What turntable do you use and why ?

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Daniel Quinn
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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

People this trip down memory lane is very nice, but the op requested what and why you use now. ;)

Erm it matters not as the op as gone down the same path

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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by karatestu »

Most who have posted have owned a fruitbox at some time or other. :-?
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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by CN211276 »

Vinyl is very much a secondary source, digital taking over in the late 80s early 90s. The deck is still the Rega Planar 3 with original arm I bought in 1983. It has never sounded anything like it does now since discovering NVA. Previously I had a budget Pioneer which was replaced by a Dual. Heard an LP12 and realised it was all rip off :Bllocks:
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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

But other people heard a difference and bought it on that - you don't honestly think all LP12 purchasers were brainwashed by the likes of me do you - come on, I once thought I was good, but I was never *that* good...?

Hell, you MUST have been able to hear what an LP12 did over the Rega, I mean, the bass colouration in the early 80's fruitbox was clear to behold, even if it was this bass (lack of) quality that so many people liked? There were other aspects too (Rega's all run slightly too fast for one thing, even today sadly), but no point in going into them.

The fact is, the LP12 made a lot of people very happy with their record playing and some still rate it. The thing's had much development work done on it and so it bloody well should have, the price it sells for today. As for the rest of us people who've been 'educated,' there's plenty of good stuff out there and if you know what you're doing, some fantastic sounds can be got from vinyl for not much money - that Pro-Ject 2 is one such bargain if it can be had and it's easily tweakable methinks. For example, I had two Technics SL1500's (one started out as an SL150 without arm and I was able to buy cheaply the pukka Technics arm for it, which simply bolts in, in place of the SME tonearm plate). This little deck can sound incredibly good once you know how to use it (like a Rega with lid removed for starters) and the second one I had 'played tunes' and 'communicated' with the best of them. One of the 'not high spots' of my stash was a Rega P3 which I built out of very cheap and donated parts and plonked the R200 arm on it. Bloody awful and the motor drones through to the stylus as well - once you've heard that high-bass 'hum' in the background, it gets bloody annoying even if it's mostly buried in the surface noise as the Rega-drone is (my Garrard 86SB had two partly collapsed motor mounts and it's VERY audible on this one sadly even with a different motor fitted).
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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by alfafan123 »

Vinyl is my second source and so a low spec cheapo LP12 with early 90s plinth with Cirkus bearing and latest outer platter (with slightly lower mass) Basik Plus arm and Valhalla PSU and AT95e.

I know its not the best TT in the world but it IMHO sounds engaging and at less than half the price of the current base spec LP12 it seemed a low risk investment i.e. I could get my money back on it if I don't like it. However I have to agree with some earlier posts that it can be a money pit (if you let it) and current models pricing is laughable but then so are many other mid to so called high end TTs.These days an LP12 is by no means the most expensive deck you can buy.

I have owned a few decks starting off with a Garrard SP25 and then a BSR MacDonald MP60 which I thought sounded better, a TD150 then TD 160 which sounded dull, a Philips GA212 which sounded much better than it should and a Michell Gyro and a number of Technics SL1210 DDs which sounded mechanical and un engaging to me and numerous Regas which sound a little perfunctory to me. The LP12 has its faults but I find it is engaging to listen to and is good enough for me with a modest vinyl collection that is unlikely to grow.

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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by Geoff.R.G »

I bought a TD160 in the late 1970s and used it for several years until I bought a CD player. I still have the TD160 with SME 3009 S2 improved and an Ortofon VMS30. My main music source these days is BBC Radio 3 FM so there is no prospect of replacing the TD160. I also have a Pioneer PL12D in the roof which will almost certainly need a new drive belt if it is ever to be used again.

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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by Berty bass »

Currently Rega P6. Step up from my modded Rega P5, the LP12 I had before that and the Rega P3 before that. I think each deck has been a step up in performance from the previous. The current P6 has got to be amongst the best bang for bucks decks out there. LP12 - just couldn't be arsed with the whole 'bouncy bouncy' thing. I stick with Rega because I just want to put the LP on and listen to it. Does it run fast? Don't know, don't care - it sounds pretty bloody good whatever.

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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by ArloFlynn »

I have only ever had one turntable, a Technics SL1210, bought for seventy quid in around 2004, (I was always into music but never got into hifi until around 2001). Prior to that I only ever had cheap off the shelf hifi systems.
A few years later I read about some changes in a hifi magazine, the only one I’ve ever really read, so I trusted the words of the reviewers/owners. This was before I was aware of Forums. I followed the changes. Then I discovered Forums and followed some of the changes on them.
I have never been able to confirm if the changes made sound any different to the original, as I have never heard the original due to not having a ‘proper’ system until a few, maybe 8 or 9 years ago. I have also never compared it to other turntables.
Therefore I like the sound it makes because it is the only one I know.
I have a LENCO L75 bought a couple of years ago to ‘do up’,(cost about £40 quid from a charity shop) as I have always wanted to hear an idler and belt turntable in my system, but no rush.

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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by applemarc »

OK here goes Vinyl is my main source always has been I own a total of 50 Cd’s and about 7000 Lap’s MY TT history is something like this
First TT was a Sansui SR-222 MKII with an Ortofon cartridge
Then I was bowling in a tournament at Lewis ham Bowling ally and had a bit of time to spare so went alone to Billy Vee sound systems and listened to a Rega 3 and R200 with a Rega cartridge I think it was a E77 and compared it to an LP12 with the same arm and cartridge I bought the Linn LP12 and Rega are and cartridge.
A year later bought an Ittok Azak to go on the LP12 from Grahams London
A few years later went into the newly opened Sound Organization London as I worked in Tool Street SE1 the shop was a 5-minute walk away.
I had been going into the TSO for about a year when I got the upgrade itch and felt it was time to change arm or cartridge and was Told I need to change the LP12 to a Roksan Xerxes and I compared the Roksan with a Rega arm to the Linn and the Istook needless to say I preferred the Roksan and then they played it with an SME V arm with a Koetsu Red signature and that’s what I bought.
Then I got a call that the guys had a new Turntable in did I want to have a listen to see what I thought they had fell out of love with Linn for one reason or another and one of the original owners moved to York to start the company.
So the new TT was the SME30 I thought it sounded great but was way out of my price range still some time later the SME 20 was out and I bought it sold my Roksan with the SME V attached and the new TT was installed at home I also changed the Koetsu cartridge for a Lira Parnassus (Which was a Mistake) I missed the Koetsu

Some time after that every body was sell their Turntable and there LP collections I saw an ad for a used SME 30 for sale at £4500 I called the guy went to his house and paid a depots collected at the weekend and sold my SME 20 with a week guy drove down from Scotland knock at my door at 10.00am not sure what time he started but really wanted my SME 20

My last change was to buy a Koetsu Jade diamond and a Graham Phantom B44 tone arm, which I still have today.

I like the sound information retrieval from this combination It’s easy to setup and I do not think I will sell it the only problem will be when I peg it my son and daughter will go to war over who get it as they have both been brought up on vinyl
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Re: What turntabe do you use and why ?

Unread post by Hemmo1969 »

Vinyl is my main source - Turntable Rega RP10 with Apheta Cart.

Currently running it with a Cyrus Phono Signature + Psx-R2 which allows me to tweak the settings and so the sound of the 'toppy' apheta cart to something more my liking. This is my choice as its very 'plug and play' I don't want to be having to take my turntable in for a service and spring tweaking :naughty: The main points of my liking are that it has bags of get up and go, very musical, engaging and has a great bottom end.

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