How many turntables did you audition before you settled on one?

caesar · Apr 5, 2012

I have a baby, so a TT is not an option. But I am curious about this question. Turntables are almost as hard to audition as speakers due to setup issues. How did you guys arrive at your brand? What was your selection process?

mep · Apr 5, 2012

The question should have been "how many turntables did you buy before you settled on one?"

caesar · Apr 5, 2012

mep said:
The question should have been "how many turntables did you buy before you settled on one?"

Makes a lot of sense. Care to answer it?

NorthStar · Apr 5, 2012

Yeah, my first turntable that I bought, I didn't even audition first.
Was back in 67 I believe, and maybe was a BSR one; can't remember for certain.

But one ting I know fo sur though; I bought it with my own money. :b

mep · Apr 5, 2012

I don't even know if I could count how many tables I have owned since I was a teenager.

Johnny Vinyl · Apr 5, 2012

mep said:
I don't even know if I could count how many tables I have owned since I was a teenager.

Me neither, but my first one was a Garrard in 1969 or thereabouts. Had it hooked up to a Realistic Receiver and some Optimus bookshelves. Man..those were the days.

mep · Apr 5, 2012

My first table was a Garrard also and I thought it was the bomb when I was 15. The best tables I owned were the Sota Star Sapphire, the VPI TNT, and my current SP-10 MKII with the SME 312s.

vinylphilemag · Apr 5, 2012

My first ever turntable was some Goldring Lenco something or other; nothing fancy at all and was a hand-me-down.

My first real turntable was a Roksan Xerxes, in piano lacquer black. It had a rewired Rega RB300 arm, and a modified Audio Technica AT-F7 MC cartridge. I'd listened to a few other TTs in that price range, including the Linn Sondek. It finally came down to the PInk Triangle PT Too or the Xerxes. I spent a couple of intensive hours comparing them before settling on the Roksan. Ironically, I later decided that the PT Too would've been the better option!

Johnny Vinyl · Apr 6, 2012

vinylphilemag said:
My first ever turntable was some Goldring Lenco something or other; nothing fancy at all and was a hand-me-down.

My first real turntable was a Roksan Xerxes, in piano lacquer black. It had a rewired Rega RB300 arm, and a modified Audio Technica AT-F7 MC cartridge. I'd listened to a few other TTs in that price range, including the Linn Sondek. It finally came down to the PInk Triangle PT Too or the Xerxes. I spent a couple of intensive hours comparing them before settling on the Roksan. Ironically, I later decided that the PT Too would've been the better option!

Rob just picked this up new. We're having another get together on May 12th, so I'm looking forward to hearing it in action.

garylkoh · Apr 6, 2012

mep said:
My first table was a Garrard also and I thought it was the bomb when I was 15. The best tables I owned were the Sota Star Sapphire, the VPI TNT, and my current SP-10 MKII with the SME 312s.

That Sota Star (which is a Sapphire with the vacuum) is spectacular. It was one of the turntables which I would have almost given up the Roksan for a couple of years ago. I demo'ed with the Satellite - their budget model - and I was astounded by the performance.

My first turntable (which I shared with my sister) only played 45's and had a plastic arm and built-in speakers. My dad had a Lenco at the time. I've gone through the Rega, Linn, Systemdek. Flirted with high-mass Japanese Micro Seiki, but for the past 25 years, it's been various Roksan models with Rega P9 and SOTA Sapphire in between. Currently running a modded Xerses 20+.

flez007 · Apr 6, 2012

I have not settled yet!

but some memorable ones i owned were the AR XA, a Denon DP80, a Linn Axis, a Thorend TD124, a Michel GyroDeck SE and of course my current EMT 938. (the XA was a game-changing experience).

jazdoc · Apr 6, 2012

A few years ago I decided to purchase my 'last' turntable to replace my 20 year old Linn Sondek and auditioned multiple models including the following:

Linn Sondek (current production)
Redpoint
SME 30
SME 20
Teres
TW Acustic Raven AC

I purchased a Galibier Stelvio and have been very happy with my decision. Image is of current production Stelvio II model:

Odyno · Apr 6, 2012

It all started with dad Garrard, then a Sony with a strobe ;-)
from the Sony a Rega Planar 2 with a Jelco and a AKG P15 and later a Grado signature8
A Thorens TD160 with the TP arm and the Grado for a very short period.
Then a LP12 with Itock for over 20 years.........
Still have the Linn but beside had a Well Tempered with it's arm, a Roksan Xerxes completely rebuilt with a hot rodded RB300.....
I have a SOTA star sapphire at this time that Kirk should be giving me a diagnostic any time soon.
Also have few arm on stan-by, a rewired Akito with Audio-Note a Jelco and a Alphason Opal.

Doctor, is this the result of a turntable deprivation in my childhood?

vinylphilemag · Apr 6, 2012

John72953 said:
Rob just picked this up new. We're having another get together on May 12th, so I'm looking forward to hearing it in action.

Cool! I just tried to find a photo of mine with a very quick Google search, but found nothing. When I get a few mins, I'll try to find one of my photos, or scan in the original brochure.

rockitman · Apr 6, 2012

It took me 3 w/in a span of a little more than a year. I have reached my happiness point.

garylkoh · Apr 6, 2012

vinylphilemag said:
Cool! I just tried to find a photo of mine with a very quick Google search, but found nothing. When I get a few mins, I'll try to find one of my photos, or scan in the original brochure.

This one?

MylesBAstor · Apr 6, 2012

This was what I considered my "first" high-end tonearm back in the early '80s. Way ahead of its time with adjustable VTA on the fly!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Victor-JVC-...ultDomain_0&hash=item3a72b67069#ht_500wt_1196

Mounted it on a Rega 3 turntable.

vinylphilemag · Apr 6, 2012

garylkoh said:
This one?

Nope! Mine was one of the originals, without the turrets on the front.

microstrip · Apr 6, 2012

Mu first serious turntable was the cheapest Pioneer in the late 70's. Currently I have a Forsell Airforce one. Perhaps about 40 others in-between ... The best represented brands along these years: Thorens and Oracle. Only two or three of all these were bought new, most of them were part-excahnges coming from dealers, and after 1990, from people giving up vinyl.

mep · Apr 6, 2012

My first *high-end* turntable was the original AR table. I was in the military at the time and I bought it off a guy who had just returned from Germany. He bought the table at the famous BX store that used to reside on every large military base. He was intimidated by the fact that the turntable wasn’t completely assembled when he opened the carton and decided it wasn’t for him. I bought it for next to nothing and had it up and running in no time with a Grado cartridge.

After that, things become blurry until my first really good table. I had a Phillips 312, some BIC that I can’t remember the model number of, and a Thorens table and arm that I never thought much of. After that, I bought a brand new second series AR table with a Premier MMT arm. After that came my first SOTA Star Sapphire. After that came a second SOTA Star Sapphire and then a VPI TNT table. And now I have the Technics SP-10 MKII.

How many turntables did you audition before you settled on one?

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