High End Turntables

Mine isn't exactly high end...but I enjoy it nonetheless. It's a modified Sota Moonbeam with a ProJect acrylic platter...Herbies isolation feet...Rega RB-330 arm and a
AT VMN50SH cartridge.

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Starting to get more things in place with the Holbo air bearing table....
How is it sounding? I saw a very impressive review of it recently. I may keep it on my shortlist as I'm looking at a Clearaudio turntable with a TT5 arm in the next couple of years.
 
Wildcat, my listening has been limited as I still do not have my phono stage yet, but getting close. I have listened to it though, I had the table sitting on its own small “end table” before I got this rack set up, and also was borrowing a Croft RIAA tubed phono stage.

The table sounds very good to say the least, I really enjoyed the midrange and detail, what surprised me a bit was the bass end of things, very solid and quite deep. The arm and with my admitted, very entry level cartridge, seems to be able to get a lot out of the grooves. I am liking it a lot.

While the reviews say it is difficult to set up, I really find it no more difficult than any other table, it just has its own little quirks, and once you get to understand it’s mechanics and how each thing is affected, it is really easy. Like most tables, taking ones time and not rushing things pays off. But I am still learning too, it has been awhile for me on the analog end of things!

It is a very quiet table, and the pump is very quiet as well. My motor had a slight bit of run in noise at first, but it all smoothed out really quickly with a bit of use. More later!
 
This makes mine look like a mere toy in comparison, but then again, I doubt price wise, they aren’t even close! Nice looking table though, a bit bling for me....
Well, This is what you do If you find two monster slabs of aluminum in a scrap yard. No bling required.
 
The table sounds very good to say the least, I really enjoyed the midrange and detail, what surprised me a bit was the bass end of things, very solid and quite deep. The arm and with my admitted, very entry level cartridge, seems to be able to get a lot out of the grooves. I am liking it a lot.
I'm not too happy with my current turntable (posted earlier), which is why long-term, I'm looking at upgrading to something with a better build quality. Can't say the sound is bad though--still the best I've ever heard in my own system. And I think I finally have a cartridge I can live with (the ART7).

I'm thinking I want to try a linear tracker. Aside from yours, and the Clearaudio TT5 arm (which can mount to many of their turntables), Brinkmann also has a linear tracker. It's good to hear that you're enjoying yours! It gives me hope that I won't end up with something I will dislike, and it's good to have more choices when making The Big Purchase. ;)

I'm more interested in a phono stage at the moment. The Phonomena II+ is too noisy with an MC cart. Already have the replacement decided on and when one turns up, I'm good to go.
 
After building dozen's of high performance phono stages finally went to transformer step-ups.

What an eye opener, Peerless 4722 transformers are blowing my mind.

Bass and top end are superb, But the midrange detail is astounding.

Even inexpensive transformers sound better than most MC head amps and will solve your noise problem.
 
I'm thinking I want to try a linear tracker.

The best deal in town, build quality and known performer is the Eminent Technology ET 2 arm. I have one I'm going to get rid of just because of my floors are bounce. A air bearing needs to stay level and doesn't like any bouncing movement or it will skip. But it's a really good arm at a low price and all parts are serviceable, upgrades for arm wands are available as well.
 
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Even inexpensive transformers sound better than most MC head amps and will solve your noise problem.
I have some Hashimoto step-ups on my radar, but won't get those until the phono stage comes up for sale. I wanted an all-in-one phono stage so I could avoid more clutter (shelves, interconnects, more "boxes" to hide, etc.) but yeah, I really don't think any MC-capable phono stage out there can get things as quiet as I'd like, especially since my two MCs are very low output (ART7, and XX2 Mk. II). At least the phono stage will match the rest of my system when I'm done. ;) (And won't have an annoying blue LED in it either!)
 
Annoying blue led’s, I hear you on that one. I am half tempted to change all mine out, I tend to just like green ones for on, maybe red for warmup or mute. Have to say though, the blue ones on my gear aren’t those freaking laser pointer blinding types, somewhat subdued, thank God!
 
Wanted to step up my game, below is the final result. All the main components were procured separately; starting with a vintage Denon DP80 drive. Next issue was deciding on a plinth. I knew I wanted to be able to eventually migrate to a 12” arm. This meant the plinth had to offer adequate real estate. Solution came in the form of a Denon DK110 solid wood constrained layer style plinth I located on a Japanese site. To get a feel for the size check out the thumbnail pic showing it sitting next to my Dual.

One thing I had to address was the fact that the armboard was already drilled for a shorter arm. I filled in the arm hole by gluing in a piece of wooden dowel along with some filler, then sanded the surface flush, finishing things off by resurfacing the top face in a contrasting wood finish. I also replaced the original boring armboard hold down screws with threaded rod that I topped off with brass finger nuts. Just because I like how they look!

For a 12” arm I was originally planning on one of the new Jelco’s. But fortune intervened, around the same time a 12” Reed 3P hybrid unipivot arm popped up on a local audio mart; there’s a no brainer! Completing the setup is a reissue Kiseki Purpleheart NS cartridge. Pleased at how it all turned out.

DP80_1.JPG denon&dual.JPG
 
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Annoying blue led’s, I hear you on that one. I am half tempted to change all mine out, I tend to just like green ones for on, maybe red for warmup or mute. Have to say though, the blue ones on my gear aren’t those freaking laser pointer blinding types, somewhat subdued, thank God!
My C-J preamp uses amber (orange?) LEDs, and they are nice and subtle while still being highly visible. Yet everything else? The phono stage, an HDMI switcher, the Epson printer/scanner, the computer monitor, and the power light on my computer (which flashes in sleep mode) all have a blue glow, and some of these are bright enough to cast shadows in the room at night when all the other lights are out.
 
Pleased at how it all turned out.
Nice rig! :thumbsup:

Are those M-125 monoblocks on your rack? I'm curious if you made the wood end caps for those, as the big turnoff of Latino's amps for me was how unappealing they look. The wood at least makes them look more finished.
 
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