Turntable Choices

vpi...you'll get better long term resale value. the music hall is designed as a unit so you are not going to be upgrading arms at any point. With the VPI you can always swap arms out if that pleases you.

I chose the VPI because of better resale, product support, upgrade paths available, and the fact that is made in the USA.

You should also consider something vintage. I love the old DD luxmans and belt drive Thorens. You can get a table/arm for under $300. I have had many high and low price tables/arms in my systems over the years and I've found they all sound good. Not any one of them is any better than the next---only different. Belt drives are more for soundstage lovers, DD for pitch stabity.

I have the MMF-9 and I'm totally satisfied. I've talked to Roy Hall several times with questions and he's been very helpful.

You can get a used Sota in that price range that would make you quite happy!

Tables that are 20 years old can be a good value but they can also be someone else's problem you now own. There are so many decent tables from cheap to absurdly expensive buying a 20 year old table is not a rational economic decision most of the time. When you can buy a used MMF 2.1 for 200 bux or a Rega Planar 2 for not much more it is hard to justify a 20 y/o Systemdek or AR for the same money. I've been there and done that; current table is one produced currently.

Or buy a table from a company that has been around for a long time that continues to support their products at the very least (Linn, VPI, Michell, Nottingham, SME).

I totally agree. I hate to buy used, unless i know first hand, that it has been well taken care of. Anyway, I think i'm going to go with a vpi scout, it just looks so sweet, and from everything i've heard and read, it sounds sweet too.
Thanks alot guys,
Reade.

the mmf tables are made in the same factory as sumiko. I have a sumiko rpm 9 list price is 1499.00 can get for around 1200.00 . same table witch ever one you choose.If you buy a vpi you will eventually replace the motor and bearing.sumiko n mmf tables are very high quality with exellent motors.

If I could stretch my budget to 1400 I'd really push the fellow hard that has the Audiomecca Romance turntable with tonearm. It is supposed to be a very good table/arm comvination and wonderful cosmetics! he is asking 1600...it's been for sale for quite some time....

And I would never buy a Project table for a grand, or more; I'd find a use VPI Scout w/JUM9 arm and throw a dynavector dv20xh cartridge on it. The Scout with the arm go for about 1000/1100. Much better product than the MMF and Project things.

Used Audio Note table (TT1) with matching Audio Note ARM2 (RB300 rewired with audio note silver wire that is one piece to the RCA interconnect from the cartridge connections. This is a very good table and goes for 800 used; such a deal. Put a cartridge on it and you have a great table from a going company for around a grand.