TT Recommendation

Think Long, proceed with all or some now.

What do you listen to? Any Mono? More than 1 Stereo Cartridge? A MM cartridge, and/or a MC Cartridge?

IOW, think about having either

1. TT with Single Tonearm with VTA on the Fly (fairly quickly change headshells with pre-mounted cartridges)

My friend, with help here, just chose a single adjustable arm, Technics 250 with VTA Base 500 to put on his Technics SP15

 

2. TT with Multiple Tonearms, i.e. Stereo and Mono arms ready to instantly choose in a listening session.

Just within your budget, bit by bit, I got a Vintage JVC Victor Plinth PL-2, Vintage TT81 spinner, 3 Tonearms, SUT with 3 inputs and Pass into single beloved MM Phono.

8th photo here

 

This would give you a terrific 2 arm plinth, tt81 spinner, 7082 long arm with VTA on the Fly., around $1,100 usd.

 

I wrote Eugene, he sent me photos of the arm's rubber gasket, it has no sag as most do (easily repaired if they do).

 

Get the P8 and put a Clearaudio Charisma cartridge in it. Stay away from unipivot arms!!!

You're close to being in the price point of the STST Motus DQ....modern low torque DD with 30 years of development...just to make you aware

 

 

disclosure: I am the N America sales agent for STST

Find a place to audition the turntables.

I have a Rega P8 with the Ania cartridge and I am very pleased with the sound.  Easy to set up too.

There's a lot of good options and be realistic with how much you like or dislike setting up and tweaking.  If you don't P8 is great set-up and forget - if you do VPI and others may be a better fit for you.  And if you want to really go down the analog path at some point the internal phono stage will be your weak link.

I’ve been singing the praises of Pure Fidelity. Give them a good hard look. My Harmony (with an OL Conqueror Mk4) is knocking my socks off! Sounded amazing out of the gate but the OL Silver Hybrid wire was long on the break in and the whole package is now coming into its own. Top flight build quality, custom finish options beyond the standard veneers (which are gorgeous!), sound for dollar value is off the charts. I’m working on a full blown “review” which should air before the holidays. Professional reviews are spot on (refreshing change) so have a look at those. If you are looking for a table that is built to last, sounds great, looks great, PF should be very high on your shortlist! 

Rega p8 alphetta 3

 

Screaming good deal

 

Cart 2000

Table 3100

 

Bought together 4400

That means you are getting a 2000 Dollar cart

 

For 300 that saves you 1700 and you are getting a fantastic reference grade cart for a song

And they are designed together so the cart and table are synergustic

 

The p8 alphetta 3 combo embaresses a ton of expensive tables

The p8 combo is clean fast with superior detail retrivel

 

And agrega is pre setup and never needs any realadjustment

 

Get easy get done get rega for superior sound for the money.

 

DAve and troy

AUDIO INTELLECT NJ

REGA DEALERS

@solypsa , Funny you should mention that. I saw two STST Turntables last weekend at Soundsmith. Peter Ledermann is enamored by them.  It is the first suspended direct drive turntable I have ever seen. It has a thick delrin platter and a low torque DD motor which should create less magnetic perturbation in the vicinity of the cartridge. Since the Turntable is German and Peter Ledermann has a close relationship with Frank Schroder having his arms on all his tables, I suspect it was Frank that got him into this turntable. For some reason his own demonstration system still uses a VPI with a Schroder Reference arm on it. Peter says the STST might be the best turntable ever made. Unfortunately, they were not hooked up to his demonstration system so I was unable to hear them. For a top end table the price is not all that bad either. I there a version that can take any size tonearm?

My choice in this price range is the Music Hall 11.3 because MH has included many of the features that makes for a truly outstanding turntable - such as...

• music hall’s unique quadruple-plinth design with improved TPE vibration isolation
• new freestanding and completely isolated motor assembly
• dual motor and flywheel assembly is located on the center left side of the turntable eliminating all motor and belt vibration from the cartridge
• one-piece 9cc Evolution carbon fiber tonearm
• tonearm uses hardened Swiss ABEC 7 ball races in inverted bearing
• tonearm is internally wired with flexible wire drawn from high purity copper with only two contact points from cartridge to output connectors
• counterweight’s center of gravity is level with the stylus tip is decoupled from the arm and acts as a resonance damper
• fully adjustable VTA, azimuth, and dampened arm lift
• exclusive microprocessor electronic speed control with dual motor single flywheel drive system
• 33 1/3 and 45 rpm speed change at the touch of a button
• adjustable magnetic-levitation feet
• inverted ceramic main bearing for ultra-quiet operation
• 7.4 lbs. (3.35 kg) acrylic platter
• detachable phono cable
• high quality gold-plated RCA connectors
• display-style large removable acrylic dust cover

There are several finishes to choose from, for example...

https://musichallaudio.com/product/mmf-11-3-turntable-copy/

Install a Zavfino interconnect cable and just listen to the music

Regards - Steve

Sota

@mijostyn The suspended table is the Motus IIDQ and the little brother is the Motus DQ which is the same drive/bearing/platter but housed in an unsuspended plinth.

 

As to tonearms either table can be ordered to accomodate 12" tonearms. The unsuspended table can be ordered for double tonearms ( 9" + 12" ) however the nature of the counterweighted suspension on the ’IIDQ’ dictates one arm only.

 

On RARE occasion a tonearm will be too heavy for the ’IIDQ’ suspension to calibrate correctly- One example is the Kuzma 4pt14 which is just slightly too heavy ( overall weight not effective mass ) so my client with a 4pt14 and Koetsu Blue Lace went with the Motus DQ instead...which is no slouch.

 

Thanks for asking :)

Thanks for all of the recommendations here.  Some really nice options unfortunately a couple of them mentioned are above my budget.  One of them about double my budget.  As of right now I think I'm going to go with the Rega P8, with the Apheta 3 cart and Aria preamp.  That will be a huge upgrade over what I currently have and still be below my budget.  To equip the Prime 21 like I would really want with MC and a phono preamp would put me around $7500.  

 

@solypsa , I will only use a suspended table and am not interested in two arms. Do you know what frequency the suspension is tuned to?

Great question- I need to re look that bit of info up and will let you know.

this will do it

VPI for SALE

I have a modded Rega p6 and a Feickert Volare with a Kuzma arm, I’ve had a Sumiko Blackbird and Soundsmith Othello on both, the Rega is less expensive the Volare sounds better. Both were played using a Herron VTPH2.

Hope this helps.

Here's a Two Arm Handyman Special

JVC Victor PL-2 Plinth; TT81; Two #7045 arms with VTA on the Fly (both need rubber gaskets replaced (most need rubber replaced: I found a plumbing washer at home depot that fits); some woodwork, a chip in rear corner of dust cover (I would cut it to look like an intentional optional notch for above deck tonearm wires, 2 din cables

https://yahoo.aleado.com/lot?auctionID=p1024375769