Grand Prix Audio Monaco Turntable

Dear Piedpiper: +++++ " I compared his extensively rebuilt Technics SP10 sporting a SME 312 with his Walker Black Diamond, using identical Airtight PC1 cartridges. IMHO, the Walker "walked" all over the Technics in most respects " +++++

IMHO till you compare two different TT's with the same tonearm/cartridge combination your statement is not a precise and value one and more a " religious fervor that sense ".

I know the Walker one ( not so very well than Albert ) that is a great belt drive TT example ( that btw has the same speed stability/accuracy spec than the SP 10 ) but unfortunately we can't compare against any other TT because the Walker don't accept other tonearm.

Right now I'm running one of my SP 10 with out plinth and pneumatic AT footers directly in the Technics TT base, I already try it with Dynavector 505, Audiocraft AC 3300/4400 and MS MAX 237 ( with several cartridges ): awesome performance, better than the Walker? who knows: we need to mount any of those tonearms/cartridges ( including the SME 312 ) in the Walker and compare.

What I can say is that the SP-10 very " old " design ( 1982 ) is a top contender here and now after those many years that were build!!!!!!!! and still spinning/running flawless!!!!, my hat off to these Matushita/Panasonic/Technics great people.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Mtkh1567: It is no doubt that the Monaco is a today top TT like the Walker or many other out there ( including those " old " Japanese designs that I think you don't have the opportunity to heard/hear/try/test yet. )

What are the targets on a TT design?. well IMHO it has to be a design first where the TT can spin with accuracy and stabiity ( short and long run/time ) at 33.33, 45 and 78 rpm, second: it has to spin with out any internal or external distortion ( vibration, resonances, fast disipation, sound/bass feedback, platter resonances, etc, etc ) that means absolutely internal/external isolation, third: choose a material platter/mat that is/will be inert or that kill LP/platter-mat resonances, fourth: same that second target in reference to the arm board and fifth: precise/well made/high quality design execution.

All these targets are more easy to say that to achieve. Different TT designers have different approach to achieve those TT design targets ( and other ones ) and all of them share at least one TT subject: no one is free of " colorations ", there is no perfection here at least not yet and the Monaco is no exeption as good as certainly is.

IMHO and at this top level of quality TT performance and other than TT isolation the tonearm/cartridge " figure " is what could make the difference.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Henry: Certainly I will do it sooner or latter and thank you again for the HiFi+ link.

Obviously there could be no same Monaco level performance but my SP-10MK2 ( with out plinth, very important subject. ) is doing things very well and in many ways better than my BD ones.

Anyway here through the Monaco design all of us have a " different very high quality performer new kid on the street " and this fact is a welcome one to all audio industry!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Jonathan: There is no doubt that the Monaco is an outstanding build design and from the white papers has some different ways ( in some way, unique. ) to approach the TT design to achieve their goals.

For many years till today I'm always supporting the direct drive TT design over other TT drive designs and it for not other thing because its speed accuracy/stability.

Well, IMHO I think that it will be very interesting to find out if the Monaco is the best choice " platform " to go ( maybe it is ) making tests with different tonearm/cartridge combination ( as much you can ) ( I know that the Monaco people already do it, but they are the " owners ". ) that you/we already and really know its quality performance level in other " platforms " and evaluate those quality differences ( that for sure will be ).

There is a lot of research and know-how behind the Monaco that tell all of us that ( in some ways ) it is a " different " audio item ( for say the least ) and where Alvin and his team work are really proud ( you can read how are writing those white papers. )

Anyway, good for the analog audio industry that products like the Monaco appear because this fact can/could help to change and grow-up in the right direction ( quality performance ) the whole audio industry, we need something " fresh " and the Monaco is an example of that.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Henry: There is no doubt that today we have several technology advancements ( in a whole of world areas ) that 20-30 years ago we even imagine about.

The point IMHO is how those technologic advancements are/were aplicate on today analog audio items that because those technologic advancements these new analog audio items makes a real differences.

In my experiences the tonearm, cartridge and TT design are almost with no quality sound reproduction improvement over " old " tonearm, cartridge and TT designs ( maybe the Monaco do it. ) and an example of that is that you own and use an " old " tonearm design ( 1983 ) : Dynavector DV-507, that today still is a very good tonearm.

Henry we are not talking here of Moon Rokets we are talking of more " simple " products.

I applaud the Monaco people because against what many audiophiles think ( that the belt drive is the way to go ) they designed what they think is the right way to go it does not matters what you, the reviewers I or any one else think about and with this high quality level of build execution only can help for the whole audio industry ( including us ) re-think that if what they are doing are really helping to the quality sound/music reproduction.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Henry: +++++ " and who am I to disagree with these veteran experts. " +++++

IMHO, you like many other music lovers not only have a great/long audio/music experieces but more important: are not audio commercial/business oriented like almost every one " veteran experts ".
Henry you are " some one " !! don't you think?

Btw, I write 1983 because the 507 comes from the 505 where the 505 converts in 507 " suffer " only two changes: central pillar mount and arm lift.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Henry: Thank you for the HiFi+ review's link of the Monaco, here in México we can't find that magazine, only when I travel to USA I can buy it.

My hat off to Gregory, this is a professional review made for a proffesional person ( instead the MF one, with all my respect to him, looks like an amateur one. ) no doubt about.

I don't want to make a " book " here. IMHO the most important subject on the review was ( between other nice things ) that first than all Gregory works hard to understand ( and I mean it ) why, how and where comes the " different " ( nearer to the recording/music ) very high quality Monaco's performance.
He try and he achieve a very high level of un-equalize his brain from what is the standard top belt drive TTs performance, he don't try that the Monaco can sound like all other TTs but he try that the Monaco performs like the Monaco with its own advantages and real differences.

He try several cartridges ( I love that Ortofon 7500, one of my reference cartridge ), phono stages, TTs, etc, etc.

I agree with him in several different aspects like : about TTs designs over the years ( does not change anything. I posted here about in the MM cartridge thread before the Monaco review. ), about the importance ( over the TT ) of tonearm/cartridge combination/matching, about the critical importance of the Phonolinepreamp that with the Monaco and other top TTs " becomes much, much more significant ".

The Gregory's review is a learning one ( for say the least ) in many important and critical areas, Bravo!!!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.