Turntables currently considered top of the range. Do you know what they are ?

@whart +1

The question to me is how you evaluate this in the real world, given the limitations that most brick and mortar dealers have, aside from their choice of top tier brand(s), which may limit you.

Late last year I asked Upscale Audio in LA [I think one of the bigger places out there] to set up a demo to show that there are differences in sound just from plinth-arm, so two set-ups with same cart on same electronics. Their choice of tables, carts, anything, just to see whether plinths-arm actually makes an audible difference. They flat out refused. And I have been a repeat customer with them.

So I blind-bought a Rega NAIA package. All the grandstanding "never buy anything without auditioning it first" does not work in the real world. Is there anything better, something I will like better? Maybe, but I will never find out.

$150k turntable does not keep accurate speed ? I find it hard to believe. Why doesn't it, what's wrong ?

Dunno - spoke to a guy in Canada who owned one years ago. Couldn't get it to run on speed and neither could the dealer or Clearaudio.

From my experience, nothing has the sound quality of the Kronos turntables from Montreal, Canada.  As you've probably seen they use a second counter-rotating platter.  This cancels the sideways torque placed upon the suspension.  This means they can use a suspension, which has real sonic advantages.  You can truly hear the difference.  Every time I hear an analog system with a Kronos in it there's something special about the sound.

@dover 

When I found that the Clearaudio Statement ( at US150,000 ) could not keep accurate speed I decided their TT's are not fit for purpose.

I suspect that's a one-off issue that should/could have been fixed. I've had two different Clearaudio turntables for the last 14 years and they maintain spot on accurate speed all the time.

Yeah, that's interesting what tube power supply did there. I have a hypothesis - tubes are just superior devices, whatever you do with them, if you know what you do.

@inna knowing what to do with the devices is far more important than what devices they are!

If you really want to figure out what turntable has it right, the best way is to compare it against master tapes using an LP made from the master tapes.

But to do that the platter pad and tonearm are variables, as is the cartridge and the phono section's ability to get it right.

Again, master tapes are really helpful :)

Decent recording equipment is not that expensive WRT some of the prices I've seen on this thread already, so going thru the effort to make a good quality recording and putting it on LP does not seem that crazy in such light.

FWIW, that is why I use a Technics SL1200G. I use a different platter pad since the original does not do its job properly. I also have it perched on a very nice anti-vibration platform and equipment stand designed for it. You need to control variables like this if you really want to get down to the nub of it.

The Technics arm on the 1200G gives a lot of 'high end audio' tonearms a run for the money, but I prefer the Triplanar which can be mounted on the Technics with a proper arm board.