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Turntable Wars- Reviewers take sides

Seems that there's an undeclared war between the top analogue writers on just who makes 'The Best Turntable in the World'.....
For the last 9 years Michael Fremer has stood firm behind the Continuum Caliburn but now Jonathan Valin has thrown down the gauntlet
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/acoustic-signature-invictus-turntable-and-ta-5000-tonearm/
whilst Peter Breuninger gives you his 'guarantee' for the Kronos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYDHnH3FfV4
and Roy Gregory goes for the Grand Prix Monaco
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/grand_prix_monaco_15.htm

But hold your horses....
There appears to be a new 'Player' about to be introduced which may shake the established wisdom (although at a price of around 280,000 Euros I wonder how many reviewers will get one?)...
http://www.arche-headshell.de/the-apolyt/
halcro

Showing 5 responses by hwsworkshop

hwsworkshop
36 posts
 
BTW, no one needs to spend more than $10K for a table to achieve world class sound and I might even kick that back to $5K if you pick your cartridge well.

There is no reviewer that has all the gear I have and have listened to and set up, they are wrong, 5K with a good matched cartridge.

HW
hwsworkshop
36 posts
 
They can take sides all they want and they can BS all they want, it is all meaningless.  PB and JV have never had a VPI Direct Drive in house with the same cartridge on both tables, plus the tables must be on the same stand.  MF had his Caliburn on a $25,000 isolation platform and the VPI DD was on whatever was there and it still was just as good, I was there I heard the comparison.  These reviewers build up friendships and the only way to keep getting new and more expensive gear to listen to, gear they could never afford at retail, is to kiss there asses.

I know exactly how much it costs to make a turntable so these numbers are beyond stupid for the performance received.

I remember HP having the Clearaudio on its 700 pound seismic stand and the Classic 4 on a piece of 3/4" plywood and it really, really, sounded so close it was ridiculous.

They don't want you to know that the VPI DD is more accurate in all ways because then it makes these uber expensive decks a moronic choice.  This is the list of things a table has to do:
1- Start and run (I was at HP's house over and over, we were good friends, and most of the time these super decks were not running)
2- Run at the right speed with no wow or flutter (The VPI DD has 1/3 the speed error of the Caliburn and probably the rest of these belt drives and I could write a book about all the other super tables I have heard running at the wrong speed)
3- Still be made and have a warrantee
4- Deliver the smoothness and dynamic range of a reel to reel tape (No problem, I have over 500 reel to reels and 7 machines so I know what they sound like)
5- Be affordable in some way!!!!!!!!!

Seriously guys, how can they make these claims when no one other than MF has ever had the table in there system knowing that it is in Class A+ and measures so well.  They have never even asked!!!!!!!!!

HW
hwsworkshop
36 posts
 

Wow, when do you begin making watches!!  Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to all on Agon.


HW

hwsworkshop
36 posts
 

Thanks guys, nice to be here.  I fall asleep every night to the TV timer and a Seinfeld episode, watched Festivus yesterday!! (had to add Festivus to my dictionary otherwise it shows a red line under it!!)

HP used to store audio gear in his garage for decades.  I was there one day around 1998 when he pulled out a Dynavector 501 arm from 1980 something from that garage and said to me "What the hell is this".  I was bowled over.

He did not have the Classic Direct against the big Clearaudio, by the time it was available he was already sick and not able to do anything.

Mat and I were there when he compared Cat Steven's 'Peace Train" on the Classic 4 and the Clearaudio trying to show me how the Uber table showed the sounds drifting into the background and how it just went lower and lower but the end result was the Classic 4 did exactly the same thing for 1/17 the price sitting on a piece of 3/4" plywood!!

HP was amazing though, had a great ear, but like all of them they play the game and keep the equipment moving through.  I could write a book.

HW

hwsworkshop
36 posts
 

Halcro, I have the TT-101 in a custom made plinth the same size as the Classic Direct and made of the same materials which makes comparisons easy.

Using two 12" arm bases and moving the 12" 3D arm wand with Atlas between them the comparison is very interesting.   Both tables have amazing speed control and very low wow and flutter, 33.33 is 33.33 on both tables.  The piano and solo violin sound absolutely natural with no spectral shift due to speed error.  Very impressive from both.

The problem is when you get to dynamic range and the power of the orchestra, the TT-101 just doesn't have that you are there slam that a real orchestra has and what is on the master tape.  I think it is the fact that all these Japanese direct drives have skimpy platters that seem actually flimsy and drop on the motor, the VPI has a 20 pound solid aluminum platter damped with MDF and the platter is the rotor, not a platter dropped onto a motor. 

I mounted a Scout platter and centered it on the JVC platter, raised the arm almost 1.2" and it sounded much better.  I don't think the thrust plate was designed to handle this weight.

Bottom line is the JVC at the price they go for is excellent and when properly mounted and used with a good arm can really sound very, very good.  I can't say that much about a few other Japanese direct drives which sound thick and congested.

HW

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