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McIntosh Turntable Poll

McIntosh TT -- Too soon to tell?

I like the fact that the platter will light up blue. A nice Mac touch. But I'll wait for the tt to be vetted by its owner base. After the MCD 201 problems, I will just pretend I am from Missouri. Last night, I happened to browse through my copy of the Mac book and was struck by the number of references to the concept of reliability. I intend to make sure the tt is a rock solid performer before ponying up 8 grand.

The front meter looks too big--garish--in the photos, but may not be in reality. It should be easy to remove, tone down, or supplement in a way that makes it less offensive, if in fact it is. To me, the height of the platter is not a problem.
 
Naw, naw guys...

Ain't ye all never had no art appreciation classes ? Where ye gits
to go one o' dem museums and see ugly Picasso paintings and are told
they are good art ? :scratch2:

Jist gotta see dat MAC TT is really classy :banana:

Yep sho' nuf is boss !
 
My wife asked me to post her opinion of the turntable. I quote, "It looks like they gutted an amp and made a turntable out of it. That's ugly".
I venture to assume the Mc turntable in this household would have a very low SAF. Carbonlady loves her Thorens TD126.
 
Love my Thorens TD126 MkIII too...and was quitely hoping that McIntosh would take some styling cues from this classic...practical dustcover, big broadcast type illuminated push buttons.
 

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Knowledge is expensive because the cost of ignorance is huge" only a brand chaser would pay $7k for a skinny, dd, dustcover attached deck and won't the meter have the usual off switch? Down to business and thanks to r-c's pics the tonearm migh be based on the clearaudio unify(not the headshell) a decent sub$2k option appropriate for this price range and based on most comments would be a upgrade for most of you. It would then be a linn style mount which gives you many aftermarket premium choices which you would mate with your choice of cartridge, an ala carte option would difficult for dealers to support. Talk about looks when you have seen it, I think the gyro deck is a good table but the orbe is where that line starts to shine and isn't the well respected orbe big and gauddy to anyone but vinyl lovers? A word of advice clearaudio has "panzer wood" and synthetic stone pliniths which resolve the ringyness and lightweight sound associated with CA and everyone elses acrylic bases. I hate to say this but the vinyl world has passed many by and I hope MC doesn't pander to people who are too worried about looks...it is supposed to match the style of your other components not some cheezy $200 rega with a 1/2 inch GLASS platter.
 
How McIntosh can/could have made a great turntable:

1. Use a badass direct-drive mechanism. McIntosh seems to pride itself in it's measured specs, and DD tables seem to rule the roost in this area, especially if you use a very high quality synchronized motor bolted straight to a dense platter, on a beefy plinth.

2. Multiple, interchangable armboards. Use any tonearm you want. Multiple tonearms for 33/45/78 carts

3. Support every speed ever used. 16-2/3, 33-1/3, 45, and 78.

4. Make a dedicated stand available, team up with Billy Bags or whomever and do a really classy 'table stand, or wall-mount.

5. I like the meter idea, real-time monitoring of RPM variation, or real-time monitoring of wow/flutter/rumble/whatever.

6. Related to the above, how about a built-in system for calibrating everything? Bundle in a test record and built-in meter presets for adjusting your tonearm.

7. To go along with supporting every record type ever made, how about a really high quality phono preamp that supports all the major EQ curves, ala Boulder or Aesthetix? Adjustable everything as well, please (impedance, gain, capacitance, etc...)
 
jbmcb said:
How McIntosh can/could have made a great turntable:

1. Use a badass direct-drive mechanism.
Click to expand...

For my own edification can someone point me to a single high-end turntable that uses a direct drive mechanism? ;) Every example I’ve ever seen is belt driven.
 
All along, I pictured an elegant, clean looking, no-nonsense turntable from McIntosh, this is pretty much along the lines of what I envisioned McIntosh doing. Don't know why.
dps-3-start.jpg

dps-walnut.jpg

dps-underside2.jpg
 
PHC1 said:
All along, I pictured an elegant, clean looking, no-nonsense turntable from McIntosh, this is pretty much along the lines of what I envisioned McIntosh doing. Don't know why.
Click to expand...


Damn that is a nice looking table!! Maybe send some McIntosh blue light through the acrylic(?) platter a la LED's to make it all matchy matchy.

That McIntosh table looks pretty corny. Like a big ol' monoblock amp with a TT stuck on top as an afterthought.
 
this is still may favourite part of that website:

They start out by using solid state devices which have a low (narrow) inherent (open loop) bandwidth, with very poor high frequency response (perhaps only up to 2 Hz, or 20 Hz).

The guy is on crack.
 
Direct drive tables? Well the very best records are cut using the Technics SP02 cutting lath motor. Both DD and belt can work well. Most high end belt drives are using a motor that operates just like a DD but with a belt. Either very high torque or a high mass platter or both are needed if you do not want soft bass...
By the way the above article is a bunch of whooy unless you are talking about the cheapest non Quartz DD tables.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
i think everyone agrees the Mac needs some aesthetic modification to be universally appealing. All companies have made ugly things- they get over it and move on. After all, if it doesn't sell it won't last.
 
I find it amazing that some seem to think the MT10 needs a redesign. If we thought that we would have say X interest in the table at the show we were in for a shock. The truth is it was more like 10X.
The dealers and show goers went nuts over it but of course they actually saw it rather than a poor web photo. Since these folks actually sell tables I guess their vote is the one that counts.
Everyone will be quite pleased with the performance and sound of the MT10.
My final comment on the table for now.

thanks,
Ron-C
 
ron-c said:
I find it amazing that some seem to think the MT10 needs a redesign. If we thought that we would have say X interest in the table at the show we were in for a shock. The truth is it was more like 10X.
The dealers and show goers went nuts over it but of course they actually saw it rather than a poor web photo. Since these folks actually sell tables I guess their vote is the one that counts.
Everyone will be quite pleased with the performance and sound of the MT10.
My final comment on the table for now.

thanks,
Ron-C
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry too much ron (not that you sound that way), most people were already less "shocked" when seeing your photos. Stereophile's photo was taken with an upward angle making the plate look a lot higher than it really is. It was the first pic and it was a very bad one.

Maybe take a shot from right in from (at a straight angle) and post that?

And it's true that mac gear always looks it's best in real life, not in photo ;)

Thanks.
 
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