Who will survive? One last table til I die.

Stevecham,
Please re-read the paragraph you just posted. It is clearly addressed to someone who is playing a record on the ELP and THEN transferring it to digital.

The ELP itself does not perform any A/D conversion. It does not have the capability because it contains no DAC's. They say so in their FAQ's and nothing about the passage you quoted contradicts that.

And I quite agree, digital ain't analog.

David: I liked the Simon Yorke (as originally suggested by Gregm) and visited the website and read some reviews. The Teres/etc's just seemed to carry the longevity design a bit further (more available outsourced parts, if necessary; more easily replaced modular parts; more design detail disclosure). I haven't ruled it out.
I also admit to being intellectually pleased and attracted to the idea of a bunch of technically competent audiophiles sitting around in the basement and coming up with something of superior design and quality. (Wish I'd had the balls twenty-five years ago to do something similar; tho actually, my balls didn't matter because I never had any technical abilities anyway; I'm just content that I've learned how to set up my table/arm/cartridge with some skill, which only took me about 15 years.)
I am also seduced by the Teres wood. I love beautiful wood. I just don't know if it is the best material for so much of a turntable. But then I think of those Strad violins that have only gotten better over the centuries. There is a resonance to wooden instruments that always seems particularly involving.
Nevertheless, the bottom line is the sound, and I haven't heard any of these tables yet, so...
Steve

This is in response to theELP- ADA remark about the ELP laser T/T. My understanding from the reviews, & the site is that it's an all analog system, similar to laserdisc players which lost out to the 'digital compact disc',(CD),. The least exspensive model was around $13,000.00, but included a VPI HW17.0 cleaner. The 'laser element'(?) was expected to last 10,000 hrs. with a replacement cost of $1500.00, about the cost of a high end cartridge. Anybody get 10,000 hrs. out of a cartridge? Thanks, Greg

The Platine has been in production for almost 25 years now. It is rated as one of the best TTs ever made. The GT Audio battery PSU (www.gtaudio.com) drops the noise floor even further to increase the dynamic range further and enhance low level music retrieval. You have two arm boards as standard to allow you to indulge yourself. There is virtually no maintenance (big plus for the next 25 years). I've had mine now for 2 years. What have I done - add a few drops of oil to the bearing; make a few new linen thread loops for the belt - oh and I've drunk a fair bit of classy wine to help my evenings go by whilst I listen to my LPs.

I can say that I won't be buying another TT ever.

PS Mine has a Schroeder model 2 arm and Allaerts MC1B cart.

Dear Steve: There are many alternatives: Basis, SME, Acoustic Signature, Avid, Verdier, Simon Yorke, Pluto, Transrotor, Sota, VPI, etc..... But this is not important, the important issue is: What are you looking for ? only a TT that last for ever? or a better analog sound reproduction. If you are looking for the last then you have anothers choices: a better phono cartridge that matched well with your SME tonearm, a better phono stage preamp and/or a better amplifier, etc.....
If you really like the music and want to know how it sounds what is recorded in your 9,000 LP's, you have to change your electronics, specially your amplifier: this amplifier, like all tube amplifiers, is a nice an expensive equalizer let me to explain it:
many people, like us, love music and through our analog system we want to reproduce what is in the recording ( there are many people that does not care about it ), that is that we need a system that can do that job: that can be ACCURATE TO THE RECORDING. The tube amplifiers can't do it, it is impossible by the physics laws), only can function like an equalizer sound reproducer. All the tube amplifiers change their frecuency response with the changes in the impedance of the speakers and this speaker impedance ( normally ) change with the frecuencies, so what are we hearing through a tube amplifier?: a hard make-up sound, a " clown " sound, not what is it on the recording. I think that almost all of us have a duty: take care for that the signal sound reproduction be the less degraded signal in our system.
So, if we want to hear what is in the recording first we need an accurate audio system and the electronics ( like the amplifier ) are a very important step to get that target. Now, if your target is other than to hear what is in the recording then you can do anything you want.
Regards and always enjoy the music.
Raul.