[Uncle Erik]

inthecup - you might be interested in reading these:

The Vinyl Anachronist

The Vinyl Anachronist covers every aspect of vinyl in over 50 articles. They're well-written and informative; I'm glad I read them before spending anything.

 

[inthecup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif inthecup - you might be interested in reading these: The Vinyl Anachronist The Vinyl Anachronist covers every aspect of vinyl in over 50 articles. They're well-written and informative; I'm glad I read them before spending anything.

Thanks for the link UE.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Vinyl Anachronist

A good read but be forewarned though that he's not a great fan of the Technics. For a more balanced review read this Technics SL-1200 MkII turntable - [English]

 

[lini]

itc: Ok, if manual isn't a problem (and I really can't interest you in a neat Dual like a CS721

), an SL12x0Mky is indeed a good choice for a new turntable. I'd recommend to leave it as is for a start, though - because in my opinion you'd rather save the money for more cartridges (plus headshells), as these are more "taste components" just like speakers and headphones: Hence you might need more than one try to find the cartridge you really enjoy - and like many other turntable fans you might easily end up enjoying to own a little cartridge collection...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[ssportclay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by memepool /img/forum/go_quote.gif A good read but be forewarned though that he's not a great fan of the Technics. For a more balanced review read this Technics SL-1200 MkII turntable - [English]

I am not a fan of the Anachronist either. Any turntable not driven by a belt is unfit to spin vinyl. I suppose Garrard 301s and heavy platter Lencos would make into decent record cleaning machines at best. Good tables are good tables.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssportclay /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am not a fan of the Anachronist either. Any turntable not driven by a belt is unfit to spin vinyl. I suppose Garrard 301s and heavy platter Lencos would make into decent record cleaning machines at best. Good tables are good tables.

He writes intersting columns and I'm glad somebody bothered to write about vinyl in the 1990s but I think on the one hand many of his opinions are the result of a very successful marketing campaign on the part of British turntable manufacturers, like Linn, and on the other he sounds like a bit of an old rocker who doesn't really get modern music.

The fact that for most kids today the words turntable and Technics are almost as synonymous as Hoover and vacuum cleaner must be a source of endless vexation for him...

 

[Zanth]

Since it came up...belts vs. dd... Was it rumble that bothered people? So many are claiming dd's are superior because of their supposed perfect timing yet SME, Linn, Michell, Avid, Clear Audio, Walker...not to mention VPI, Teres among others are all belt driven. They have always been heralded as incredible tables particularly the hign end offerings from each company.

Sure the Lenco revival is interesting particularly since they are relatively cheap to rebuild, but overall I agree with ssportclay, a good table is a good table.

 

[John Reeves]

Hi,

You should look around on eBay for a used Linn Sondec LP12. This will normaly be complete with an excellent moving coil cartridge. This will be far superior to anything mentioned previously, if you are really serious about vinyl.

The alternative is the new budget Linn turntable which is complete with a moving magnet cartridge. This is around 2,000 ponds sterling which may be outside your budget.

Linn turntables are specifically designed for PRAT, and although initially expensive will ensure that you will not get upgraditus further down the path.

I also found, in the past since I do not use vinyl as a source anymore, that an LP12 with a good moving coil cartidge was able to handle imperfect records far better than anything else I had tried previously. These include Pioneer PL12D, Thorens TD 160, Dual, Technics etc.

I would add that I am not a Linn fanatic and consider their recent offerings way overpriced, and sterile compared to their vintage equipment.

I hope this offers a fresh insight into what you are looking for, but finally, ignore all the advice and let your ears decide.

Best regards

John

 

[inthecup]

I'll like to protect my wallet a bit but does anyone have any thoughts on the Music Hall MMF-5.1 SE. It sure is a beauty but does it give you good value for the money?

 

[ssportclay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since it came up...belts vs. dd... Was it rumble that bothered people? So many are claiming dd's are superior because of their supposed perfect timing yet SME, Linn, Michell, Avid, Clear Audio, Walker...not to mention VPI, Teres among others are all belt driven. They have always been heralded as incredible tables particularly the hign end offerings from each company. Sure the Lenco revival is interesting particularly since they are relatively cheap to rebuild, but overall I agree with ssportclay, a good table is a good table.

The compact disc and digital audio killed the turntable industry. It is much easier to design and much cheaper to manufacture a belt drive turntable than any other kind. These things sell in such small numbers that manufacturers have to charge a fairly high price to make a decent profit. In other words,the turntable business is a cottage industry.The Technics 1200 MKII is a sort of direct drive hold over from an earlier period which has continued to sell very well through the DJ sector of the turntable market which was once held by idler wheel tables in the old days. Radio stations use to use idler wheel designs before the direct drives came along. All drive systems are capable of excellent performance when designed and set-up properly.

 

[ssportclay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthecup /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll like to protect my wallet a bit but does anyone have any thoughts on the Music Hall MMF-5.1 SE. It sure is a beauty but does it give you good value for the money?

The Music Hall will actually give you a sound quality edge over the Technics 1200 MKII out of the box due to it's better tonearm.You would also have the luxury of having a wider choice of cartridges to choose from for the same reason. The Technics is actually the better table and will trump the Music Hall once the tonearm is upgraded. The direct drive Technics is also more user friendly than the belt drive Music Hall. I would recommend going to a store and getting hands on experience with both tables before buying.I have used belt drive tables for many years and they are not as pleasurable to use once spoiled by the DD technics.

 

[inthecup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssportclay /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Music Hall will actually give you a sound quality edge over the Technics 1200 MKII out of the box due to it's better tonearm.You would also have the luxury of having a wider choice of cartridges to choose from for the same reason. The Technics is actually the better table and will trump the Music Hall once the tonearm is upgraded. The direct drive Technics is also more user friendly than the belt drive Music Hall. I would recommend going to a store and getting hands on experience with both tables before buying.I have used belt drive tables for many years and they are not as pleasurable to use once spoiled by the DD technics.

Thanks for the info on the Music Hall, I also looked at the Rega's but I more I read, it always sends me back to the Technics.

 

[inthecup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthecup /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the info on the Music Hall, I also looked at the Rega's but I more I read, it always sends me back to the Technics.

Still at it guys: What do you think about this setup?

Pro-Ject Xpression III
Pro-Ject Tube Box II
Benz Micro MC20E2 $1270

 

[John Reeves]

Hi,

I had to laugh at the cottage industry remark regarding belt drive turntables, you should visit the Linn site or even visit them. They have some of the best computer controlled manufacturing facilities in the world.

The word you should be looking for is quality control and attention to fine details which this company has in spades.

There are many reasons to go for belt drive if you want constant rotation rather than speed up/ speed down as you get with all but the most expensive direct drive turntables.

Cheers

John

God, you guys are making me regret selling my LP12/Itok/Asak a few years ago, particularly since I still have my vinyl collection.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssportclay /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am not a fan of the Anachronist either. Any turntable not driven by a belt is unfit to spin vinyl. I suppose Garrard 301s and heavy platter Lencos would make into decent record cleaning machines at best. Good tables are good tables.

You're right, good tables are good tables. The old Garrards, Rek-O-Kuts, Lencos, and others are terrific. So are many belt-driven tables.

My cousin is a monstrous vinyl freak - somewhere over 6,000 records. He worked for Panasonic and snagged one of the rare SL-1200 limited gold editions. Nice deck, sounds very good.

It's just that I liked my Rega Planar 3 a lot better. And I really love the Orbe/SME IV combo. It sounds better than anything I've listened to.