Suspension vs. non-suspension turntables???


Greetings all...

I am soon going to start the search for a new turntable. My trusty Roksan Xerxes is entering it's 15th year of operation and I think it's about time to look for something new. Having said that, I am looking for opinions on suspended tables, and non-suspended tables in the hopes of learning something about the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Surely both types have their merits, and I am trying to get a grip on which type might be most right for me. I am not necessarily looking for specific turntable recommendations at this point; let's face it we all know the usual suspects - Basis, VPI, Clearaudio, SME, Oracle, Teres, etc. I just am looking to find out if there is an advantage to either type of table.

Thanks in advance...
esoxhntr

Showing 2 responses by seandtaylor99

Hmmm. Just because something's old doesn't mean it's time to change it. In fact you might find out it's shockingly expensive to change. My rega planar 3 cost me $300 many years ago when I lived not far from Southend in the UK. I think I'd be spending well over $1000 to get a significant improvement in it now, and that's money better spent on a new cartridge and more LPs or CDs.

I'd guess you'll get better advice if you can tell us what improvements you're seeking versus the roksan.

I've only ever owned non-suspended designs, so I can't answer your question.
The concrete floor suggests to me that a floor standing rack would work well. My guess is that the drywall is picking up the bass and feeding it into the wall rack.

A very cheap setup for isolating my rega is a sheet of soft polyurethane foam, about 2-3 inches thick, with a large paving slab (or marble sheet if visuals are important) sat on top of it, with the rega sitting on the top.

I have not noticed any bass feedback from my subwoofer, and my spirit level says the deck is very level (the mass of the deck is much less than the concrete slab so levelling was easy). My floor is a wooden suspended floor, and the subwoofer is only a couple of feet from the Rega.

Of course the weight of this setup means it has to be on a cabinet, rather than a shelf, but it costs so little to try (about $10-$20) that it might be worth playing with before getting a new deck.

That is, unless you really want a new deck. Buying a new deck is much more fun than buying paving slabs :-). Until the credit card statement arrives :-(