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What makes for a "great" turntable?

I know that the cartridge, tonearm, phono pre-amp and other upstream components make records clearly sound different, but what is it about different turntables themselves (cartridge and tonearm excluded) that affects the sound? I would guess isolation from external vibrations and rotational accuracy. After this, what else is there that makes a great $30000 turntable sound better than say a much lower priced "good" table?

Also, how significant is the table itself to the resulting sound compared to the other things, ie tonearm, cartridge, phono pre-amp, etc?
mapman

Showing 1 response by adam18

adam18
670 posts
 
Real simple..........a "great" turntable is one which spins records at the proper speed, is reliable, and, most importantly, makes you want to play LP after LP after LP. A great turntable is one which makes you forget about the turntable itself, and allows you to focus on the MUSIC.

I spent many months doing a ton of research, and thanks to many of you fellow 'Goners, I finally bought my new analog front end ----- a Rega P3-24 table w/ Exact 2 cartridge. I am absolutely thrilled with the way it matches beautifully with the rest of my system, and I'm now at the point I was hoping I'd be at all along......I don't think about Rega or VPI or SOTA any more,... I simply close my eyes and enjoy the tunes. Miles, 'Trane, Rollins, and Mobley have never sounded better. So, I guess, I have a "great" turntable. HAPPY LISTENING, ya'all !!!
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