New Table Decision.

Gary J

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2018
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I have a tough decision to make regarding a new table to buy. The choice has come down to the new Technics SL-1000R table or the Kuzma Stabi M. I know the Technics is new and untested but if I do not get in on the first run I may have to wait a long time before I can buy one as I have been told the wait time will be long. The Stabi M is a proven design with the 4 point arm and it gets good but not great reviews because there is in every review I have read something that the reviewer does not like about the table. I have also read the SP-10 can sound cold compared to a good belt driven table. Buying a new table is I think the hardest decision to make in audio because there are so many variables. I know there are a lot of SP-10 users out there but has anyone compared the SP-10 to the Stabi M table and if so what are your thoughts. Thanks for the feedback.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Gary, you probably can’t go wrong with either choice. The new Technics may well hit the ground running, and the Stabi M is a highly evolved mature design.
I’m a little confused by your inference that Stabi reviews always contain caveats as to ultimate SQ. Most reviews I’ve read, esp the R Gregory one, do nothing but praise the unit.
 

Gary J

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Jan 11, 2018
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Sprit, Mike Fremer said in his review the Stabi M exhibited less bloom and ease of musical expression compared with other tables and Paul Seydor of the Absolute Sound said there is evidence of a certain fission of liveliness that he did not hear from SME or Basis tables and it did not have the back-ground blackness that those tables have. I am not saying the table is bad just pointing out what other reviewers have said about it. Franc Kuzma is a great guy and he will answer any questions one might have about his tables, that alone means so much to me. Right now it is a tossup to me which way to go, just not sure as I will not have a chance to hear either table before I buy.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Buying without listening first? I’m not sure I could do that.
 

Gary J

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2018
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Sprit I would have to travel hundreds if not thousands of miles to hear the Stabi M table and I am not sure who has one in the USA.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Gary, I understand fully your dilemma. Of course you have no lack of choice in the US on tts that you CAN easily audition.
 

flez007

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Aug 31, 2010
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If you are just considering those two options, and haven't heard the new SP1000 (but owned two SP10 Mk2 in the recent past) - I would go for the Technics and a good cartridge to pair it - namely a Kiseki/Dyna/Ortofon option. If you want to add a third option to your list, I would consider the new Triangle Art recently launched at CES. My two pesos...
 

Gary J

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Jan 11, 2018
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flex007, I have a Basis Debut Vacuum table with a Vector 4 arm but I am wanting to make a change to move up in sound quality. I talked to a dealer in Canada that sells Triangle Art but they are dropping the line because of quality issues.
 

Gary J

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2018
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The Stabi M is around $28000 with a 12" 4 Point arm and the Technics SL-1000R is $20000 with the Technics reference arm, I have a HRS isolation base that will accommodate either table.
 

awsmone

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Apr 6, 2014
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Canberra Australia
For that money have you considered the new GP MONACO MODELS
 

Gary J

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Jan 11, 2018
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awsmone, I have a problem with GP, lets take the 1.5 and 2.0 models, when you look at the two tables they look the same so it is whats inside that makes the difference between the tables. I have talked to the company and they have no upgrade path between models and want you to buy an new table and that bothers me. I think they could offer an upgrade on their models without too much of a problem if they wanted to. AJ Conti when he was alive always offered this path on all of his models to keep his customers up to date without a large expense or having to buy a new table. I understand all table manufactures cannot offer this upgrade path because their tables are designed so differently like Kuzma.
 

Gary J

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2018
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I will have to eat my words, I just checked the GP web site and they now offer the upgrade for their tables but when I called over a year ago they did not offer an upgrade path.
 

awsmone

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Apr 6, 2014
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Canberra Australia

Gary J

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2018
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awsmone, when I talked to them they said the upgrades were to extensive and cost prohibitive, I guess they changed their minds.
 

Gary J

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2018
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I just cannot get used to the looks of the GP tables, they may perform great but the cost of the 2.0 and this is just me talking is too much for what I am looking at.
 

Gary J

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2018
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awsmone, yes I have looked at the 1.0 and if I go that way with direct drive the Technics SL-1000R also comes to mind, it is really a tossup. I have checked out the Stabi M thread on this site and that was the thread that got me thinking about the Stabi M. Thanks for your info.
 

awsmone

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Apr 6, 2014
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with the new sp10 R. it will fit into the sp10 mk2 plinths, is my understanding , so u could get away at half price and not buy plinth of the 1000R, spend that on great arm and cart!
 

Gary J

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2018
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I do not mind paying for the plinth and arm on the new SL-1000R table because overall they look great together. There is a debate on the merits of the new SL-1000R arm going on now on the audiogon forum. Some people say it is a great arm and some say it is a step below and only average. It looks like the arm used on the 1200G table but I do know it is 3/8 of an inch longer. I am not sure about the bearings being more precise then the 1200G arm but I hear the arm is overall a better arm. $20000 is not too much to pay for a table and arm if it is truly a cut above. Mike Fremer said Technics will sell a blank arm board to fit in the prime location if someone wants to change out the arm that comes with the table.
 

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
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Gary,

We're a Technics dealer, and I'm very excited for the new SP-10/1000. I heard it at CES, and it was indeed quite shocking how good it was. A magazine editor was sitting in front of me, in the sweet spot, for quite a while, and then he just turned around and said "Best sound of the show!". That was unexpected...
One of the things I want to try, once we get ours, is to put a Kuzma 4point on it, perhaps even the new 9" version. That should be quite a system. For CES, Technics had, other than the Reference arm on the SP-10, an Ortofon arm as well as an SME, and according to them, the Technics arm was the better of the lot.



cheers,
alex
IMG_0317 (1).jpg
 

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