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Turntables as an art form

Mr. Widget

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Yes, Spartan is what I like.

BTW, about the famous B&O linear tracker. B&O bought back a large number of old, used ones, reconditioned them and they are going for $15,000 each.
Nope, not going for... they are gone and they went like hotcakes! I actually considered buying one, not that I could rationalize paying that much money for a turntable. I considered it almost an acceptable price for a piece of magnificent industrial art. Lucky for me they sold out before I could blow the $15 grand.

I did buy one of these for its aesthetics... I played it for a few minutes. It works.

Screen Shot 2023-01-05 at 2.56.34 PM.png
 

poxymoron

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The look works for me, but the wood looks like it might be a cheap veneer. Emphasis on 'might be' because it's so hard to tell from a photo. And this is my concern in purchasing a table sight unseen because you can't judge the materials and the fit and finish from a photo.
I agree. Vintage looks with a modern twist.

This might be more like it:
1672992613109.png


 

dr0ss

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Owned by the same company that owns Pro-ject, Rekkord, and Music Hall, fwiw. Probably good quality, but I doubt anyone can hear the difference between thus shiny thing and the poor relations at 1/5 the price.
 
OP
Artsfols

Artsfols

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Owned by the same company that owns Pro-ject, Rekkord, and Music Hall, fwiw. Probably good quality, but I doubt anyone can hear the difference between thus shiny thing and the poor relations at 1/5 the price.
I know I can't hear the difference. My hearing cuts off around 10kHZ, which isn't bad for my age, and I have 24x7 tinnitus, the kind that is NOT associated with hearing loss. But no worries I still can hear and enjoy music as much as ever. Bottom line, this is strictly for the looks and nothing else.
 
OP
Artsfols

Artsfols

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poxymoron

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Is that a dovetail joint in the corners or is that printed on also? Seriously that is a gorgeous turntable, so nice that it looks like it's well out of my budget.
I'm not sure about the dovetail but I think it looks fantastic. I plan on getting a turntable myself once my daughter is a bit older and for me too, looks will be an important factor.
The Fluance turntables seem to be well regarded, and pretty too. Perhaps not an art form though.
 

rcstevensonaz

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I'm not sure about the dovetail but I think it looks fantastic. I plan on getting a turntable myself once my daughter is a bit older and for me too, looks will be an important factor.
The Fluance turntables seem to be well regarded, and pretty too. Perhaps not an art form though.
I was also going to mention Fluance. Though I think the RT84 is their sweet spot -- especially if you can pick it up on sale (e.g., $350 Black Friday); or even the RT83.

I have RT84 walnut, but the bamboo looks pretty sharp as well: https://www.fluance.com/rt84b-reference-high-fidelity-vinyl-turntable-bamboo
 

dr0ss

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Is that a dovetail joint in the corners or is that printed on also?
That is surely veneer on MDF, which (as has been pointed out above) is better for stability reasons than solid wood. However, given the producers I assume it is real veneer, and that they will go to the extra expense of matching it at the edges. Big slabs of real wood in a plinth works better if the platter is suspended (like the classic AR, Thorens, Linn, etc), but even then you need to worry about the wood moving with the temperature and humidity.

If you like real wood (and who doesn't!), one thing I've seen in photos of people's setups is taking a 'minimal' turntable (like the Pro-Ject Elemental or RPM 3) and setting it on a big slab. It is a pretty nice look, and you have more control over the wood and the budget.

I'm not a fan of a shiny film finish on real wood, like on this EAT (and on the Fluance), as it takes a beautiful natural material and gives it a plastic feel.

The Fluance turntables seem to be well regarded, and pretty too.

I considered those before buying the Pro-Ject for my son, especially since last month they were throwing in a free (separate) phono amp. However, I'm a little skeptical of some of the praise, as all the turntables from the Ya Horng factory apparently come with just one of two mechanisms (one electronically controlled, one not), and with a decent suspension and similar platter and cartridge there shouldn't be enough sonic difference to prefer the Fluance over other Ya Horng tables with the controlled mechanism. (It would be interesting to see an ASR-type test of these same-mechanism tables. Maybe the company adds some extra value to them? But people were claiming that the Music Hall phono preamp was better than the cheaper Rolls VP29, and if you open them up you see they are exactly the same, including the "VP29" printed on the circuit board and the same brand components.)

Article on Ya Horng:
https://www.avsforum.com/threads/a-look-at-ya-horng-turntables-and-the-akai-ion-pro-500bt.3084640/
 

Vladimir Filevski

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Can he get that for "$600 to $1200 CDN"? (I'm willing to go up to $3000 for that , even if the original poster says he doesn't want to spend that much!)
Well, OP was somewhat ambiguous about the maximum price he can pay. He noticed a number of good turntables, like "Sony, Fluance, Rega, et cetera... At a $600 to $1200 CDN price point ... seems like I'll get decent enough sound quality ... But I want something that looks really cool"! This wording doesn't preclude more expensive models.
For $600, he can get only rather mundane look from "Sony, Fluance, Rega, et cetera" turntables. He doesn't want to spend $3000, but there are used Transcriptors on eBay for much less:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1553438387...G18LZi++WKybFYmb2VUbRwGg==|tkp:Bk9SR5D-s7ixYQ

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2041590271...VKwxoSjM8XVcsZ2Blj1rASzg==|tkp:Bk9SR5D-s7ixYQ
 

dr0ss

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I'm gobsmacked that Transcriptors are available for so little. Even if you have to sink an additional $3-400 into the table to get it up tp snuff, it is still a deal for someone not afraid of doing a bit of work.
 
OP
Artsfols

Artsfols

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I was also going to mention Fluance. Though I think the RT84 is their sweet spot -- especially if you can pick it up on sale (e.g., $350 Black Friday); or even the RT83.

I have RT84 walnut, but the bamboo looks pretty sharp as well: https://www.fluance.com/rt84b-reference-high-fidelity-vinyl-turntable-bamboo
What's the walnut finish like? Is it actually a veneer, i.e. very thin wood on pressboard, or is it a print pattern that is then laminated to the press board? A good veneer will look as good as a slab of wood.
(I see there's been further discussion of veneers since I answered this post).
 
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Artsfols

Artsfols

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dr0ss

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What's the walnut finish like? Is it actually a veneer, i.e. very thin wood on pressboard, or is it a print pattern that is then laminated to the press board?
Fluance uses real veneer, but then hits it with a thick gloss finish. As someone who does some woodwork and loves wood, my first inclination would be to polish out the gloss.
 
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Artsfols

Artsfols

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Fluance uses real veneer, but then hits it with a thick gloss finish. As someone who does some woodwork and loves wood, my first inclination would be to polish out the gloss.
I'm ruling against Fluance at this point. I suppose that my aesthetic is evolving as I read the various posts. I am also leery of an exposed capstan for the belt. Looks cool, but one errant Pokemon dart from the grandkids and it might be done.

At the moment, I am leaning to the Pro-Ject Debut Pro.

Debut-PRO-12.jpg


It does have a cold industrial look, and I might counterpoint my thinking with something woody and warm if I can find it. (Such as that JBL turntable, posted above, for which I cannot find a source, probably because it's not in channels yet.) But there are other more mundane points in favour of this table, such as being able to source it from a local stereo shop without going to Toronto or Amazon. Price is $1189CDN in Toronto, and of course I will need a pre-amp. Thinking of the Schiit Mani 2 because it won't take up space I don't have. Should I use balanced cables, that is, if I buy this one? Which appears to rule out Schiit. New problem.
 
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dr0ss

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It does have a cold industrial look, and I might counterpoint my thinking with something woody and warm if I can find it. (Such as that JBL turntable, posted above, for which I cannot find a source, probably because it's not in channels yet.) But there are other more mundane points in favour of this table, such as being able to source it from a local stereo shop without going to Toronto or Amazon.
Pro-Ject is a natural choice if you're in Europe. Likewise their sister company Music Hall, which makes a very nice line of turntables, some out of cherry and rosewood veneer:

music-hall-mmf-5.3se-turntable-rosenut.jpg
 
OP
Artsfols

Artsfols

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Pro-Ject is a natural choice if you're in Europe. Likewise their sister company Music Hall, which makes a very nice line of turntables, some out of cherry and rosewood veneer:

music-hall-mmf-5.3se-turntable-rosenut.jpg
I'm in Canada, but Pro-ject does seem to be widely carried here. So that is a plus.

Now, that is a very nice turntable from Music Hall. However, 'Music Hall' has no presence here, and while it can be shipped from the US, I'll stick to Canadian sources. What if the shipper damages the goods, something I have been hit with in the past? Long delays to correct if there isn't a Canadian warehouse involved.
 
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