Which TT would you choose? An Avid Diva II, Pro-Ject RPM 9.2 or a Michell Gyro SE?

Or...

Keep the Michell stock for now $1,850...then add the Terminator for $1,200 or so leaving almost $1,000 for a nice cartridge.

 

Yeah, there's been a lot of happy campers lately with P5s...

 

Oh the choices, having made the upgrade myself I think the HR power supply makes a real improvement, especially in the bass. I have zero experience of the Terminator, although linear trackers do intrigue me, whereas I do rate the Technoarm, the Regas and the SMEs, I'm also intrigued by the Funk Firm arm, maybe it's not so easy spending the money.

 

This doesn't help the original OP as he is looking a new tables, but since the rest of us are having so much fun discussing them....

Nottingham Space

I considered getting one of these before I found a deal on my Michell. If I recall correctly, a dealer was getting rid of of a brand new Space for around $1,000 as it was his last one (he either dropped or lost the line). The thing sold literally in minutes on AG - so I missed out.

Couldn't find another one used, then I happened into the deal I ended up with.

These tables seem to have pretty good reps as well.

 

I really can't wait to get a Terminator. I think linear tracking arms offer some real benefits over conventional designs. But that's just me.

One thing I like about their design is you have on-the-fly VTA adjustment (similar to what you can do with some of VPI's arms). I can adjust VTA on my Encounter...but on the fly...not so much.

 

They do! I have Nottingham Horizon SE...love it!

 

One of my local dealers here in the Bay Area, The Analog Room, uses a lot of the Nottingham decks and they do sound wonderful. He usually has SME arms on them with stone-bodied Koetsus, so they should sound good.

Unusual in that you start them by spinning the platter by hand...

 

I've also heard the Nottinghams sounding extremely good, though I'd still go Michell or even Avid, I also reckon the Rega 5 blowout was a fantastic deal, I had a Rega 25 to play with for a while and that was excellent for the money, wish I'd had the RB600 off it, I can never find enough arms for my various decks.

 

Yeah, that was a bit freaky to me...but it's supposed to work just fine and without issues.

 

Good to hear, makes me feel even MORE secure about my purchase!

 

It does work just fine. In fact I kinda like this as I can stop the platter by hand to change a side and then bring it back up to speed within a few seconds. No ON/OFF switch to worry about...one less mechanism to contend with.

 

Yes, that's a pretty unique design amongst tables!

 

It's kinda weird at first but it does work well.

 

Mine. I just pulled the trigger on this, no thanks to the bunch of you! Now to find a good tonearm to go with my 17D3 cart.

 

Congrats! I'm sure you will enjoy it. Let us know what tonearm you decide to go with.

 

Congrats!

 

Congratulations, I'm sure you'll love it, as it's got a Rega armboard with it I'd suggest either a Rega or a Michell Techno Arm, depending on your budget, though even with a basic RB250 it will give you a taste of what it can do.

 

Two more to add to your poll:

SOTA Comet

Rega RP6

 

Same here.

Of the listed choices I'd go with the Michell. It and the Linn Sondek are the 5 liter Ford and Small Block Chevy of fine turntables respectively: they have widespread aftermarket support and many people understand them intimately.

 

Congrats! You are going to be very happy! Check back in when you get an arm and get it set up.

BTW, Michells are built like a tank and will work flawlessly for decades.

 

Fremer's glowing remarks:

"If you get a chance to get up close to a GyroDec SE, you'll wonder how something so exquisitely machined can be sold for $2,495, especially when compared to most other tables of similar price. Its bearing is superb, the cast sub-chassis, platter, suspension system and motor seem almost excessive given the asking price; and when it's all put together, it looks great!"

 

Grab a funk firm fxr....

 

This is easy:

J.A. Michell Gyro SE

 

$2k is out of my range, unfortunately. I am looking at a $1,200 ceiling. The leading contenders seem to be the Rega RB700 and the Michell Tecnoarm. Any other suggestions?

 

I'm telling ya, check out the comments by users of the Terminator! There are people that have replaced some pretty expensive and well regarding arms with it. From the Grahams to SME, they have all fallen.

One of the best vinyl rippers out there ended up with it. I had a chance to compare rips done before and after with it, the results are not minute. As I said before, one of these will soon reside on my Michell.

Here are the Terminator comments.