Starting research for turntable

Heard a few R.E.A.L. tables at AXPONA and liked them a lot. Expected a rubbery sound but was far from it. Detailed, clean, and fast. 

True that, if I sold the dac and node 2i there would be a empty spot in my rack needing to be filled.  

Never sell digital. As the years go by and you find yourself only appreciating your analog more and more, its very educational to have that digital whatever sitting getting more and more pathetically obsolete. A daily reminder and antidote for when you hear someone say something about the next great digital whatever, the one that really puts the nail in the coffin for analog, and you recall oh gee that's what they said about this doorstop here. Plus they are great for warming up the system. And yeah sure you could put the XLO demagnetization tracks on your phone or iPod and play em that way. But then if you sell the digital its tempting to buy something and any amount on digital takes away from what could have gone into something that actually sounds good. So keep your DAC. Never sell it! Bequeath it to your grandkids. What's that grandad? A long time ago someone said it was perfect sound forever....

I'm so happy with my analog setup, possibly considering selling my dac! 

SP-10R and tonearm of your choice for the cartridge of your choice... 
and custom made plinth 

anyone have a merrill TT for sale?

Bought Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC ✳️ ES. 

Soundsmith Carmen? 

What would be the point? 

Keep us posted on how you like it!!
Congrats on the new table.

Thanks for everyone's support? 

I bought a Merrill Williams R.E.A.L 101 turntable demo, with new Nottingham tonearm.  Planning to purchase soundsmith Othello cartridge.  Recommendations for cable would be welcome.  Sooner than I expected but I'm happy.  

Osage Audio (Jim Pendleton) is offering an email special discount on Merrill tables ($500 / 15% off with a cart purchase). George is very reasonable direct and has great cart advice. I went with the Ortofon Black MM with my Super 12 and plan to get a Hana MC from him soon. He highly recommends Sutherland phono amps (although I went with a Herron VTPH with no regrets).

I want to thank everyone who has commented about my search. 
First of all I want to try to clear up any discrepancy with the original post.  I am and have been an audio enthusiast most of my life.  Now  retired I'm choosing to spend my time pursuing my hobby.

I realize that a phono preamp is required. what I'm looking for from your expertise is advice on pairings of table, preamp, arm and cartridge mc and mm. I put an amount of $4,000 for table alone pure and simple, the other items are expected as extra costs.

You have given me good suggestions particularly about George Merrill, I tend to really like crafts people like him.

I hope this gives you more information of what I'm after. 

Thanks 
Mike 

I’m have some wiggle as far as price is concerned, $4,000 was a figure to go from and was only for the turntable. As far as experimenting with different setups, I’m retired and enjoy the challenge of getting the best sound quality I can. I do all the mechanics on my motorcycle.

Then you and turntables sound like a match made in heaven. Analog is very old school in that everything is out in the open. You can see what each part is doing. Most of these tables, VPI is a classic example, they are basically a board with a bearing screwed into it, something flat and round on the bearing, a motor with a rubber band running the whole thing. With not too much trouble you can make your own board, although of course you have to remember to call it a plinth, as analog lovers have all these special words to disguise the fact they’re dragging a needle through plastic.

If you’re half as mechanically inclined as you sound then this is all the advice that you need. Look at the turntable as you would any other mechanical device. Understand its job is to remain super stable even while spinning a platter generating lots of drag and vibration. If you look at a lot of the flimsy lightweight tables out there and wonder how the hell is that gonna work? You are on the right track. Good solid heft and overbuilt construction is a plus.

Also the arm can be changed very easily and on any table. The design itself can sometimes be a challenge, but usually the only thing makes it hard is how handy you are and how important it is to look all professional and pretty. Also how willing you are to experiment. An arm can be mounted in a piece of scrap MDF, scrap acrylic, scrap aluminum or steel, and look like crap but work just fine. So then you might try laminating combinations of these. (Sound familiar? Look at VPI!) Guarantee, that’s all they do. Try stuff, find what works, build it, sell it.

Not trying to tell you what to do. Trying only to plant the seed idea that it helps to see a turntable not as a finished product but a starting point. You’re a smart guy. You will be able to see the design of some tables lends itself more to development than others. Everyone can suggest specific tables. Only you can choose among them. Hope this helps.

I would do a vpi prime

Based on your comments I would buy a tonearm with a removable headshell. I would also consider something higher up the Dr. Feickert line because setting up and changing tonearms is much easier. It will put you out of your budget, but you won't need to upgrade the turntable again.

I'm have some wiggle as far as price is concerned, $4,000 was a figure to go from and was only for the turntable.  As far as experimenting with different setups, I'm retired and enjoy the challenge of getting the best sound quality I can.  I do all the mechanics on my motorcycle. 

I highly recommend the GEM Dandy Super 12 Polytable. George Merrill offers 9" - 12" Jelco tonearm packages. The Super 12 comes with an offboard Digital Motor Drive. Give George a call - he is a great guy and happy to discuss his turntable engineering philosophies.

Zardozmike,

If this is your first foray into getting a good analog rig you need to ask yourself a few questions?

Do you really want to go through the hastle of trying different arms and carts for what purpose? Most people want to just play a record without any hastle.

Do you wish a more trouble free easy to use and setup combination or do you really wish to be fiddling with your analog?


We would recomend you consider the Rega P 8 Alpheta 2 combo which runs brand new around $4,200.00 

What you get is a nearly $2k cart for $1.2k as part of the package.

You get a completely integrated tonearm, table, and phono cartridge that have been designed to work as a fully compliementary set of products.

You get an already setup and fully maximized table.

The sound quality of the new Rega P8 is fantastic, fast, clean, huge soundstage, great rhythmic quality. 

The Rega p8  and p 10 are based on the $30k Rega Nyad test bench reference table.  

http://www.rega.co.uk/planar-8.html

http://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/rega-planar-8-turntable-and-arm

http://www.rega.co.uk/uploads/p8-john-min.pdf

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/rega-planar-8apheta-2

You will not find a table arm combo for this price point which can touch this  table.

For these reasons we recomend the Rega tables over this price point we do recomend other tables for this price range we have studied the market and have yet to find a table arm phono cart combo that we would take over the Planer 8/Alpheta 2 combo.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Rega dealers

I would subtract Music Hall and add Basis and SOTA Cosmos to your list, ahead of Sapphire. I’d also add Nottingham Hyperspace or above. More to come from others.

I think the Dr. Feikert Volare is a great choice, but you need to buy a phono preamp also as there is not one in your preamp. It will be a squeeze to get this turntable along with a phono preamp and cartridge in your $4,000 budget.