[Blasto_Brandino]

Alright, I have two turntables, neither of them have a tonearm installed.
 

NOW ​

 
I am willing to purchase ONE tonearm ( that tonearm is the Trans-Fi T3 Pro, Do not try and convince me to buy another arm, that is the one!) For ONE Table
 
The other table will be sold and the funds will go toward a speaker upgrade.

 ​

TABLE 1​

VPI TNT MK1​

 ​

 
Price paid;
~$400 out of pocket, I paid the rest off through work on a out of work realtor's car (I'm a  mechanic, keep in mind I'm only 24yrs old)
 
Condition;
EXCELLENT! Has less than 1,000 hours use, the friggen table is new! It is simply incredible! NO holes drilled in plinth (my most MAJOR of pet peeves regarding Turntables)
 
Pros;
All I have to pay for is the servicing, installation of the Linear Arm and the cartridge.
It is a HIGHLY rated table I was VERY fortunate to acquire.
It is in INCREDIBLE SHAPE which means no restoration needed.
It is a MACHINE and would be VERY difficult to purchase an equivalent table
Will match the speakers I plan on upgrading to (Talon Khorus X II's Black and Chrome)
 
Cons;
To upgrade it FULLY from VPI (Platter, rimdrive, suspension, SDS) is ~$4,000, but I don't HAVE to upgrade anything, I can just use it as is.
It is HUGE, and transporting it is a pain (this is my biggest problem with the table)
Parts are more expensive, though readily available.
I feel indebted to the table to purchase a Higher end phono amp for it if I kept it.
      
 

TABLE 2​

Transcriptors Hydraulic Reference Turntable​

 ​

 
Price paid;
$900 in payments off of Audiogon.
 
Condition;
Fair, needs light cosmetic and mechanical restoration, Hole was drilled in plinth for tonearm holder (WHY GOD WHY!?!) Stylus brush missing, availability unknown!
 
Pro's;
The table has history, it's 40 years old (thought the VPI is 20)
It is CLASSIC, and looks simply stunning, a far cry from the Semi minimalist VPI.
It is smaller and FAR easier to transport.
Parts are available and (somewhat) affordable.
There is nothing to upgrade.
 
Con's;
It needs work, I'm guessing 300-400 for the cosmetic restoration, 400 to restore the platter (those weights are supposed to be gold plated, I'll buy new ones) AT LEAST $700 for the mechanical restoration and the parts it will need. and it will STILL have that DAMN hole in the plinth!!! THEN what ever it costs to install the arm
It is not perfect, even restored, it will not be in as stellar condition as the VPI is, lets face it, the VPI is new
Transcriptors is not a major company like VPI 10 years from now, will they be there when I need parts?
The table is simply not built as well as the VPI. The transcriptors is 3mm of Acrylic on a sheet of plywood with a metal surround.  The silver you see on the armboard, and near the strobe, is a thin sheet of anodized aluminum on acrylic. The VPI is two slabs of Acrylic, quite simple, quite strong.
The transcriptors will not cosmetically match the new speakers I plan on buying (Talon Khorus X II's Black and Chrome) as the VPI will.
 
Whatever table I plan on keeping, It will most likely be my last Turntable, EVER, unless I strike it rich and pick up that Rockport Technologies Sirius I  that I've been dreaming about.
 
What table should I keep and throw the arm on? I Cannot Keep Both, There are no real space or noise concerns, I have all the room and can make all the noise I want, Money is no real concern (relatively, I need to upgrade speakers, so one table must go.)  I have very low overhead (no girlfriend

) it comes down to what I should keep and what I shouldn't
 
Please keep your posts on topic
THANK YOU!
Brandon

 

[mulveling]

Dude, do yourself a favor and keep the TNT - it's exceedingly worthy of the "last table ever" title. I doubt there'd be any comparison with that other table (though it does look cool). I've got a friend with an absolutely sick all-out hifi system and the TNT is his primo analog source. His system is:
Tannoy Churchill Wideband speakers
VAC's top integrated amp
VPI TNT table & VPI 12.7 arm
Ortofon A90 cartridge
Esoteric's top digital transport & DAC stack
 
Honestly I'd keep the Transcriptor too for its historical/retro cool factor, but the TNT would be what I'd build the 2ch system around. Seriously, find something else you own to ditch (ANYTHING!) and keep both tables.

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

 
Quote:

*SNIP*
 
Honestly I'd keep the Transcriptor too for its historical/retro cool factor, but the TNT would be what I'd build the 2ch system around. Seriously, find something else you own to ditch (ANYTHING!) and keep both tables.

 
^LOL You now know EXACTLY what I'm going through.
 
I've sold everything else, I've sold everything I own that I know I'll never use,  the only High end audio equipment I own that I'm not using is these two turntables. I had to sell a piece of equipment I was USING inorder to get the HD800's and the Lisa III XP. I have a pair of Talon Peregrines coming (That black speaker in my icon pic, that's the right speaker), but they are going to take the Khorus's place when I sell them to fund the upgrade.
Just so you know it takes me ~3 months to save $1,000, or if I throw all my disposable income at something $500 a month without disrupting anything else.
Your friend is quite committed to spend 4200 on a cartridge, I use Sumiko Blackbirds, I love the performance, and they are nicely affordable (especially when I buy broken Blue Point Special's to knock the price down through trade in) But I'm moving more into digital, when I upgrade the speakers,  I plan on buying a DAC (Audio Research Brand) and a  CD Transport (Audio Research Brand) If I was still fully committed to vinyl, I'd keep them both.
 

 

[9pintube]

Yeah, a no brain-er in the table department, KEEP THE VPI........But, Why your choice of arms?         It looks like the arm board is cut for Graham (sme) mount)????  I love my Graham 2.2 with one extra ceramic arm wand........My carts. are Helicon and a Clear audio Signature, two very different sounding gems.......I use to have the blue pt. special......and if you're only 24 yrs young then you are doing damn good in the analog department......I'm glad for you ! Don't rush any buys, unless it's to good to pass up!!!!! Hunt for your GREAT DEALS.......PS That's a beautiful table!!!!!

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

Once upon a time I had a cheap Pioneer table with a pivoting arm, and at the beginning and at the end of the record it was muffled, due to the elliptical stylus not being perfectly in line with the record, I then bought a Pioneer PLL50 (linear table, still own it, awesome little beater table) and it blew me away, perfection all the way through.
The VPI had a SME IV arm on it when I bought it, I sold it already, I GREATLY prefer Linear arms. An Eminent Tech arm is the only other DESCENT (there are these new Chinese ones floating around, no thanks, I'll trust the British) arm available, and an ET-1 runs $500 ET-2 runs 700-1000, Id rather buy a Trans-Fi because I believe them to be more stable, and I like the way it is oriented on the table.

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Once upon a time I had a cheap Pioneer table with a pivoting arm, and at the beginning and at the end of the record it was muffled, due to the elliptical stylus not being perfectly in line with the record, I then bought a Pioneer PLL50 (linear table, still own it, awesome little beater table) and it blew me away, perfection all the way through.
The VPI had a SME IV arm on it when I bought it, I sold it already, I GREATLY prefer Linear arms. An Eminent Tech arm is the only other DESCENT (there are these new Chinese ones floating around, no thanks, I'll trust the British) arm available, and an ET-1 runs $500 ET-2 runs 700-1000, Id rather buy a Trans-Fi because I believe them to be more stable, and I like the way it is oriented on the table.

 
I agree about the linear tracking arms. My first was on a B&O 4000 which even with a B&O cartridge outperformed an Linn Sondek/SME/Ortofon MC system.  I later modded the arm to take the Ortofon and it was better still.

 

[9pintube]

Well You are correct in the tracking pros of a Linear arm.... I also have the Clearaudio (Souther TQ-1) tangential arm mounted opposite the Graham on my ClearAudio Ref. Table.  Does "IT" Track better then the Uni pivot, well yes and No!.... A lot depends on the LP being drilled perfectly on center and no warping at all because you cannot use a record clamp with the TQ-1... ALSO they are a pain in the ass to set up!! I just prefer the Graham........ The Eminent Tech arm is nice... Have fun!  

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

Getting back on topic (!)
Transcriptors still makes the Hydraulic Reference Table, They are $4,000 and IMO are built better;

They also make this;

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1278975533&/Transcriptors-Limited-T6-
 
The T6, He makes it with a black plinth as well, get me one of these with a black plinth, and request the Gold weights on the platter instead of the aluminum ones, and you have a similar looking table NEW for $2,000, Restoring my Transcriptors will cost ~$1,400, I could just sell it and buy a T6, similar looking, but more minimalist, (still damn pretty IMO, maybe even prettier than my transcriptors)
BUT The T6 needs a controller, the Hydraulic Reference Table has all needed on board (I've never used it so I'm not 100% sure of it's operation, the VPI I've used though)
So it is not like my Transcriptors is irreplaceable
The TNT though, People want $2,000 for BEAT UP ones, mine is perfect! Replacing it would be quite difficult...

 

[plantsman]

You're not going to like this response but I would sell both turntables.  If you have to keep one make it the VPI simply because it is a better match for the tonearm.  IMO the VPI is a 1950s Buick of turntables, big, heavy, ponderous, unresponsive and numb.  It does some of the audiophile tricks, e.g. silent background, quite well but it completely loses the rhythmic aspect of music.  The little VPI Scout runs circles around it in that regard.  The Transcriptors is a great piece of 1960s design.  It would look great in house with Eames furniture although it really ought to have the Vestigal arm instead of that Grace 707.  Unfortunately it is a mediocre turntable if sound rather than looks is your priority. 
 
Choices with that arm are going to be tricky, low mass or suspended subchassis designs are non starters. I find the big Basis tables and at least the early versions of the Teres to suffer the same sonic problems as the VPI TNT.  I haven't heard a Redpoint or a Galibier.  Maybe a refurbished idler could be an option but the ones I've heard were not brought up to modern spec and had what I considered to be an unacceptably high noise floor.  The Empire 208 plinth is probably too small.

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

Thanks for the advice, I've decided to keep the TNT, It can be upgraded if necessary (I mean upgraded to the point where the only thing original would be the plinth) but my current priority is to upgrade my speakers, then pick up a DAC, then eventually a CD player (both Audio Research)
Thanks to all for the advice!
Brandon

 

[shaizada]

Good choice!  The VPI TNT is a monster table and source.  I have a TNT 6 "Hot Rod" with the 12.5 arm and it has better PRaT than my Rega P2 (a table known for PRaT, though not in the same sonic league).  Anyhow, stay with the VPI and keep upgrading it as time and funds allow.  It WILL be the last table you own unless you get bored of looking at it.  Also, make sure to include the VPI SDS in you plans, a must have.
 
Hey, I just saw that your in Pasadena...not that far from my place.  If you need help with setting it up or have any questions, let me know.  We can meet up or something.  I'm VERY VERY well acquainted with the TNT at this point.