Basis TT Opinions

I've had the 2000, upgraded to the 2001 and presently 2500. These are simple, yet elegant tables, well built and machined, and fabulous sounding. A Graham arm mates very well with them and can usually be found used at a reasonable price. They're not huge( Debut is the exception) and fit on most racks. In the same price range, I think a VPI Aries is a consideration. I liked the Basis sound better, and have no complaints. They're not cheap, but this is slightly offset by the trade up policy, if one is so inclined. I also have a friend with the 1400 and a RB 300 arm, and it also sounds great. They're easy to set up and low maintance, which is a plus to me. You will find those that prefer the sound of other similarly priced tables, and you may too, but you can't go wrong with a Basis table.

I'll chime in with a couple of observations. I've owned an Ovation for about 10 years, and have heard the 2001 and 2500 tables and agree with Mes' description of the ease of use and excellent sound from them. One consideration between the 2000 and 2001 is that they have different suspensions. The 2000 does not use the hydraulic spring suspension of the other more expensive models, so it could be more prone to acoustic feedback than the 2001. If it's on an isolated shelf or in another room from the speakers, this may not be a problem for you. The suspension of the Ovation is amazing--you can hammer (and I have) on the suspension while a record is playing and not hear any effect through your speakers. I believe that at least the 2500's, and probably the 2001's, suspension is quite similar in its ability to isolate the platter and plinth from external vibrations, and that is a major factor in how good it sounds. Fortunately, as Mes points out, you can buy a less expensive model and upgrade as funds allow. Hope this is of some help.

I've owned the Basis 2001 for over a year. I listened to a lot of tables and felt that I had to have a real suspension - it seems like tables with suspensions have more depth in the sound. I loved the look and sound of Basis and so got the "cheapest" Basis with a suspension.
My LP front end sounds FANTASTIC. Basis 2001, Van Den Hull Frog, Rega RB300 modified to accept a DIN cable, and Sonic Frontiers phono one phono stage. Every who hears this set up, their jaw drops. BTW, it took a LOT of experimentation to find the right combination of VTA and phono stage load. When I first took home my setup, it was not listenable and scared the heck out of me. VTA + loading + patience are the key.

You know, I tend to trade gear a LOT. The speakers I bought in December are already on the net. But I think they're gonna bury me with that Basis turntable.

i have owned the basis 2500 for 2 years; it replaced a vpi tnt mk.II. i agree with other posters regarding benefit of small footprint, build quality, compatibility with graham arm( i have a 2.2 delux) and excellent performance. i would add that the elegance and simplicity of the hydralic suspension is much superior to other turntables in this price range; simple to level and never needs tweaking. another plus is the vacuum record clamping system upgrade which very few other tts in this price range offer. you won't be disappointed with a basis.