2. analog
  3. 126251-489

My final table , hopefully !

Back in the 80's I was seduced to the digital side ! At first it was lovely . But then , I became hooked , it got cold and ugly .  After a lot of work and many years , I was able to get onto the recovery road to analogdom .

I returned with a MMF 5.1 turntable and stock cartridge . Oh that warm cozy feeling , I missed you so ! 

 But now , as luck would have it , I want MORE !  More dynamics , more detail , more extension , more rich tone and above all else more of that sensuous musicality . I've grown old , fat and out of shape since I quit tapping my toes , bobbing my head , playing air guitar & and dancing around the room ! I'm greedy and I want it all !

Unfortunately , my addictions have forced me to the land of the small budget . I need to stay in the 2K + 3K range . If I can trade in my MMF 5.1 table and cartridge , that would help .


I would like to spend a majority of my money on the table and arm . I need a faithful dog , a table that will stick with me through thick & thin and never leave my side . To grow older with me without the need for attention . I am a set it & forget it / plug n play kind of guy . I want to listen to music , not futz with stuff . I am not able to go out and hear a lot of stuff so my ideas come from the net ...and my help comes from you !

I have read that different manufacturers tables have different sound characteristics . How much of this can be attributed to the arm and cartridge used ? How much can it be altered ? I prefer classic rock , singers & songwriters , contemporary blues , Detroit soul and classical . Not much for Disco ,  Rap , Techno or Hip Hop .

While most tables have an upgrade path , I would like to refrain from taking it . Again the plug n play / set it & forget it attitude .


Here is what I have come up with , in no special order :

VPI Prime - the most expensive , comes with the 3D arm .

Well Tempered Amadeus MKII - comes with the golf ball arm .

Avid Diva II

Sota Saphire V - no real need for a suspension system as I am on a slab .

Sota Saphire III - refurbished , again no real need for the suspension system . 

Origin Live Calypso MkIII

Looking at the Jelco 750D arm for some of these tables .


Thank You .

Saki70


saki70

Showing 4 responses by terry9

terry9
2,354 posts
 
I use the Trans-Fi tonearm, the Terminator (don't blame me, I didn't name it). It's an air bearing tonearm for $1000, and punches far above its weight. I have two of them, for expensive turntables.

You might also consider the Trans-Fi turntable, which I have not heard, but gets good reviews. Both arm and TT are sold factory direct, so you have a high-risk/low-cost tradeoff. But just see if you can get one used - good luck.

terry9
2,354 posts
 
Further to the above, I should have noted that the Trans-Fi is made to order for this kind of test, in that the arm wand carries the cartridge and the azimuth adjustment. VTA and tangentiality settings are obvious. Thus when you change wands, your settings are preserved.

terry9
2,354 posts
 
How does the TT affect the sound? A bit like digital.

To my ears, digital sounds dry and harsh compared to analogue. Turntables extend the spectrum towards the natural. Inexpensive and poorly designed TT tend to sound a bit harsh, accentuating each pop and tick, and lots of surface noise. The better the TT, the more refined the sound, the easier to listen to, the more defined the different parts of the melodic line.

I just did this exact exact experiment. I have an expensive, highly regarded, modified, belt drive turntable mounting a Trans-Fi arm and a Koetsu. I mounted a second Trans-Fi arm on a quality 1980's DD, transferred the Koetsu, and played. The DD seemed relatively coarse and noisy, with no redeeming features. That is, seemed to me.

When I finished building my air bearing turntable, I repeated the experiment by mounting the second Trans-Fi on that, and playing the Koetsu.

While I was expecting to hear a difference, I was unprepared for the magnitude of that difference. Not only was noise lower, but highs were purer and bass was tighter. Resolution improved significantly: on one record, there is an interlude of whistling, which had seemed like one performer in some parts, and two performers in others. With the air bearing table, I hear three distinct performers at all times. My wife concurs.

Hope that helps, Saki.

terry9
2,354 posts
 
Orpheus, my experience is too limited. I’ve tried to move up a lot with each change, so that I have lived with only a half dozen TT in the last 20 years. Of course, I've auditioned quite a few, but that's not the same at all. 

Simplifying a bit, I went from a Rega to a Linn Basik, because the LP12 seemed to be not that much better than the Basik. To get that jump, I had to wait for Nottingham Analogue, then heavily modified it (another big jump - NA plinths are their weak point, IMO). Then my own air bearing design. At each stage, I got increased definition and decreased noise, without compromising sweetness and euphony. 

Berhrt, Inna, as you can see, I agree that the NAS Dais is also a good buy, but have no experience of NAS in the $2K-3K range.

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