My next turntable : Oracle Paris Mk V

They don't have banks to rob in Canada?

 

Haha...plenty, but I don't look good in stripes or orange.

 

Nice choice. I recently restored my Paris MKIV and the build quality was very high. Jacques at Oracle provides amazing customer support. And they still had everything in stock needed restore including motors (not that it needed one) etc. Not bad for a 25 year old turntable.

 

Jacques is great...I've met him several times at shows in Montreal & Toronto. I actually have a pic of us somewhere. Anyway, I spoke with him and told him I ordered the TT. He said to call him anytime if I had even the smallest of issues.

 

Great choice, go Canadian !

 

It's a great looking deck, and I like the idea of Oracle's high quality. But as said above, the best price I could find in the UK is £3895 - which is the equivalent of $5959 US or $7420 CAD.

What does it actually cost in the US & Canada?

 

Nice looking rig. Here in Canada, I guess that puts it roughly in a Rega RP8 price category? Curious, what are you upgrading from? And what specifically did you want to get away from with your last table that just wasn't doing it for you anymore.

 

In addition to the fact that I've always been a fan of the build-quality Oracle puts in their products, they dropped the price as well. However, with the falling Canadian dollar I think it may shoot back up again. I bought it from THIS dealer.

 

I really just wanted a change more than anything. I was always quite satisfied with my Nottingham Analogue Horizon SE, so it wasn't like I was specifically looking for an improvement, although that is always the hope and desire. There is no question that after reading up on it and getting some user opinion that the Paris will show a good improvement. The table's suspension system, the trickle-down technology, the modified tonearm and the flexibility of adjusting speed on the rear of the plinth were attractive considerations for me. I also love it's rather elegant design.

 

Very nice. Congrats on the purchase!

Mark is a great guy. I've been buying much of my equipment from him for many years.

 

I bought my Revolver Red and Grado 8MZ cartridge from him back in 1986, and a buddy of mine has bought all of his gear exclusively from Mark. He's a wonderful guy and a great dealer. Highly recommended!

 

Thats a beatiful table- enjoy!

 

Jacques Riendeau from Oracle Audio emailed me to say my Oracle Paris is being shipped to my dealer next Tuesday.

 

It's been a while and there were a few delays, but I'm finally up and running again. Here are a few pics from a proud and happy new owner!




I've only been playing with it for the last 24 hours, but I couldn't be happier. It has taken my vinyl performance to a whole other level, and my former Nottingham/2M Black combo was no slouch.

 

Glad to see you finally up and running

 

Thanks you so much my friend! I can't believe it's been 6 months since I last played some vinyl.

 

Sexxy table mate!

 

That is a sweet table! I ended up buying a beautiful used black & gold Oracle Delphi and still haven't set it up yet. I have never owned an Oracle before and tuning the springs properly seems a bit "touchy". My highly modified P25 still sounds great and it is easier to spin records on it than to set up the O. I need to get with the program and stop procrastinating!

 

My dream table is the Delphi, but alas it's a bit out of my budget as I really did want to buy new this time. If you have any issues, get in touch with Jacques Riendeau at Oracle.

 

I'm not very good at describing the best of details with regard to components and such, but I thought I'd give it my best shot anyway.


Oracle Paris Mk V & Grado Reference Sonata 1 Review

I knew that when I decided to purchase the Oracle/Grado combo that I'd be in for a vinyl front-end to last me a long time. I had heard both products before, although not combined, and was already very pleased with what I heard. So when the day finally came to play some records I was most anxious and hoping for a rewarding experience.

Over the last 5 days I have been playing every possible genre of music one could imagine, and everything from standard domestic pressings, imports and audiophile recordings. Without even listening critically at first, I knew I made the right decision with this purchase.

My Nottingham was a very quiet table compared to the other ones I owned previously, but the Oracle betters it by a significant margin, which is quite evident at startup. This of course IMO translates into the cartridge now only picking up what has been cut into the grooves. And with a record that is perfectly surface quiet, all I hear is the recording. And I suppose this is where the cartridge imparts its signature and works in unison with the TT and tonearm.

There are three areas of improvement that I heard, which are essential in discovering/recognizing how a record was recorded, mic'd and mastered. They are depth, instrument separation and instrument identification.

Depth: When listening to this combo I can clearly tell where the musicians are standing/playing, whether that be from left to right or back to front. This provides me with a more holographic image as opposed to a flat 2D presentation.
Separation: Musical instruments and multiple voices are more clearly defined and recognizable. There is space between between them as opposed to being more muddled together.
Identification: A stand-up Bass and a Bass guitar, a steel guitar and acoustic guitar, violin and cello, piano and organ, sax and clarinet, trumpet and trombone are much easier to distinguish from one another. When this happens it brings a whole other dimension to the music.

As a result, the music sounds more like it was intended to be heard. What a joy!

From an operational perspective, I love the push-button start/finish and switching from 33rpm to 45rpm. I don't have to move the belt like I did before, so there is no real wear and tear on it, plus the rear of the turntable has an adjustable speed control that I can utilize, in concert with a provided calibration disc, should that be required. It also comes with a screw-on clamp which I absolutely love. I can torgue it with enough precision to make sure every record is perfectly secured and lays flat. The dustcover is also very smartly designed as it is not sealed at every corner. There is a small gap on each side that allows me to lift/lower the dustcover by its edges, so I don't impart any fingerprints on the dustcover itself. Nice!

Verdict: I couldn't be happier!

 

So beautiful!

 

That is a beautifully designed table. Are you still enjoying it?

 

Here's a nice deal on a Paris/Alphason Opal at a local dealer here in Toronto. Under 3K. No affiliation..

http://www.planetofsoundonline.com/...racle-paris-turntable-w-alphason-opal-tonearm

 

I've been looking for a table in this price range and this looks very nice. I wonder if Oracle sells other armboards? I know a dealer (not local) who sells this, I'll ask him about it tomorrow.

 

It is very good to hear the respect for Oracles instead of the usual knee jerk brands. I am a convert from Linns.
I have an Alexandria MK II and am thinking of upgrading. I was wondering if anyone has had a chance to compare an Alex Mk III to a Paris Mk IV? I am partial to Jelco arms.