How many turntables did you audition...

[Hifiver]

before settling on the one you decided on?

Me. Just the one. My Well Tempered Simplex 2. I fell in love with the sound remarkably quickly.

 

[nads]

None.

 

[Al ears]

Initally?
Before I bought my first turntable I listened to four. Two of those I couldn't afford anyway but it have me an idea as to what I should expect from the higher price bracket.

 

[Friesiansam]

None but, that will be because I didn't want one...

 

[Gray]

Can't be many (if any) on this forum that have never actually heard a turntable (one way or the other).

 

[jonboywalton75]

None, I heard the Rega RP1 was good.
I bought one,
It is good

 

[plastic penguin]

Before settling for the Classic I auditioned 2 others: ClearAudio Concept & a Pro-ject 6 Perspex. Two main reasons for choosing the Classic was looks & it had a lid incl in the price. Then I decided to add a Goldring cartridge, far better than the Ortofon Silver that came with the table. That's now replaced as I knackered the Goldring stylus.

 

[robdmarsh]

Can't be many (if any) on this forum that have never actually heard a turntable (one way or the other).

I've heard plenty but the last one I heard was in about 1992, when I had a turntable, a Rotel something or other. Not tempted to get back in quite honestly, modern streaming and the quality that can be had for not very much dough is amazing me!

 

[Al ears]

Before settling for the Classic I auditioned 2 others: ClearAudio Concept & a Pro-ject 6 Perspex. Two main reasons for choosing the Classic was looks & it had a lid incl in the price. Then I decided to add a Goldring cartridge, far better than the Ortofon Silver that came with the table. That's now replaced as I knackered the Goldring stylus.

Surprising the number that don't come with a fitted lid these days isn't it?

 

[plastic penguin]

Surprising the number that don't come with a fitted lid these days isn't it?

A lot of the more affordable one do. Once you get over the grand mark they are quite sparse.

The other reason for choosing the Classic is I always hankered after a Thorens TD 160 from the 70s and 80s, but was way beyond my pay grade then. So when Pro-ject produced the Classic, it was identical in looks to the TD 160, and with modern arm & internals the Classic was a must listen

 

[bigfish786]

I didn’t really audition any turntables really, I just bought second hand ones off eBay and played with them a little.
I got a dual 503-2 about 15 years ago, it had the wrong power supply and a loose belt, hooked up to my Arcam A70, it didn’t sound that good at all, so it was given away. A few years later my Mrs bought me a record for my birthday, although at the time I didn’t have a turntable. So, I went on eBay and got a rotel rp3000. Direct drive, very old and tired, but sounded really good, so I got the taste and tried another eBay purchase, a Sansui 222 mk2 which wasn’t as good sounding as the rotel but looked more up to date, then I saw the Marantz and immediately wanted one, so I trawled the web for a bargain, and got one. It’s a keeper. 👍

 

[Rui]

i had several ,started with a thorens professional from a radio station i started at district level, when buying two i went for technics sl-1200 ,that´s when i kept the thorens then i bought a pioneer system in 74 that come with a good looking pl-es from the es-2000 system later edition ,then the technics sl-3310 also working today in one of my systems ,at my home ofice where i spend most of my time and using still with great sound tjhe eliptical stylus from technics the eps-270ed (it came with a sd -spherical) then the SL-1200mkII for my work as a dj for 35 years and a sl-1000mkII to use at home on my main system that had a 79 pl-560 from pioneer(ofered by my father) ,in the 80´s bought a new thorens but the reference i don´t remenber sold it in the 90´s but it was expensive when new and perfect with sound as we my friends and i bought other two to use at a night club we opened at the time, someone ofered me a pl-430' from pioneer but before having problems with it ,i sold it allthough it was made of metal only the part that had the functions and brand was plastic,it had a non-resonance tonearm it said polymere graphity and it had great sound with a audio-technica stylus that came with it it was a log casing stylus green also eliptical ,today i´m using the 74 pl-es from pioneer and the sl-3310 direct drive full automatic(mechanical not electronic) also the pl-560 with a shure stylus that i bought when buying professional needles for my two sl-1200 mkII from technics and today i´m using the sl-3310 that it delivers great sound and some parts the place where you put the record(don´t know the name in english) and engine just like the sl´s-1200mkII, i think is the reason the SL-1200 started to be used by dj´s it stops and the plate gets loose and when it starts just a second or two to keep spining at perfect speed ,didn´t change nothing ever since 76 only the needles that changed to a shure good stylus but today i´m using the original but eliptical not spherical ,just because i´ve found a lot of original boxes with the stylus from the turntables i owned and some that were to substitute i almost forget a friend of mine gave me is pl-516X (black) in mint condition with a cartridge from shure but maybe the cheapest or the second cheapest, also have a early 70´s dual full automatic that came with shure needle(my grandmother turntable) and have a olastic numark that was ofered to me in a electronic muisc festival but never even opened the box this in spain in mid 90´s,this because i started to use my skills as in making sounds with the sl-1200mk something more than two other guy from my country(portugal )even used them as instrument to play in a jazz band with old american musicians that was better than me but a taste in music that was just really bad ,he´s kinown but i don´t remind his name, but mainly today i´m using the SL-3310 DD that i bought from the 76 catalog from technics and the pioneer pl-560 also the 1970 professional thorens allthough it´s a professional turntable it reads perfect the records but my substitution needles are ending ,the original ones then i´ll buy maybe a ortofon 2m black for it or better from ortofon , i only knew ortofon because of my father´s revox turntable ,the one with a rectangular box that rotates to the top of the record with a system inside made by ortofon in the 70´s ,in the 90´s started to use in my sl-1200 mkII both the ortofon concorde after starting to be dificult to find for sale the shure professional line, but allthough i heard people saying that the SL-3310 isn´t that good i think it works perfect with perfect sound using technics needles or national(are the same), i know this model was sold later as SL-5000 because of the quartz engine that the 76 one didn´t had and the pl-560 from pioneer is my second go to turntable also very good with a good shure needle ,the PL-ES is being used because the receiver as 4matrix system that as it says on the brochure delivers perfect surround and use the all 74 system in the comon living room that i have the t.v. conected to it when seeing movies with four speakers at each corner of the living room using the original pioneers and some celestion ditton series from early 70´s to use the 4matrix system ,this system allthough is from 74 and sold apart it looks much better than the components on the 74 catalog ,as the turntable also as better finishings and doesn´t have anti-skating but the s-shaped arm next to the counter weight it´s loose and reads perfect the grooves with pn-30 stylus to the pc-30 pioneer cartridge ,regards

 

[mxer]

All 3 with the same tonearm and cartridge (1985), Linn Basik arm and Linn’s lowest price MM):
Revolver, Rega, Lp12.
Auditioned with the same amps and speakers and song on the same LP.
The first two TTs were close in price with arm and cart, around $500 U.S. The Linn was $1200 plus arm and cartridge.
The revolver was marginally better than the Rega so I bought it.
Then I listened with the Linn, which I could not afford. Within just a few minutes, the Linn was the overwhelming best.
Three years later, the Revolver was sold when I found a nearly new LP12 with Ittock LVII, that was swapped for a CD player.
It is still with me, with Trampolin, Linto, Lingo 2, Kore, Karousel, Krystal.

 

[A-Line]

In the early 1980's I looked at 4 turntables before making a choice:
1. Thorens belt drive- I forget the model.
2. Rega Planar 3
3. Heybrook
4. Linn LP12

The best of the lot at that time was the Linn LP12 with a Ittok arm and Linn pickup.

In terms of best sound at that time I rate the other remaing 3 in descending order:
Heybrook- Best
Rega Planar 3 - Very Good
Thorens -Good

In 2010 I replaced my old Linn LP with a newer model which has all of the upgrades except the Linn internal phono stage.

My current LP12 includes:
Current Base Table
Keel Sub-Chassis
Ekos SE Tonearm
Klimax Radikal Power Supply

Pickup: Lyra Kleos MC
Phono Stage: EAR Yoshino 324 Solid State

 

[Al ears]

In the early 1980's I looked at 4 turntables before making a choice:
1. Thorens belt drive- I forget the model.
2. Rega Planar 3
3. Heybrook
4. Linn LP12

The best of the lot at that time was the Linn LP12 with a Ittok arm and Linn pickup.

In terms of best sound at that time I rate the other remaing 3 in descending order:
Heybrook- Best
Rega Planar 3 - Very Good
Thorens -Good

In 2010 I replaced my old Linn LP with a newer model which has all of the upgrades except the Linn internal phono stage.

My current LP12 includes:
Current Base Table
Keel Sub-Chassis
Ekos SE Tonearm
Klimax Radikal Power Supply

Pickup: Lyra Kleos MC
Phono Stage: EAR Yoshino 324 Solid State

Enjoy.
The old Linn LP12 really needed those upgrades.
I ownned the Heybrook once, wasn't it the TT1?
Bought it along with a pair of HB3 speakers which Mr. Commeau personally delivered to my house as I lived in Plymouth at that time.

 

[A-Line]

Enjoy.
The old Linn LP12 really needed those upgrades.
I ownned the Heybrook once, wasn't it the TT1?
Bought it along with a pair of HB3 speakers which Mr. Commeau personally delivered to my house as I lived in Plymouth at that time.

Probably, I forget the Heybrook models. I also liked the Heybrook speakers too. I almost bought the Heybrook TT and a set of Heybrook speakers.
Then I heard the LP12 with Linn Sara speakers and bought those instead as the the sound was a lot better.

 

[Al ears]

Probably, I forget the Heybrook models. I also liked the Heybrook speakers too. I almost bought the Heybrook TT and a set of Heybrook speakers.
Then I heard the LP12 with Linn Sara speakers and bought those instead as the the sound was a lot better.

as always the quality of kit was in the ears of the listener. I tried to keep local manufacture going I was lucky to have a room that could accommodate large speakers, hence the Heybrook route.

 

[Edbostan]

Enjoy.
The old Linn LP12 really needed those upgrades.
I ownned the Heybrook once, wasn't it the TT1?
Bought it along with a pair of HB3 speakers which Mr. Commeau personally delivered to my house as I lived in Plymouth at that time.

Reminds me when I phoned up JPW speakers and spoke to Mr Wanstall co-owner of JPW. I may be wrong but I believed JPW stood for John and Peter Wanstall

 

[Clarkey_71]

None.

I was very lucky. I was gifted a secondhand Linn Axis in the late 80s.
I subsequently bought a secondhand Linn LP12 in the early 90s and still have it today, though it is very much like Trigger's broom!!! (Apologies to non UK members who have no idea what this means!!)

 

[Gray]

(Apologies to non UK members who have no idea what this means!!)

Quite a few non-UK readers will no doubt know exactly what you mean

View: https://youtu.be/56yN2zHtofM?t=91

 

[camcroft]

Quite a few non-UK readers will no doubt know exactly what you mean

View: https://youtu.be/56yN2zHtofM?t=91

It must remind you of the Triggers on here buying cables for the same system that they have had for years.

 

[Gray]

It must remind you of the Triggers on here buying cables for the same system that they have had for years.

Trig replaced worn or broken parts.
He was a bit stupid - but not stupid enough to replace working cables 🤪

 

[Clarkey_71]

Quite a few non-UK readers will no doubt know exactly what you mean

View: https://youtu.be/56yN2zHtofM?t=91

Classic!!!

 

[Gray]

Classic!!!

✅
That, chandelier and bar flap will never be topped.
(I had an (otherwise normal) Auntie who apparently never watched Only Fools in her life).

 

[jinglebuddy]

I got my Technics 1200's a very very long time ago. Didn't really consider anything else at the time