Am I a hopeless audio snob?

asvjerry:

I married a Robert Palmer Girl (Black Irish - close enough) and she's still HOT 30 years later. 

Have not kept up with Bob's girls.

This said, I find the OP's final choice to be B-Ugly as far as TT's go so,...

you know the old beholder saying.

DeKay

@lewm 

Well, you asked for it:

I was gonna post this one but I thought those unfamiliar with the product might miss some of the wonderful details.

Fun days...we had one on display in the showroom to incite conversation, and it did!

Cheers!

Personally I find a Technics SP-10 or -15 series in an aftermarket plinth much more visually appealing than most of the fancy gizmo-looking belt-driven tables out there, but to each their own. Sometimes less is more. I do tend to agree, though, that Technics might be limiting their sales by making their $4k tables look nearly identical to the ones you can find on Facebook Maretplace for $500.

Richopp, that’s the one I had, for a brief fling. The Vestigial tonearm was a hoot. But funnily back then I bought in the shortlived belief it was SOTA.

@lewm 

Well, sorry you did that, but I am sure the dealer was happy!  We found that the record did not sit on the "pads" very well and the arm, therefore, traveled more in a vertical direction than it should, so we never really got it to work.

However, if you still have it, it sure is pretty, so I would have it out for people to look at, anyway..  I think they stopped making them in the early '80's after they moved the factory or something.  Anyway, they still have parts and I think will service them if you can find them.

We also had tangential arm tables, which physics people say are MUCH better at tracking than normal arms.  Unfortunatley, only B&O had a good one, and it was VERY limited by a mediocre cartridge that could not be changed.  Once again, PRETTY product, as all B&O stuff is. 

RABCO made a stand-alone tangential arm as well, but it was pretty clunky.  I wonder why someone has not invented a new one since they are truly more accurate than regular arms, and today, money is no object.  Technics SP-10 tables, SOTA back then, were a few hundred dollars.  Today, I have no idea, but thousands, I think, which is ridiculous, but whatever sells, right?

Cheers!