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Please help me choose a turntable...

W

WilliamO

Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2022
Messages
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Location
Franklin, TN
1. Musical Fidelity M8xTT
2. McIntosh MT5
3. McIntosh MT10
4. Technics SL-1200G

This will most likely pair with a McIntosh C12000. I presently have (2) McIntosh MC275VI, McIntosh D150, McIntosh MCT450, Cambridge Audio CXNv2 and NHT T5 speakers. I am considering Focal Diablo Utopia Color Evo speakers. I currently have a Music Hall Classic turntable routed through a Marantz Cinema 70s AVR.
 
Technics- Technics-Technics DD. Unsurpassed speed stability and quality, a belt drive cannot compete with that

the McIntosh are really ugly and with mediocre speed performance-

Musical fidelity- belt drive with all the belt issues., cannot compete with Technics specs

Quite horrible actually
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Buy a Shaknspin before auditioning any turntable and check speed , or use phone app to see speed variability, but not accurate for exact speed
shaknspin.wordpress.com

shaknspin

Not all turntables are created equal. Find the difference.
shaknspin.wordpress.com shaknspin.wordpress.com
 
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All very good points. Thank you for pointing that out. I was actually well aware of the performance of the direct drive Technics and was committed to purchase, but, in my opinion the other tables are so nice to look at.

This may be a dumb question, but are the differences in measurements audible?
 
WilliamO said:
All very good points. Thank you for pointing that out. I was actually well aware of the performance of the direct drive Technics and was committed to purchase, but, in my opinion the other tables are so nice to look at.

This may be a dumb question, but are the differences in measurements audible?
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From my experience, yes. The disc to disc variance in sound quality is more audible. LPs are a crapshoot.
 
Okay, I'm still a kind of Rega fan as a UK based bod, but have to go with the Technics these days as a suggestion internationally (is the more expensive one really that much better than the £/$1k options?). It should see us all out reliably and if carefully sited, will 'sound' consistent and predictable enough with a sensible modern cartridge choice (AT's seem to go well but the mid level ones have Ortofon 2M's).
 
I vote for Technics!!

Even though I practically don't use the "turntable" anymore, I always keep one. Technics 1210.
Despite the years, the rare times I connect it to the system, it works fine, moreover it is disarmingly easy to set up.
It is a tank, well built, heavy, and very precise in reproduction.
It is a concrete “turntable”.
Furthermore, it is now truly iconic.
 
WilliamO said:
1. Musical Fidelity M8xTT
2. McIntosh MT5
3. McIntosh MT10
4. Technics SL-1200G

This will most likely pair with a McIntosh C12000. I presently have (2) McIntosh MC275VI, McIntosh D150, McIntosh MCT450, Cambridge Audio CXNv2 and NHT T5 speakers. I am considering Focal Diablo Utopia Color Evo speakers. I currently have a Music Hall Classic turntable routed through a Marantz Cinema 70s AVR.
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Technics. Of those in your list it's the only company with decades of experience in design and production of TTs.
 
WilliamO said:
All very good points. Thank you for pointing that out. I was actually well aware of the performance of the direct drive Technics and was committed to purchase, but, in my opinion the other tables are so nice to look at.

This may be a dumb question, but are the differences in measurements audible?
Click to expand...
0.2% is audible at certain music, piano flute etc, by maybe not rock. 0.4 sound horrible on all music. 0.05 is audible in test tones
I am talking about peak wow, not DIN W&F or WRMS that give much lower values for the same peak Wow numbers above
My 40 year old Denon DP-51F has a peak variation of 0.03%
 
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This may be a dumb question, but are the differences in measurements audible?
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No. I've heard "rumble" from a record player with a plastic platter and I've heard speed problems with a worn-out belt or drive wheel. Otherwise I've not heard a defect or a difference from the turntable itself My 40-year old Technics direct drive (not the expensive one) sill works fine, but it's only been used occasionally to digitize a record since I got my 1st CD player. Direct drive is the way to go.

A different cartridge will sound different, mostly the high frequencies. The capacitive load of the cables and preamp can also change the high frequencies.

But as Robin L says, the records themselves are the biggest variable. They are also the weakest link. The frequency response variation can be fixed-up with EQ or tone controls but there is always audible noise during quiet parts and between songs, and sometimes nasty clicks & pops. And sometimes you get tracking distortion.

... I don't recommend vinyl at all! I grew-up with vinyl and the clicks & pops really annoyed me... More than they seemed to bother other people. No matter how much you pay, you'll never match the sound of a cheap CD player or other digital source.

But if I were buying a turntable, I'd consider the AT LP120USB. It's direct drive and it comes ready-to-play with a cartridge, a built-in phono preamp, and USB in case you want to digitize.
 
DVDdoug said:
But if I were buying a turntable, I'd consider the AT LP120USB. It's direct drive and it comes ready-to-play with a cartridge, a built-in phono preamp, and USB in case you want to digitize.
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Not bad, and it checks off all the boxes at a comparatively low cost. However, the higher priced Technics 'tables are worth the extra expenditure if one can manage it.

One of the best turntables I encountered was a TOTL Technics at a radio station that they must have been using for at least ten years on a constant basis. Came to full speed in a third of a rotation, absolutely stable pitch - assuming the record had stable pitch. No wow and flutter as far as I can tell. This was the model - SP-10 - that came without an arm. The station used an SME II, a good combination with the Stanton cartridge they used, appropriate for back-cuing.
 
I would suggest looking up radial tracking distortion AES Baerwald.

There are expensive currently-manufactured linear tracking arms, and inexpensive vintage tracking turntables.

High end audio is in denial of linear tracking. All vinyl record masters are cut on a linear lathe. Our studio had one.

A radial orientation of the stylus arm produces distortion between outer and inner grooves.. If you want the radial tone arm "look," Thales in Switzerland has a pivoting head shell similar to the old Gerrard concept which may meet your needs.
 
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What are the thoughts on the Technics SL1000R? This would more than likely constitute a purchase and check out from this place with it in my system. :) Any idea how well this piece will hold value? Has anyone seen any for resale?

Yamaha GT5000?

The aesthetics of my equipment is important to me. I like to look at it, touch it, interact with it. I enjoy selecting music from the push buttons and knob rotations on the music streamer. The iPad and Roon is actually secondary.
 
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Technics 1200G ... a hell of turntable.
And a record cleaning machine, the best investment I made with vinyl, you can forget about pop & clicks (obviously with brand new records or at least used but not abused). If you don't see at the turntable you might think the CD player is working. Spectacular.
 
WilliamO said:
What are the thoughts on the Technics SL1000R? This would more than likely constitute a purchase and check out from this place with it in my system. :) Any idea how well this piece will hold value? Has anyone seen any for resale?
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That one hell of a lot of money for a turntable, considering the limitations of LPs. If I was made of money and really wanted a turntable this would be a top choice, but I'm not and I don't.
 
mike70 said:
Technics 1200G ... a hell of turntable.
And a record cleaning machine, the best investment I made with vinyl, you can forget about pop & clicks (obviously with brand new records or at least used but not abused). If you don't see at the turntable you might think the CD player is working. Spectacular.
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That is extremely impressive. Do you think the SL1000R is difficult to justify against the 1200G?
 
Robin L said:
That one hell of a lot of money for a turntable, considering the limitations of LPs. If I was made of money and really wanted a turntable this would be a top choice, but I'm not and I don't.
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Haha. Agreed. I'm definitely not made of money either - not even close, but I do try to purchase what I really really want and I don't generally make frivolous purchases. $20-30K is significant, to me at least. I'd probably purchase with an equity loan against a rental property or use a 0% offer on a card. I'd REALLY REALLY REALLY have to want it and have no other option to spend cash on it.
 
To me this is a bit like asking what’s the best knife to bring to a gun fight. You can certainly spend thousands on an expertly honed blade. I love these things. Buy the most beautiful one you can afford that cuts better than others. But at the end of the day it’s a knife. For me, I love vinyl, but I just can’t justify overspending on a turntable. If i want to win a measurement war I‘m looking for something a bit more practical. The Technics offerings are really a work of art though, no doubt about it.
 
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