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New Turntable: Trying to Decide - Please advise?

I'd go a completely different direction, and import a Yamaha GT-2000(/L), with external power supply, and stick a nice cartridge on it. You could do that for within your budget, and have a bit left over to buy some more records or to put towards a phono pre upgrade. It might not be a "trendy" purchase, but you wouldn't regret the move, sonically.


[:scratch2:...Not only is that what I would do, in fact, that's what I did, except that I bought locally from someone who did the importing! :D]
 
I've had a Scout for three years and I'm very satisfied. It sits on 4 Ginkgo Cloud balls, which rests on a marble top that itself is situated on top of some cardas myrtle wood blocks. I run it with an Ortofon 2M Black.

The unipivot works fine, but you have to be careful about footfalls. VERY sensitive.
 
I have a VPI Classic and the Marantz TT-15s1. I like them both, but the VPI is clearly a better turntable both sonically and in build quality. As for VPIs using MDF...well, what else would they need to use? It's an excellent damping material. The Classic uses an even larger block of it, with a steel plate on top, and it's about as solid of a sounding turntable as you're going to find in this price range IMHO (haven't heard a GT-2000 but part of my love of the VPI Classic is its arm). I'm currently running a Benz Glider on the VPI and it's a wonderful matchup.

The Marantz is a nice turntable but the motor seems pretty lightweight...I like a bit more torque in my turntables. Its not rigidly mounted like the classic and it's just kind of non-reassuring when you go to turn it on and the motor is just sitting there, moving a bit every time you touch it. This would also apply to the Clearaudio Emotion I suppose, they're very similar turntables.

I've heard the Clearaudio Concept at length and have thought about trading my TT-15s1 in towards one. But the Marantz sounds very nice. It just lacks the 'weight' of the sound of the VPI Classic. The Classic digs deeper and hits harder. It's speed stability is rock solid, too. The UniPivot takes a bit more care in setup but you get used to it quickly and it works very well.

Good luck. I don't think there's a bad turntable in your list...just that it might come down to personal listening impressions as well as whether you like the look and feel of the turntable. One of the reasons I like my Classic so much is that it just feels SOLID. Everything is locked in place and there is no tweaking. I am not a fan of tweaker-tables, for what it's worth, like LP-12s. Just not what I want to be worrying about..I like to buy, set up, then listen listen listen.
 
I owned a Rega Planar 3 for years, then upgraded to a Planar 25. A few months later I upgrade to a used VPI Scout. The Scout was a HUGE upgrade from the P25. I had two good cartridges on hand at the time: a Benz Micro Glider M2 and Dynavector Karat D17M2. The Scout sounded significantly better than the Rega with both cartridges, and it was especially magical with the Dynavector.
 
JohnVF said:
I have a VPI Classic and the Marantz TT-15s1. I like them both, but the VPI is clearly a better turntable both sonically and in build quality. As for VPIs using MDF...well, what else would they need to use? It's an excellent damping material. The Classic uses an even larger block of it, with a steel plate on top, and it's about as solid of a sounding turntable as you're going to find in this price range IMHO (haven't heard a GT-2000 but part of my love of the VPI Classic is its arm). I'm currently running a Benz Glider on the VPI and it's a wonderful matchup.

The Marantz is a nice turntable but the motor seems pretty lightweight...I like a bit more torque in my turntables. Its not rigidly mounted like the classic and it's just kind of non-reassuring when you go to turn it on and the motor is just sitting there, moving a bit every time you touch it. This would also apply to the Clearaudio Emotion I suppose, they're very similar turntables.

I've heard the Clearaudio Concept at length and have thought about trading my TT-15s1 in towards one. But the Marantz sounds very nice. It just lacks the 'weight' of the sound of the VPI Classic. The Classic digs deeper and hits harder. It's speed stability is rock solid, too. The UniPivot takes a bit more care in setup but you get used to it quickly and it works very well.

Good luck. I don't think there's a bad turntable in your list...just that it might come down to personal listening impressions as well as whether you like the look and feel of the turntable. One of the reasons I like my Classic so much is that it just feels SOLID. Everything is locked in place and there is no tweaking. I am not a fan of tweaker-tables, for what it's worth, like LP-12s. Just not what I want to be worrying about..I like to buy, set up, then listen listen listen.
Click to expand...

On the issue of the Scout being MDF, you're missing the context. There was a comment that Rega uses cheap materials on their decks. My point was that the competition uses materials that are cheap, too. I am not saying they should use anything else. I'm saying that it's an inexpensive material, just like the Rega.
 
Very helpful info John, appreciate your thoughts.

The Classic is a gorgeous table and by all accounts sonically fantastic too. I am hoping to hear one this week.

I just heard the Clearaudio Concept and thought it was an very good sounding table, and I imagine with the right cart would be excellent.

A number of people have strongly recommended the Concept over the Emotion/Marantz, even the Emotion CMB, as having a stronger midrange.

I am curious John, you mention you have listened a lot to the Concept, which cart did it have on it? How did it compare to your Marantz and Classic VPI?

Thanks again.

JohnVF said:
I have a VPI Classic and the Marantz TT-15s1. I like them both, but the VPI is clearly a better turntable both sonically and in build quality. As for VPIs using MDF...well, what else would they need to use? It's an excellent damping material. The Classic uses an even larger block of it, with a steel plate on top, and it's about as solid of a sounding turntable as you're going to find in this price range IMHO (haven't heard a GT-2000 but part of my love of the VPI Classic is its arm). I'm currently running a Benz Glider on the VPI and it's a wonderful matchup.

The Marantz is a nice turntable but the motor seems pretty lightweight...I like a bit more torque in my turntables. Its not rigidly mounted like the classic and it's just kind of non-reassuring when you go to turn it on and the motor is just sitting there, moving a bit every time you touch it. This would also apply to the Clearaudio Emotion I suppose, they're very similar turntables.

I've heard the Clearaudio Concept at length and have thought about trading my TT-15s1 in towards one. But the Marantz sounds very nice. It just lacks the 'weight' of the sound of the VPI Classic. The Classic digs deeper and hits harder. It's speed stability is rock solid, too. The UniPivot takes a bit more care in setup but you get used to it quickly and it works very well.

Good luck. I don't think there's a bad turntable in your list...just that it might come down to personal listening impressions as well as whether you like the look and feel of the turntable. One of the reasons I like my Classic so much is that it just feels SOLID. Everything is locked in place and there is no tweaking. I am not a fan of tweaker-tables, for what it's worth, like LP-12s. Just not what I want to be worrying about..I like to buy, set up, then listen listen listen.
Click to expand...
 
Fashionboy said:
Thanks for that! I did contact the seller but he would not ship to Canada :( Otherwise would have purchased this table. Don't see them come up used very much.
Click to expand...

I saw another one(for less!) on AGon. It was an older listing from a dealer in Cal. He states in his add that he would ship to Canada.

I guess that the rules are so I can't post a link but the date of the ad is 1/30. HTH, Preston
 
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