Spec Corp Jp GMP-8000 tt

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Spec Corp Co Jp Audio GMP-8000, apologies I can't highlight a link.
I thought I'd seen all the substantial tts out there, but this is a new one on me.
And I think it's love at first sight.
16" outsized near 20kg Gunmetal platter for maximum moment of inertia/flywheel effect.
Core-less ripple-free torquey DC motor.
Laminated built-up Finnish Birch ply plinth.
String drive.
Retro 70s design vibe thing going on.
---
Thoughts, opinions, first hand reports.
 

Mike Lavigne

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title.jpg

here ya go.....

http://www.spec-corp.co.jp/e/audio/GMP-8000/

I heard the Spec Corp Jp GMP-8000 in the Devore room at RMAF. it did sound very good in that system as far as that can tell anything, and I loved it's look. very classy.

I would caution you that it's footprint is huge, so do your homework on what space it eats up.
 

spiritofmusic

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I can't even highlight a link, Mike.
How on Earth am I going to handle streaming?
Anyhow, you like this one?
I really struggle w the trend over the last few years to more and more tower/oil rig designs.
I'm smitten by this design, and it's clear, well thought out engineering choices that seen to have been taken to the max.
 

spiritofmusic

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My Stacore is just over 24" wide, this is 26" so should/could work.
 

Mike Lavigne

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I can't even highlight a link, Mike.
How on Earth am I going to handle streaming?

my son has been patient with me. he says 'Dad, just youtube the windows tutorials and watch them, then watch them again. you will get it.' and I did.

so there you go. if you want to learn there is no reason you cannot. no excuses.

Anyhow, you like this one?
I really struggle w the trend over the last few years to more and more tower/oil rig designs.
I'm smitten by this design, and it's clear, well thought out engineering choices that seen to have been taken to the max.

hard to assign it a ranking with such a brief experience. maybe others know it better.
 

spiritofmusic

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Bob and Mike, I'll get there.
Back to the topic in hand...
 

jsn

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A few things that would be reminded:
1. It can only mount one 12" tonearm
2. The gun metal is very easy to be oxidized and lost the bright golden colour but it is possible to restored to its original colour with special lotion from japan and some patience.
3. To order a tone arm base other than the shipped one might not be cheap (check with your dealer firstly if you would like to play with a few tonearms)
4. The sound can be tuned by the tension of the string
5. It is not like the some other high tech turntable with feedback and control circuit to control the spinning accuracy
but depends on the exceptional gigantic inertia moment of the gunmetal platter and highly precision DC core less motor
6. The SPEC people is very willing to answer the queries .
.
By the way if you like the big platter idler turntable, you might like Thomas' 14:
http://thomas-schick.com/en/produkte?cat=plattenspieler
 

spiritofmusic

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Jsn, thanks, do you know how this thing sounds?
 

ALF

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Anyhow, you like this one?
I really struggle w the trend over the last few years to more and more tower/oil rig designs.
I'm smitten by this design, and it's clear, well thought out.

Hey SOM, great thread!!

You are right, "I am smitten by this design, and it's clear, well thought out engineering choices that seem to have been taken to the max." It is a super piece of kit, it is a first class SOTA turntable.

Mike Lavigne, I have heard the SPEC turntable many times. The first time was right after I left David Karmeli's in Utah; while at David's, we spent considerable time listening to the perineal EMT and the AS turntables. The AS was driven by the humble, but always spot-on Micro Seike motor, in this case, the RY-3000. The Spec is the bees knees, super machine that is on par with the EMT turntable with the EMT/SME 3012 tonearms. Another pleasant surprise, was when hearing the SPEC turntable paired with a cartridge like the Nuemann at Davids' and a world class phinostage with ~70 plus dB of gain, it is simply a magical frontend that sits comfortably with its peers at the top of the turntable food change...Mike Lavigne, your words here here, it is what you would call, "an out of earth experience!"

The SPEC products are distributed in the USA by Jonathan H at Tone Imports and found through his dealer network.

While the Neumann carts, best to start with Gypsies...:).

Cheers!
ALF
 

spiritofmusic

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ALF, I love yr super enthusiasm.
I've emailed the company, awaiting reply.
Uber tts seem to be splitting into certain groupings.
1- those absolutely chock full of tech and multiple engineering approaches, like the Air Force, Dohermann etc
2- those doing the oil rig act like the multi story German behemoths
3- those reinvestigating old tech and bringing them back to life like the GPA Monaco DD
4- those taking discontinued tech and refurbing/engineering to the max like the Artisan Fidelity and Torqueo idlers and DDs
5- and interesting examples like this Spec where a certain "as simple as you can do it, but no simpler" ethos has been applied to getting a kind of hybrid btwn the benefits of belt w the advantages of idler/DD ie the torqueyness of a good idler via overdriven flywheel massy 16" diameter platter/core-less ripple-free high output DC motor, yet maintaining the advantages of belt w less noise, better microdynamics, and this artisan standard plinth.
This is the strong impression I'm getting looking at the Spec, all the while wowed by its serious gravitas and other-worldly design/craftsmanship.
The only other tts that are similarly knocking my knees out are David's AS, EMT 927, and my previous interest in the Saskia.
Big issue however, I'm in the UK not Japan or the US, and I suspect I'll be out of luck making ownership a practicality.
---
One last thing, I could imagine another NOS arm on it other than EMT 997 or SME 3012, I'm loving what I'm seeing in the SAEC 506.
 

Tango

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Sometimes we let our individualism, uniqueness, ego get in our way of choosing things. Mainstream tts can actually fill up all sonic and real world requirement we have. But we just want to ignor them because it would be “cool” to have a niche tt not only sound good but unique enough for others to perceive the owner of the system as one of the gurus. For those who want to own just one tt and the best sound from a system, I see no reason why not choosing the mainstream tts like NVS, Kronos, GP Monaco and a few more that you often find at shows with more appproachable price point. These tts are so good if you optimize them to match your system, you can have an unbelivable sound that you canbe so happy and want to share your experience with others. Don’t forget that if your system sound phenomenal, it is really the whole chain. Bonzo went to Mike’s and said it is one of the best system he heard. Did he hear the American Sound? Of course not, it was the NVS. He also went to David’s and listened to his system with AS. I suspect Bonzo might even prefers the sound of Mike’s system with the more mainstream NVS. My point is unless you are tt fanatic and has no restriction on budget, choosing a really good mainstream tt you found in many rooms at shows are a lot more sensible than one rarely seen anywhere at the same price point. Mainstream with dealer’s service to backup..Way to go.

Kind regards,
Tang
 
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bonzo75

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Hi, I really can't say I prefer NVS or AS it is impossible for me to judge. Mike's room is just so fantastic.

But yes if you can put a great system around many components, Pietro just had the Monaco 1.0 and Henk with apogee grands has average electronics. Does not mean I prefer them to many other TTs. Mike's audiophilia is different from David's or from Gian's or from Mik's (Mik is a guy on the forum who owns every TT you can think of plus more). And maybe 200 arms. Or from my audiophilia
 

Tango

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Hi, I really can't say I prefer NVS or AS it is impossible for me to judge. Mike's room is just so fantastic.

Exactly my point. You can’t. So just get the tt that is decent enough and keep tweaking your system until it sound fantastic. Don’t worry too much about which tt might even be better or cooler.
 

bonzo75

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Exactly my point. You can’t. So just get the tt that is decent enough and keep tweaking your system until it sound fantastic. Don’t worry too much about which tt might even be better or cooler.

Which is fine if your audiophilia is to get the final system sound. Some just want to have different sounding great TTs as analog becomes a hobby in itself. Do you know anyone like this personally? Spirit does have a component hobby though he might say he is in here just for the music
 

spiritofmusic

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Sure Tang, I 100% get that.
I am drawn to boutique brands, a factor of me being a small brand myself in the therapy world with big hitters around me, and my preference to spend money with products where I feel more personally connected to the designer as well.
I also love design ethos, and for at least some of these reasons, plus total left field suprise at a tt I've NEVER seen before, the Spec is my current "most lusted over".
It was David's AS2000 last week LOL
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Atm I can tell you that based on a likely upper budget of £25k, contenders for a final final tt purchase are likely to be this Spec, Kuzma Stabi M, GPA Parabolica, Primary Control Kinea, and the to-be-released SP10R, w possibility of PTP Solid 12 and Torqueo Marsala.
 

bonzo75

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I do think many like to approach this as a game, where they play to figure out something. What that something is, can differ.

Spirit likes to play find the esoteric manufacturer. David might be find the vintage thing that kills modern, not sure, and obviously analog designs. I personally like find the highest value at different price points. Ron likes to also find something that confirms to theoretical design understanding that he has. And so on. Just saying superficially, sure it's much deeper. But point is going to a show and just buying any TT can get pretty damn boring
 

spiritofmusic

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Yep Ked, I have a fatal weakness for obscure or under represented brands.
I'd probably have championed Lampi at the start, but they have enough supporters now without me chipping in.
But I'm also into bulletproof leading edge tech with personalised support hence my admiration of SGM.
I just have little personal draw to the "usual suspects".
No criticism of them or those that have invested in them.
 

bonzo75

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I don't think that's a weakness, that's your hobby. Everyone has their own OCD in audiophilia.
 

spiritofmusic

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Ked, I should have said "fatal attraction".
And tbh, it's a disadvantage in the high end world, esp analog, but also probably spkrs, to conciously turn away from tried and tested specimens like SME 30 or TW AC3 or Brinkmann Balance, and actively choose instead PTP or Torqueo or Primary Control or Spec or Saskia or EMT, or indeed AS (if I was a big enough player at that level).
Maybe I'll do a total 180 and go new SP10R LOL!
 

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