Where is the significant point of diminishing returns on hi-end turntable?
Rushton, you didn't disappoint; no matter what the rest of the rig consists of, the source is the King. I've never heard anything in that ballpark, not even in the high end salons. I'm sure that table is in one of the Stereophile issues, I'll find it tomorrow. May you and your wife ride on sonic clouds of bliss till the end of time. |
mmporsche, Forums become quickly side tracked in addition to being littered with opinions of individuals who obviously have never owned nor heard any similarly priced analog setup. If posting another thread here has not yet convinced you of this already, then just give it time. Where to draw the line, you ask, well just far enough to achieve your personal bliss... or maybe just beyond. My opinion, coming from someone knowledgeable (myself), who lives for analog and music, around $25k, for pure playback ability the Artisan Fidelity Achates Idler drive, Reed 2A arm, and used Tron Electric phono preamp. Another front end to consider, if going the belt drive route might be a TW Acustic Raven AC, but definitely a unique flavor and slightly more mellow to my ears. TW's arms are decent but not my "cup of tea", if you will, so would try a Reed perhaps or Schroeder entry level instead. The Herron tube phono stage might be another serious candidate if you cherish musicality and flexibility not to mention lies around your price range. Did someone mention a 1959 Carrera GT Speedster? Vintage Porsche for the collector, another real beauty... Cheers, Alexander |
mmporsche - Quick links below. Reed 2A http://www.reed.lt/products/tonearms/reed-2a/all/reed-2a Artisan Fidelity Achates Idler Drive http://www.artisanfidelity.com/new-products/achates-idler-drive Tron Electric http://www.tron-electric.co.uk/ Herron VTPH2 Phono Stage http://www.herronaudio.com/vtph2specs.html TW Acustic Raven AC http://www.tw-acustic.de/en/turntables/raven-ac Alexander |
Car talk aside, Ferrari250 actually makes a cogent point which echoes something I wrote a while back in the thread; the OP needs to narrow down his choices based on picking a drive system before proceeding. The best of the best belt-drive, idler-drive, and direct-drive turntables will each have a subtle sonic signature that is a product of its very nature. Only by listening in one's own system can one discern which flavor is personally preferred over the long haul. For example, after a lifetime of audiophilia, I find that I prefer idler-drive and direct-drive vs belt-drive, but I realize others may feel differently. What I do think is that it takes more bucks to acquire a belt-drive that can compete at the same level with less costly idler- and direct-drive turntables. F250, I found the Carrera GT literally in a barn in far northern Vermont in 1979. There was hay in the car, and some of the parts were in the rear of the barn covered with more hay. The owner had advertised it in the NY Times, and up to the time I went to see it, had had virtually no responses, for $12,000 minus the correct engine. I later acquired the factory correct original engine from an eccentric Porsche mechanic in Canada. With its pushrod engine installed, I drove the Speedster from the purchase point somewhere outside Burlington, VT, to my home in Washington, DC, with no top on the car, praying it would not rain and that I would not freeze to death. It ran beautifully, and I enjoyed the trip. There's nothing quite like a long star-lit night drive in a primitive open car. Yes, Halcro, I would be in clover if I still owned those two cars. |
