others away. Now, I haven't listened to any of the uber-expensive ones, but certainly many in the around $10,00-$25,000 range. The one I keep coming back to is the Oracle Delphi Mk VI and part of that is due to its aesthetic appeal for me. I do have 2 friends that have the MkII and MkIV, so I'm familiar with them. Both of those came equipped with SME arms, while the MkVI has a carbon Project 9c. I would be very happy to one day get lucky enough and call one of them my own.
     
  20. Linus Vendeen

    Linus Vendeen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    The most striking sounding turntable I have ever heard was the Elite Rock. The shop I worked in in the late 80s sold it and it lived up to the name, with its heavy plinth, thick platter and front supported arm it sounded something special. I think they still make versions today...
     
  21. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Max Townshend - the front-mounted damping trough was strange but effective.
     
  22. Rufus McDufus

    Rufus McDufus Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I'm quite a Linn LP12 fan, but I did hear the best turntable I've ever heard just a month or so ago. It's a TechDAS Air Force 2. Heard it with Wilson Sasha 2s and pair of d'Agostino monoblocks, and also with Constellation monoblocks/pre-amp. All with Transparent Opus cables and god knows what else expensive stuff. It was just incredible. The closest I've been to hearing the band in the room. It was almost indistinguishable. Oh, turntable price seems to start around $80,000, which I think is just the turntable without arm or cartridge (?). There's a separate vacuum pump too.

    [​IMG]
     
  23. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    The TechDAS Air Force 1 is a little more impressive from an overall design - more elegant. I have not heard the model 2.
     
  24. BrokenByAudio

    BrokenByAudio Forum Resident

    The Townshend Rock 7--still under consideration for my TT upgrade later this year!
     
  25. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
    The best I've heard "live" are the Rockport at Battery Studios (Sony Music) and a Walker Audio at a Stereophile show years ago. I also heard the expensive Continuum at a show, and while it sounded fine, it didn't wow me as much as the other two. The Rockport sort of reminds me of listening to tape (which is very impressive to me), and the Walker just sounded beautiful.

    A friend who lives at a distance has a VPI Aries 3 with a Graham arm which I've only heard through transfers (including some 24 bit A/D converted with an Ayre), and from I can tell from transfers is really really nice.
     
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