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Nottingham Spacedeck vs Rega Planar 8 vs Technics SL1200G

Hey Everyone,

An analogue newbie needs your advice.

Firstly I am not looking for any TT recommendations other than these 3.

My system is Devore O96, and the amplification would be either Lyngdorf 3400/Coincident Frankenstein combo or a Shindo pre/amp combo (forthcoming). The phono stage is TBD.

The sound I like is rich, full-bodied, with a good bass (I love percussion, and the double-bass instrument and  Mingus is my fav jazz artist). I am very sensitive to even a hint of brightness. I don't care about the typical audiophile presentation -- gobs of detail and soundstage but no soul.

My music of choice is jazz, vocals and small-scale instrumentals. No rock, no pop, no western classical.

Would love your thoughts on these 3 choices.

Since I am a newbie, easy setup is big win, which might tilt me towards the Rega or Technics, but with Nottingham I have a great dealer support that I would completely miss out on if I went with Technics (no Technics dealer in a 5000 mile radius).

I used to own a Rega RP6, so am familiar with Rega sound, and like it. But my RP6 was bested by my DAC (AMR DP-777) so sold it a few years ago. So I want a TT that will compete with any sub-10000$ DAC.

Looking forward to your thoughts that will help me scratch my analog itch.


essrand

Showing 1 response by migueca

migueca's avatar
migueca
112 posts
 
I never heard the Rega nor the Technics, but I own a very very old Spacedeck. I bought it used (much cheaper than a new one) after having fallen in love with Nottingham turntables through many auditions at a local store. 
The sound is sweet, full bodied, coming from a complete quiet dark. It's engaging. But what really got me into it, is all the concept: high mass and a low torque motor that requires you to start and stop the platter by hand. 
Regarding the service, they are amazing to their customers. My deck came with a defective spindle. It wasn't straight, causing a very annoying wobbling. I contacted their office (miss Penny) and in a matter of days they replaced my old damaged spindle with a perfect new one. For free! 
The arm is a bit dodgy to get in the right position, but once there, you don't have to touch it never again. I already replaced the internal wiring. Not an easy task, but I live near a fantastic technician (this guy also made my phono preamp).
By the way, miss Penny suggested me to use a MM cart from Nagaoka. I'm using a Goldring with very good results. She said that their tonearms are better matched with MM carts. 
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