What are the turntables you've owned?

Garrard GT-10 cheap beginner table
BIC 40Z unreliable
Technics SL-B202
Dual CS-508
Dual 1229Q should have kept it
Technics SL-QD33
Rega Planar 2 didn't like it at all
SOTA Star Series III didn't like this one either
Pioneer PLX-1000 punches above its price
Rega P3 2016 maybe I just don't get Regas
MoFi Ultradeck- my favorite of the lot by a country mile

 

in order:
JVC
Kenwood
Linn LP12 Still own it
Harmon Karden Linear tracking
Rega P25 Wish I still had

 

Garrard SL65, AR-XA, Thorens TD160 MkII
currently: none

 

1. One of those Imperial branded suitcase players 1981 - 1990
2. Elac Benjamin Miracord 750 1990 - 2004
3. Project Debut III 2008 - 2012
4.VPI Scout 2012 - Present
5. Project 1Xpression 2015 - Present

 

In order:

Yamaha TT-400: My first turntable - extremely basic and unexciting, with a p-mount for chrissakes, but lasted me through high school and college until the motor burned out (the belt actually outlived the motor!).

Pioneer PL-530: Decent, looked kinda cool, obviously sounded better than the previous TT, but just didn't wow me. Kind of fussy to operate too, as I recall.

Denon DP-51F: My first "real" turntable; sound quality was vastly superior to the previous two obviously, and it looked great too. Spent many years with this thing. Started crapping out a little over a year ago from the time of writing, sadly.

Rega P3: Had this briefly, wasn't too impressed for a variety of reasons.

Technics SL-1400 (MK I/original): Bought this as a secondary turntable for use in the bedroom. Rock solid, still own it.

Thorens TD-160 Super with Rega RB202 tonearm (fully restored/customized by Vinyl Nirvana): My current main turntable, replaced the Denon.

 

Those plastic Garrards really bring back memories - I'm almost tempted to pick one up.

 

Dual 1215
Rega P3
Thorens TD-160 Super

 

Dual changer. Bought new 42 years ago, I dont remember the model.
JVC QLF-2 Decent table, had a brain cramp, sold it for the next table.
Technics - forgot the model of this turd.
AR ES-1 Bought new, nice table
AR ES-1 modded. Same table, but Merrill subchassis, springs, subplatter, platter, armboard, and Sumiko FT3 arm (Jelco). First real high end table.
Well Tempered The first one, bought it as a dealer demo. Excellent table. Lost it along with all my records in a home fire.
Rega P3 (2016) 24 years after the fire, I get a wild hair up my ass and decide I want to listen to vinyl again. Good table, sensitive too platform. Better than the stock AR, not better than the modded AR and the Well Tempered.
Rega P6. Best table I have owned.

 

The ones that have actually spent time in my systems in more or less chronological order:
Rotel RP 850 (still own, but not in use)
Roksan Xerxes (still own, but not in use)
Ariston RD 90 (still own, but not in use)
Technics SL-1200s
Technics SL-1210s (still have a modded one in use)
Michell Gyro SE
Michell Orbe (in use)
JVC QL-Y5F
Roksan Xerxes 10 (in use)
Garrard 301 (in use)

Awaiting restoration and to be kept and used:
Goldring G-99
Garrard 401

Partial list of decks that have passed through my hands and been enjoyed for varying periods, in no particular order:
JBE Slatedeck
Thorens TD 125
Thorens TD 150s
Thorens TD 160s
Thorens TD 166 (Various Marks)
Thorens TD 280
Linn LP 12s
Linn Axis
Technics SL-110
Technics SL-2000
Pioneer PL 12Ds
Pioneer PL 112s
Pioneer PL 200X
Rega Planar 2s
Rega Planar 3s
Rega 25 (Agree with Tim B and wish I'd kept it)
Pro-Ject Debuts of various types
Ariston RD 11S
Ariston Q Deck
Systemdeck IIX
Systemdeck IIXE
Goldring Lenco GL 75s
Garrard 4HF
Garrard SP25
Goldring GR1
Sugden Connoisseur BD1
Numerous Duals, B & Os, Sonys, Technics, NADs, Sansuis, and others, plus a collection of portable decks.

 

GE suitcase portable
Garrard changer
Pioneer PL12
Thorens 160
Beogram 3000
Thorens 125
Luxman 272
AR ES-1
Well Tempered Record Player

 

Damb. That's quite a turntable history.

Don't suppose you'd care to give us a brief rundown of which ones you liked, which you didn't, and why?

Especially curious as to what you thought of the Lenco and the Systemdeks.
.

 

Past:
Technics SL-1200
Technics SL-1100A
Thorens TD-104
Dual 1009SK2
Dual 721
Dual 1216
Dual 1219

Current:
Sota Sapphire
Pro-Ject RPM 1.3
Avid Ingenium

Future:
Schiit Sol

 

Below is the second record player I ever had, a Brazilian Philips microsystem, it's still in the family. The first was similar but without a CD player (before CDs were invented). It was sold over 30 years ago and I couldn't find a picture online. By the way, this is the only real photo of my gear, the rest are pictures I found online:



Then my first proper turntable was this one, another Philips, made in Brazil, still somewhere around here:



The third was the well known Pro-Ject Debut Carbon with Ortofon 2M Red bought in 2012:



Then I bought a Pioneer PLX-1000:



And then a Technics SL-1210GR:

 

I forgot the Realistic LAB 290 my Dad gave me.

 

I'll give it a try, I love Michells and Roksans, (don't touch one with a sagging plinth and original power supply), in isolation the Michell Gyro SE with a decent arm and cart plus the HR power supply sounds great, but compare it to the Orbe/SME IV and you are in a different league, the fully specced Xerxes 10 with upgraded Artemiz arm has a different presentation, but is on par with the Orbe though less Roksan sounding than the original deck. The Orbe and Xerxes 10 are both decks I can happily live with enjoying music without worrying about upgrading, what more can you ask.

I like Technics 1200/10s although I don't regard them as high end and personally I don't rate the arm, that includes MK 2s and Mk 5s, I like what direct drive offers, but I think I'm more of a belt drive person, even the GAE doesn't win me over and almost all the direct drives I've owned have moved on, I only keep the 1210 MK 2 because it's tough and I can readily switch arms, not for it's sound quality although better arms do lift that.

I really liked the Rega 25 I thought it was a real sweat spot in price, sound and looks, I bought a brand new RB 600 arm pretty much based on my experience with the 25, the old Planar 2s and 3s are fine, but nothing special, the arms are excellent, having heard some of the newer Regas I suspect they leave the old models far behind, although at a price, I would absolutely love to try a RP 10 at home from what I've heard that's a deck I could live with and a Rega I really like the sound of which hasn't always been the case.

B & O decks are often very pretty, but don't sound very special.

I think the Pioneer PL-12D and 112 are good sounding decks pretty much on par with Technics 1200/10s when it comes to sound quality and they can still be found for little money, a deck I recommend for anyone on a tight budget.

Although Aristons, Thorens and Linns can all sound excellent they often don't and after 35 years of listening to them I have to conclude I'm not a big fan of bouncy decks along those lines, the one exception being the RD 90 which I've kept for over thirty years, it was a nightmare to isolate, but get it placed right and it sounded very good. I get why people love their Linns, Thorens and Aristons, I think they have a sonic signature or signatures that aren't quite to my taste, Michells and Roksans just sound so much better to me.

I like idlers such as the Garrard 301/401, I'm still on my idler journey, but in many ways I'd agree that there is something right about a well set up idler's sound. I don't like stock GL-75s, the plinths aren't good and the arms aren't great, unless you have lots of DIY skills you may as well buy a G 88, G 99, 301, 401 or similar and do it properly even if it costs a lot more it's worth it, if you must have a stock GL-75, the smaller plinth type with lift off lid are better.

The first deck I owned , the Rotel RP 850 was belt drive and all these years later I still like what some belt drives can do, along the way I've really enjoyed direct drives and particularly their sense of control, but without making a conscious choice I seem to have abandoned direct drives and am now embracing idlers, they give a different presentation from belts, but one that I find complimentary and one that has replaced direct drives in my system, I just wish they didn't cost so much to do to a certain standard.

 

Totally forgot Realistic, I may even have one somewhere in the loft with a fake wood finish, decent enough decks as I recall.

 

I'll add some context, I've been buying record collections since I was in my teens, often people selling all their records would also be selling their record deck, so I kind of started picking them up as well, hence my extensive experience with lower end British and Japanese decks, unfortunately the higher end stuff never seemed to surface, my wants list still includes a TD 124, a Pink Triangle and a Goldring G-88, I did get my 401 via a record call though.

 

Garrard suitcase unit: turntable w/speakers. Can't recall the model number
JVC L-A11
Scott (can't recall the model number)
Yamaha P-500
Technics SL-1200 MK2
Technics SL-1200 LTD

No longer have the first four listed.

 

1. Thorens (first TT given to me by my father, not sure model but looks very much like it was a 160 )
2. Technics 1200 (technically not mine, i lived with a dj for a couple years and it was the house TT!)
3. a Dual...no idea model!)
4. Audio Technica LP60
5. ProJect Elemental
6. ProJect Debut Carbon (just got yesterday, i think im happy with this one a while!)

 

Rega P9
Rega P5
Pro-Ject Debut III
Music Hall MMF-5
Clearaudio Concept
Technics SL-1200MK2
Technics SL-7
Dual 1229
Dual 721
Marantz 6300
Marantz 6100
Marantz TT2000
Phase Linear 8000

 

Thanks, Dub. That's quite a TT journey you've been on, indeed.

Oh, and what did you think of your Systemdeks? I've always rather liked the IIX, thought it was a little gem the first time I heard one, and much preferred it to the Rega Planar 3s of that era.

.

 

Technics SL-23 - sold
Thorens TD 320 - sold
Thorens TD 160 Super - sold
VPI HW 19 MK4 with sama and Graham 2.2 arm - sold
VPI Classic 3 with 3d arm - current
VPI Aries Scout (secondary system) - current

 

AR XA
Sony (a heavy beast early '80s model)
Denon (can't remember the model on this either)
Micro Seiki BL-77 (that one was nice -- had a SAEC WE-407 arm on it)
VPI Classic

Quite happy with the VPI. Intend to keep it for a long while.

 

Pro-Ject DC Carbon ES and now a VPI Prime Scout - I'm done! I've reached the pinnacle of sound and affordability...is there better? yes. in my price range, nope!

 

I had one Systemdeck which was fully upgraded, acrylic platter, separate power supply/speed switch and as far as I recall a Rega RB300 arm, that was actually a very good deck definitely better than contemporary Regas, I kept it for a few years until I eventually sold it on to a friend of my brother and as far as I know he's still using it, he was very happy with it at the time, I guess that in today's market you'd have to spend a fair bit of money on a new deck to really beat it, having said that the other Systemdeck I had was lower spec and of lower performance I didn't keep that one for long.