Best sounding turntable and cartridge for $1100

sunnyjim sez:

I am not sure I want to go the modded TT route. It will or could be expensive, and do I really want a table that has dance club speed and pitch controller.

Technics should build the same table without the speed and pitch control, and put the dollars into a better tonearm or drive motor.. The TT would be less expensive, and could still compete with tables in its price range, it not higher. Thanks again

I’m really getting tired of this myth. The Technics SL12x0 series WAS NOT designed as a dance club turntable. It was designed as a high end broadcast and home machine, and later *adopted* by the dance club set for its drive, ruggedness, and yes, speed and pitch matching.

But there are home use applications for the speed control too. Not every album was cut at an exact 33-1/3 rpm. A famous example is side one of Miles Davis’ "Kind of Blue."

In the Comments section of Michael Fremer’s review of the new Technics SL1200 GAE, when a detractor stated that the speed adjustments "were for DJs and scratchers," Fremer answered:

Or...

for correcting speed on 1) an original copy of "Kind of Blue" and "Beggar’s Banquet" to name two incorrectly mastered albums!

It’s also handy for musicians who want to play along with records, and either have to pitch-match to the instrument or the other way around. If your piano is out of tune, you’re better off adjusting the speed/pitch control.

sunnyjim:

Why not the Pioneer PLX 1000? which retails for $679.00. It looks solid and well made, and got the blessings of that blowhard Herb Reichert who reviews for Stereophile.

That was another option I would consider. Take a $679 PLX-1000, add an Audio Technica AT150Sa for $323.69 plus this economical but very effective cherrywood headshell, plus a good phono preamp (e.g., Schiit Mani for $129) and you should have a bangin’, musically involving system.

I have the AT150Sa mounted to that very cherrywood headshell, and the results are magic. Gone is any bright glare, replaced by a seductive organic presentation. I marvel at the sound and musicality of everything I play through that setup--jazz, pop vocals, large scale orchestral, etc.

BTW, whether you use a pitch control to tune the recording to your instrument is beside the point, which is that THE SL 12X0 SERIES WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR DANCE CLUBS AND SCRATCHERS. It was designed for audiophiles to restore the intended pitch and tempo, and for pitch-matching for musicians.

wolf garcia wrote:

As an old person, I've always been horrified by "scratchers"…LP Abuse! Tawdry! As a musician I actually get it though, and should get a grip and calm the heck down.

Your post helped me realize something. It was the DJs and scratchers with their high wear factor that kept the record stampers running from the late '80s to the mid '00s. If they hadn't been so hard on their records, they wouldn't have needed replacements every few weeks or months. If they had gotten 10-20 years wear out of their records like we do, there wouldn't have been enough demand to keep the supply channels busy. 

Once LPs caught on again, there were still mastering labs and stamping machines in place to start meeting demand. As demand increased with the true vinyl renaissance, the suppliers found mothballed stampers and refurbished them. 

So we owe some thanks to DJs, scratchers, and hipster clubbers were so instrumental in keeping vinyl in production.

Ditto for hats. These guys brought back stingy-brim fedoras, usually low cost ones made of cloth or straw. But for me, a 60-something who wears genuine fur-felt fedoras, it means nobody treats me like a weirdo because I wear fedoras.

So that's two things the millenial hipsters made possible for me.

A smart upgrade would be a grey-market Shelter 201. I got one from these guys. Their delivery was very prompt and the item was well-packed and intact. At about $167 with free shipping, the price/performance is a no-brainer (and I have a Denon DL-160--big brother to the DL-110). The Shelter 201 walks away from *anything* in the $100-200 range, and is totally competitive at its USA price of $310. Like I said, at $167 w/free shipping it’s a no-brainer.

The Absolute Sound’s rave review of the Polytable was largely conducted with a Shelter 201 cartridge. It gives my Audio Technica AT150Sa a run for the money, and walks away from the Denon DL-160.

Best of all, the replacement stylus is a mere $100, making this cart ridiculously cheap to own and maintain.