Basis turntables

hvbias

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2012
578
38
940
New England area
Does anyone have experience with Basis turntables? I'm interested in the Debut with vacuum hold down. Cheers.
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
7,006
512
1,740
Snohomish, WA
www.pugetsoundstudios.com
I heard a Basis Inspiration with Vector arm and it's one of the best sounds I've heard!
 

puroagave

Member Sponsor
Sep 29, 2011
1,345
45
970
Does anyone have experience with Basis turntables? I'm interested in the Debut with vacuum hold down. Cheers.

just do it :b my good friend is on his 5th debut, if I trip on one with vacuum at a good price it will replace my TNT in a new York minute.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
I heard a Basis Inspiration with Vector arm and it's one of the best sounds I've heard!

A little bird told me that it was used with an Audio Research Reference 2 Phono and Wilson Audio speakers ... ;)
 

Dre_J

Industry Expert
Mar 5, 2012
478
1
0
Does anyone have experience with Basis turntables? I'm interested in the Debut with vacuum hold down. Cheers.

I have two of them. Including the one you are interested in. Both perform exceptionally well. Especially of it is what you are looking for.

Dre
 

hvbias

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2012
578
38
940
New England area
I did not expect such a strong response :)

Rob any reason your friend is on his 5th, not a reliability thing I hope?
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
9,481
17
0
I did not expect such a strong response :)

Rob any reason your friend is on his 5th, not a reliability thing I hope?

I strongly doubt it. Upgrades up the line I would assume. A.J. Conti is a real mechanical engineer who was a high-end dealer before he became a turntable manufacturer. When he was a high-end dealer, he still had a day job as a mechanical engineer. A.J. is a very smart man who knows how to build quality products. I don't remember ever reading a bad review of any of his tables and arms.
 

puroagave

Member Sponsor
Sep 29, 2011
1,345
45
970
I did not expect such a strong response :)

Rob any reason your friend is on his 5th, not a reliability thing I hope?

to upgrade. he strayed a few times for a 'better' 'table only to come back to the debut and now its his last. fwiw, he owned a versa dynamics 2.3 at the same time (sort of a techdas AF1 of its day) the versa now lives in Italy but he still has a basis. they truly are fit and forget, no fuss no muss 'tables w/ SOTA performance right out of the box.
 

Dre_J

Industry Expert
Mar 5, 2012
478
1
0
I have two of them. Including the one you are interested in. Both perform exceptionally well. Especially of it is what you are looking for.

Dre

Oh what the heck. May as well add a third one to the mix...
 

Cyclotronguy

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
78
13
313
N. CA
I've spent quite a bit of time with AJ, yes he's the real deal Mech. Eng...... and as I recall the Vice Pres of Engineering at a rather respected aerospace firm before he focused his attention to turntables. IOW, not a light-weight!

Cyclotronguy
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
9,481
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0
I've spent quite a bit of time with AJ, yes he's the real deal Mech. Eng...... and as I recall the Vice Pres of Engineering at a rather respected aerospace firm before he focused his attention to turntables. IOW, not a light-weight!

Cyclotronguy


I knew AJ when we were both much younger and he was selling hi-end gear out of his duplex which was pretty much filled wall-to-wall with gear.
 

jdcohenmd

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2010
5
0
906
Great product and great company. A.J. is the real deal. He personally came to my home to setup my Inspiration turntable. He also came back to upgrade my arm to the super arm 9. If your in NH it is a no brainer. All the basis products can be upgraded as well. I have a mint vector 4 with My Sonic labs ultra eminent MC cartridge if your interested. I give Basis and A.J. my highest rating and endorsement. Good luck in your choices.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Great product and great company. A.J. is the real deal. He personally came to my home to setup my Inspiration turntable. He also came back to upgrade my arm to the super arm 9. If your in NH it is a no brainer. All the basis products can be upgraded as well. I have a mint vector 4 with My Sonic labs ultra eminent MC cartridge if your interested. I give Basis and A.J. my highest rating and endorsement. Good luck in your choices.

Gotta pic of the table? :)
 

hvbias

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2012
578
38
940
New England area
I am hoping to have some free time this summer to check them out. They aren't that far from me.

I am strongly leaning towards turntables that offer two tonearm mounts since I want to run a mono cart. Does anyone find the way the arm on the left is mounted to be a bit odd? It looks like cueing the tonearm down into the lead out groove would be tricky since you can't look at the stylus head on (unless you can get behind your rack...)

bastt.jpg
 

dminches

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2011
3,409
2,794
1,410
It is great to hear all the positive reviews. I should be getting my Basis 2200 signature with the calibration base and Vector 4 tonearm on Saturday. I am really looking forward to this weekend.
 

Peter Breuninger

[Industry Expert] Member Sponsor
Jul 20, 2010
1,231
4
0
Now here is the Basis to end all Basis's

 

dminches

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2011
3,409
2,794
1,410
I was just at Audio Connections in Verona, NJ talking to John Rutan. That's where I am getting my Basis. He was talking about his room this September at the NY Audio Show in Brooklyn which will feature Basis, ARC and Vandersteen.
 

PeterA

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2011
12,522
10,688
3,515
USA
Peter, Does anyone actually own a Basis Work of Art? It was developed years ago and it is so rarely seen or discussed. I wonder how it sounds relative to the Inspiration.

My local dealer caries Basis and occasionally has his Debut w/ vacuum running in his reference room. A while back we compared CD to High Rez digital to analog on the Debut during the East Coast introduction of the Magico Q3 with Spectral and MIT. There was no debate. The resolution kept increasing and the vinyl was clearly preferred by the audience. Basis makes excellent turntables.
 

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