Turnatable Characteristics

[Lost Angeles]

With between £1200 and £2500 to spend on a new TT Arm and Cartridge is there any difference in characteristics of TTs between Rega, Linn, Michell, Project, Clearaudio etc etc that’s makes one or more better suited or less suited to 70s rock.

Do TTs have big differences in characteristics like CDPs do (Arcam-Cyrus)

 

[chebby]

Lost Angeles:

Do TTs have big differences in characteristics like CDPs do (Arcam-Cyrus)

Profoundly so.

 

[the record spot]

I hear the Linn LP12 Majik at £2k does great things at the price and not least with that genre.

And, to answer your last question, pretty much what Chebby said. Anyone telling you vinyl=warm is waffling. There's arguably a lot more going on that will impact a record deck's sound than you'll have to consider with any other source from out the box.

Nice budget though; some great examples for the money there. Even moreso used - Garrard 301/401 territory there - £400 for a 401, then plinth (e.g. Martin Bastin), new arm, nice cartridge, yep, bang goes the budget!

 

[floyd droid]

There is what looks like a nicely restored 401 going on fleabay at the min, birch ply plinth with cherry veneer and a new jelco 750L 12". With some of the nutcase prices 401s fetch of late,this appears to be a half decent price for what you are getting for the money.

 

[chebby]

The Garrard 401 that Floyd mentions is being sold by an excellent company (Inspire Hifi) who also make their own turntables.

Their ebay shop also had a Linn Sondek LP12 Valhalla for £520 earlier today but it has gone now.

Worth bookmarking as they often have decent gear and they service and set it all up themselves.

(Well they do manufacture turntables after all.)

 

[floyd droid]

Cheers chebby ,im not all that sure what links im allowed to post these days, hence my waffle. I bet i will still put my foot in it again soon mind.

Edit, i think their new TT is a belter looks wise, would love to hear it.

 

[Lost Angeles]

You've all skirted around the question.
I put this post up because am no TT expert and would not buy a secondhand Garrard as I have no idea of the quality and do not know if I could get it serviced if I needed to.
I am not against buying secondhand or ex-demo as I know I could get a Linn serviced but I was hoping someone would come on say that "A" is good for jazz "B" is good for Rock and "C" is better for Classical or that all TTs are good for all types of music but "A" is better for Bass "B" is more laid back and "C" is Forward and revealing etc or something similar.
If I was then to buy secondhand then I would have an idea of the characteristics I would get. Is a secondhand 401 any good for 70s rock? Is it better suited than a Michell Gyro?

 

[chebby]

floyd droid:
Cheers chebby ,im not all that sure what links im allowed to post these days, hence my waffle. I bet i will still put my foot in it again soon mind.

Edit, i think their new TT is a belter looks wise, would love to hear it.

So long as you are not advertising anything you are selling yourself and so long as you don't work for (or have any links with) the company/seller then I think it is ok to point out items with links.

 

[chebby]

Lost Angeles: I was hoping someone would come on say that "A" is good for jazz "B" is good for Rock and "C" is better for Classical or that all TTs are good for all types of music but "A" is better for Bass "B" is more laid back and "C" is Forward and revealing etc or something similar.

Given all the technically feasible permutations of new turntables/arms/cartridges possible within a £1200 - £2500 budget then what you are asking for is nigh on impossible except - possibly - for an experienced dealer with a showroom full of different turntables/arms/cartridges and an extensive and varied music collection.

Also a lot of people who love Jazz simply may not be aware that their turntable could sound even greater with rock (or vica versa) and similarly with classical vinyl fans.

For every Rega owner who claims their deck is brilliant with rock there will be another who says a Technics SL-1210 is even better and a Linn owner who disagrees with both of them and a Michell owner....... etc etc. (And thats even before they get onto the subject of arms and cartridges.)

Weed out all the 'silly' permutations (£1000 arms on £120 turntables for instance) from the above - and just keeping to the ones that work well - should get the choice down to a few hundred combinations or so.

 

[floyd droid]

You have just saved me typing said same chebby. BTW thanks for the link to your s/h store,i did post a reply at the time, i know it wasnt particularly aimed for anyone, but i bookmarked it. You lucky so and so.

 

[chebby]

floyd droid:BTW thanks for the link to your s/h store,i did post a reply at the time, i know it wasnt particularly aimed for anyone, but i bookmarked it. You lucky so and so.

I should stress (for the mods) that Floyd is referring to the link I gave to my local second hand record shop (in this thread) and not Inspire Hifi's second hand ebay shop, with which I have no connection.

 

[floyd droid]

Oh cripes,ive just read my previous post, sorry chebby, i put you up against it a tad there.

 

[the record spot]

Lost Angeles:You've all skirted around the question.
I put this post up because am no TT expert and would not buy a secondhand Garrard as I have no idea of the quality and do not know if I could get it serviced if I needed to.
I am not against buying secondhand or ex-demo as I know I could get a Linn serviced but I was hoping someone would come on say that "A" is good for jazz "B" is good for Rock and "C" is better for Classical or that all TTs are good for all types of music but "A" is better for Bass "B" is more laid back and "C" is Forward and revealing etc or something similar.
If I was then to buy secondhand then I would have an idea of the characteristics I would get. Is a secondhand 401 any good for 70s rock? Is it better suited than a Michell Gyro?

Easy to see why the question was skirted round. By all means, pick up an Audio Note TT1 or TT2 and stick on an Ortofon 2M Black, but that might not cut it.

The Garrard models I mention date back sometime now, in fact probably a good 40 years or so, but their quality is in the "unrivalled" category. Several companies service them up to a high spec and you'll probably find there is a micro-industry in those decks themselves.

Have a look at the Loricraft Audio site, they bought the rights to the Garrard name and now produce the Garrard 501. It's outside your budget incidentally, by around double your max.

As to what'll work with what, the Linn LP12 is arguably the most tweakable of most decks, with all the upgrades available, but given you can have playing arm's rewired internally, any number of cartridges, modifications to decks, Chebby is bang on the money in his post above.

For my money, as I like a wide range of music, including 70s rock, I'd shortlist an Audio Note TT2, Linn Majik LP12, Thorens TD160, Rega P7 or P9, modified Technics 1210 with modded Rega arm...we're not on to cartridges yet y'know...

In short, work out the kind of sound you like (and 70s rock isn't it, given the different production jobs you can get out there) which I'm assuming is a dynamic and punchy sound with a good bass detail and a decent midrange, treble not too shouty. That's my idea of 70s rock if you don't include opinions on classic Genesis and Yes albums anyway...!

After all that, happy hunting - that's a nice budget to play around with for a new TT; enjoy!