Turntable for life

+1 to williewonka and smoffatt!  The Planar II with a DV Karat 17 RS was the table that first taught me that audio could be a lifetime hobby full of magic.  I replaced it with a new Sota Sapphire Series III in 1984 that I'm still using today.  Had Sota upgrade it to the Series V platter & suspension along with a custom arm board for my Graham Phantom Supreme (sadly, only 18 months or so before Kirk passed away).  There is better stuff out there, but not by leaps and bounds to my way of thinking.  I'm satisfied and now spend my time searching for new music instead of chasing table tweaks. That's what I call happy listening!

My TT for life is my copper platter TTW  Eliminator with custom belt drive.

I agree with casaross, for similar reasons(Linn LP12).  You'll find many of the other turntables to be unsupported(the companies go out of business.).  Otherwise, since I won't be making more money in the future, I would look at cheaper alternatives(I'm a belt-drive fan.) that I could tweak.

First of all, I am not claiming that any of my "lifetime" turntables (plural) is "the best".  I can only say that I've arrived at a place where I feel no urge ever to make major changes.  I own 5 turntables, but my lifetime keepers in no particular order are:  (1) Technics SP10 Mk3 chassis mounted in 100-lb slate and wood plinth incorporating an Albert-Porter-designed damper block on its bearing and the Krebs mod; (2) Kenwood L07D; (3) Lenco L75 mounted on PTP3 in slate plinth with "Jeremy" Superbearing and heavily dampened but stock platter.  The latter using my own tiptoed Del Monte Mandarin Orange slices in water footers.  No belt-drives here. If there were, it would probably be a Kronos.

Lewm,

"The latter using my own tiptoed Del Monte Mandarin Orange slices in water footers"


What ???  :-)


Good listening


Peter