Best tables from 1991 as per Voyd

[bonzo75]

Mandatory self isolation reading

Audiophile's Feb '91 issue - included is a review of the Voyd turntable, plus a feature 'The World's Best Turntables' which includes 4 models - the LP12, Roksan Xerxes, Townshend Rock Reference and VPI TNT.


http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb353/voyduser/img116.jpg

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb353/voyduser/img117.jpg

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb353/voyduser/img118.jpg

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ah, how I remember the Xerxes. My first high end tt in 1997. Life was so much simpler pre-Covid...

 

[ddk]

Mandatory self isolation reading

Audiophile's Feb '91 issue - included is a review of the Voyd turntable, plus a feature 'The World's Best Turntables' which includes 4 models - the LP12, Roksan Xerxes, Townshend Rock Reference and VPI TNT.


http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb353/voyduser/img116.jpg

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb353/voyduser/img117.jpg

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb353/voyduser/img118.jpg

To be honest Ked I owned all these tts and the best one was the LP12 which I would rate as acceptable the rest weren't anything to get excited about.

david

 

[bonzo75]

To be honest Ked I owned all these tts and the best one was the LP12 which I would rate as acceptable the rest weren't anything to get excited about.

david

I am aware of that, that's why I said mandatory reading in isolation as you have nothing else to do

 

[Solypsa]

What I would like to see is best of 1981 versus best of 1991. I know where my money would be

 

[bazelio]

I liked the Xerxes. But only heard the one that had been updated many times over by Roksan since '91 LoL

 

[spiritofmusic]

Bazelio, I lived with an all-Roksan analog front end: Xerxes X/Artemiz/Shiraz/ArtaXerxes, btwn 1997 and 2000. My abiding memory was of a more neutral sound than the euphonically coloured Linn LP12 I could have bought at the time. But also a pervading greyness to the sound, almost the kind of gritty, glarey sound I've heard from some cheaper DDs and 80s digital.

 

[bonzo75]

What I would like to see is best of 1981 versus best of 1991. I know where my money would be

Yes it will be very interesting to read such articles through the decades to see how opinions changed

 

[tima]

Yes it will be very interesting to read such articles through the decades to see how opinions changed

It might be interesting to learn what restoration efforts are (were) active for which tables. It would seem tables worth restoring and maintaing are ones worth having.

I'm more interested in improvements. What are the most significant improvements in the past 3-4 decades? Or from a different angle, what were the trends?

 

[bazelio]

Bazelio, I lived with an all-Roksan analog front end: Xerxes X/Artemiz/Shiraz/ArtaXerxes, btwn 1997 and 2000. My abiding memory was of a more neutral sound than the euphonically coloured Linn LP12 I could have bought at the time. But also a pervading greyness to the sound, almost the kind of gritty, glarey sound I've heard from some cheaper DDs and 80s digital.

All Roksan - I can't comment. The Roksan Xerxes 20 Plus table is what I've heard. With a good cart and in a good system, I think it's a great lower cost table. I'd not hesitate to recommend it over other options such as VPI, for example.

 

[Walnut Horns]

I owned a Roksan TMS2, which I really enjoyed. When Roksan ceased production of the TMS line, dealers were blowing out the TMS3 at ridiculously low prices. Wish I bought one.

 

[PeterA]

It might be interesting to learn what restoration efforts are (were) active for which tables. It would seem tables worth restoring and maintaing are ones worth having.

I'm more interested in improvements. What are the most significant improvements in the past 3-4 decades? Or from a different angle, what were the trends?

I would be interested in learning this too. Some would argue that there are no tables better than those considered "Beyond" from the 70s-80s. I suspect the ideas are not new, but perhaps there is room for improvements in implementation. Don't really know.

 

[bonzo75]

I would be interested in learning this too. Some would argue that there are no tables better than those considered "Beyond" from the 70s-80s. I suspect the ideas are not new, but perhaps there is room for improvements in implementation. Don't really know.

Sonically, all you need to do is listen to the old ones, and the new ones. If you want to talk about design differences and technical stuff, ddk, G, Mik (when he feels better), Schroeder if you meet him at Munich, and a few others can walk you through it.

I am interested in articles like these because it is amusing to see how perceptions and attitudes changed. Sometimes while doing a search I come across older comments from people who have since gone on to much bigger budget systems, and those are interesting as well, since you know them now, but it is just interesting how they thought earlier. If you go to audiogon, you will see Marc with many posts years ago on Mike's and Albert Porter's thread talking about his TT and LT. So ok, some things don't change, but some do.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

my first turntable when i got back into high end audio in 1994 was a used VPI TNT Mk2. i owned it for 2 years. had a Graham 1.5tc arm and Blue Point special cartridge.

it was ok.

but what did i know?

moved on to a Basis 2500 with the Graham arm and a Koetsu RSP cartridge, which was much better.

 

[bonzo75]

my first turntable when i got back into high end audio in 1994 was a used VPI TNT Mk2. i owned it for 2 years. had a Graham 1.5tc arm and Blue Point special cartridge.

it was ok.

but what did i know?

moved on to a Basis 2500 with the Graham arm and a Koetsu RSP cartridge, which was much better.

One thing for sure, Mike, even when I come across old posts of yours on the Gon, there is the same zeal in sharing, discussing, and pushing yourself that you have today. Budgets and components might have changed, but you have been as engaging and relentless and focused

 

[Zero000]

Guy Adams the Voyd man used to work at the same company as me. I went round to his place to hear the Voyd.

Was a Cyalene, IO and Audio Innovations Second Audio Monos on Snell Type J. Interesting system set up in a cellar.

I kept my Gyrodec, which I still own.

This must have been around 1988 -1989.

Lotta people in the UK still like Voyds to this day.

 

[bonzo75]

Guy sergeant was a member of the two man design team when he was in college. He is on this forum as guyser but rarely posts

 

[Zero000]

He's an AA man.