[Poll] Best Turntables for Under $1600 (w/arm)? (pick 3)

It's about the only neo belt drive in this class good enough stock to make it to my living room, and stay out of the way of my music and be practical to live with daily. Agreed! Also, George Merrill is a friendly, superb gentleman to do business with, his support is top notch.

 

I'd look strongly at that'n were I inclined to splurge. I've wondered "what's the catch?" a few times.

Then there's the big question (for me): Is it idiot proof?

 

Well, it arrives at your door in pieces. I'm not an engineer. I assembled it and set up the tonearm and cartridge and had it playing records in about an hour. I've spun it now for ~15 hours and it has worked perfectly. Tracking perfectly, sounding great, on speed, truly no issues. The arm includes VTA, precise VTF and azimuth. This table is quiet and competent. I have found no catch, but of course I'm not a long-term cognescenti in these matters. I do know this thing works, the cart sells on its own for $900, the arm sells for more than $1,000 and I believe that it's an older design and a loss-leader for Marantz. Looking at similar tables and their components, IMO, the Marantz embarrasses several of them in that it is a LOT of table for the price.

 

Yup. And I still can't figure out how they do it... it's only a $1500 turntable, for god's sakes.

(perhaps Clearaudio runs some pretty significant mark-ups on their arms and carts?)

The TT-15 also totally flies under the radar, not many ppl know about it despite it being a screaming value. And pretty cool-looking, to top it off.

Heck, you can even have fun with the translucent acrylic plinth and platter, courtesy some LEDs.



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Top vote-getters so far...

GEM Dandy PolyTable
Rega RP6 (old one)
Rega Planar 3 (2017)
VPI Scout Jr.
Music Hall MMF 7.3
Clearaudio Concept
Marantz TT-15

 

I agree. This is my current table and I'm really very happy with it. The motor is very quiet and accurate, and hey you can't go wrong with a Clearaudio cart and arm. For me this was an upgrade from a Musichall MMF 5.1, and it was leaps and bounds above the MH.

My only issues are that while the set up is very easy, it's also easy to set it up incorrectly. The tonearm placement isnt demarcated on the plinth, so it's easy to be off a matter of degrees as you "eyeball" it into place. Having a keyed hole for the tonearm would be ideal to me.

I can't speak to the other tables as I have not auditioned them.

 

VN Thorens TD160

 

Everything you said Cyclone, with the caveat that I paid $1099 through a seller on Amazon. The turntable and cartridge were brand new as far as I could tell, even though they advertised it as an in-store demonstration unit. I've still got less than 20 hours on it but have not one negative thing to say about the machine or the way it sounds. I'm going to write a quick post about it and the U-Turn Orbit I own shortly.

 

I used the instruction to set the arm height, using the counterweight and the little piece of mat underneath the arm rest. I agree that the VTA would be easier to adjust if there were etched markings on the base. There was another (very long) thread about a user who adjusted his arm so that the virtuoso cart was significantly tail-down. I played around with that but was unconvinced that it made a positive difference, so I reset the arm to the recommended height per the manual and plan to leave it there for at least 50-100 hours. This is the first table I have that allows for arm height/VTA adjustment and I'm not sure whether it will prove just another rabbit hole to go down over time!

 

I got mine off Audio Mart for 1/3 of the cost new, so this was a screaming deal for me!

 

Amusingly, our back and forth with the bamboo bike and the funny Red Foxx faking-a-heart-attack pic got deleted.

It's a bit strange what posts some ppl will report. And what some mods think bears deleting.
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A bamboo bike still makes feel a little funny in the chest area

 

Don't think of it as bamboo. Think of it as very nice looking OSB. If you still feel funny in the chest I understand!

 

It's chromoly or nothing

 

I'd want Ti.....

 

are you any closer to deciding on a $1,600 table?

Also...I've seen OCLV Mountain bike frames crack. I would have no confidence in Bamboo.

 

The poll isn't really about me, it's much more for anybody who might be considering an 'intermediate-level' 'table. Though I'll listen to a couple (more) myself, just to see.

But for me, I'm looking more at Michell Gyro SE vs Linn Sondek vs Audio Note TT2 vs VPI Classic or Prime, i.e. a level or two up.

Far as OCLV mtb frames cracking, I don't think carbon fiber is the best material for off-road. Especially when they're shaving every last gram off the frame.
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And on yet another slightly off-topic tangent... don'cha wish more TT makers did dustcovers like the Thorens 240?




Or plinths like this restored Thorens 180?

 

Hear! Hear! Love the Colnago Gilco version! Got to say, though, getting back to turntables, the damping of the carbon fork and seat post were way better than steel. It doesn't take much. I'd love to see a plinth with a thin layer of carbon in the stack and compare it to wood or bamboo/composite only. I wonder if anyone has tried it. I'd think different materials would enhance the end result.

 

Dust covers slanted in the front like that used to be a lot more common. More old Yamaha has one. No fancy woodgrain plinth though...

 

Is that zebra wood on the 180? Looks stunning.

 

I picked one table/arm..... the RP6. The dealer offered up at least a dozen models amongst 4 or 5 brands and suggested the RP6 as best bang for the buck. He said he'd take it back in a heartbeat if I didn't like it. I still have it.
I think I appreciate it more after watching the Fremer videos at the Rega factory and listening to Mr. Gandy talk about them. Several years of research goes into the table and the arm before they're released. He doesn't release product as if it's the "flavor of the month"... the one thing that steered me away from VPI.

 

I own a Ti road bike with Dura Ace group that I built on my own several years ago. Ti is a wonderful material for a bike frame! Like I said in an earlier post, if Calfee is building bamboo frames it's the real deal. Calfee is one of the few carbon fiber manufacturers in the US that sources their own CF, engineers the frames, performs the layups, makes their own molds, the whole thing. They are also the go-to company for carbon fiber frame repair. Really great company, and if they make a frame out of bamboo I would not hesitate to ride it at 50mph+ down a hill.

 

Yup, it is. ZW and stunning, that is.
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The new Rega Planar 6, when it finally drops, and depending on if there's no/only-a-small price increase, may wind up being 'THE' killer under $1600 TT. Maybe.

The pretty-significant level of improvement from the old RP3 to the new Rega Planar 3 is what makes many think so.
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