THE turntable for me, if I had $2500...
- Thread starter Inspiribomb
- Start date
goldear
Certifiable Audio Junkie
That is an impressive looking unit!
Yes, Kenwood is generally considered to be a mass market brand, but I have found it fascinating to see some of the top offerings by some of these companies when they have decided to really try to build something special. Usually these units represent engineering tour-de fource efforts, not tweaky pieces with sold silver wiring, and gold-plated teflon capacitors.
When I was younger, I might have been too snobby to have given a deck like this very serious consideration simply because it is direct drive, and Japanese. But likewise, I might have shugged off a Kenwood, or Sansui tuner for similar reasoning, and I would have been dead wrong to do so! Despite being mass market brands, they clearly knew how to make some truly excellent tuners!
But, I no longer care about prestige like I once did, and so what really matters to me is how a piece actually sounds, and performs. I have no idea if this is a really good sounding TT or not, but I would love to hear one, if only to find out.
Yes, Kenwood is generally considered to be a mass market brand, but I have found it fascinating to see some of the top offerings by some of these companies when they have decided to really try to build something special. Usually these units represent engineering tour-de fource efforts, not tweaky pieces with sold silver wiring, and gold-plated teflon capacitors.
When I was younger, I might have been too snobby to have given a deck like this very serious consideration simply because it is direct drive, and Japanese. But likewise, I might have shugged off a Kenwood, or Sansui tuner for similar reasoning, and I would have been dead wrong to do so! Despite being mass market brands, they clearly knew how to make some truly excellent tuners!
But, I no longer care about prestige like I once did, and so what really matters to me is how a piece actually sounds, and performs. I have no idea if this is a really good sounding TT or not, but I would love to hear one, if only to find out.
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Dismissed in the '70s because it was a Kenwood.
There was(still is?)the perception in the 70's/early80's that anything which came out of Japan was sh*t.The possible exceptions being Nakamichi for their cassette decks and Stax for their headphones,which were lauded as being the best that money could buy,by many accounts.
The L-07D was reviewed in England by a fellow named Howard Popeck who stated that he preferred it to the Linn Sondek.I guess that made him a lot of friends at the time.
Recently the British magazine HI-FI WORLD did a comparison between the L-07D and a new spec Michell Orbe.The reviewer said that the Orbe was better in some repects,but the Kenwood was ultimately the better turntable.
I have been an owner of an Oracle Alexandria for about 20 years now,I bought a Yamaha PX-3 on the 'bay about 2 years ago and fell for it's wonderful sound quality.The Yamaha PX-2 I own now sounds even better. :yes:
The overall dismissal of the top quality Japanese gear during the 70's/80's leads me to believe most Hi-Fi reviewers are on the take.Especially when you consider that the direct drive TT's that they were dimissing give a high percentage of their perfomance without a silly level of tweeking(not that they don't benefit from that of course).Whereas the belt drives that everyone was going ga-ga about are excruciatingly difficult to keep in top tune. :cry:
Other high end TT'S form Japan to keep an eye out for are the Technics SP-10 Mk III and the Sony TT(?) 8000.There are many others of course but these are the ones I can recall without straining the (limited) grey matter.
There was(still is?)the perception in the 70's/early80's that anything which came out of Japan was sh*t.The possible exceptions being Nakamichi for their cassette decks and Stax for their headphones,which were lauded as being the best that money could buy,by many accounts.
The L-07D was reviewed in England by a fellow named Howard Popeck who stated that he preferred it to the Linn Sondek.I guess that made him a lot of friends at the time.
Recently the British magazine HI-FI WORLD did a comparison between the L-07D and a new spec Michell Orbe.The reviewer said that the Orbe was better in some repects,but the Kenwood was ultimately the better turntable.
I have been an owner of an Oracle Alexandria for about 20 years now,I bought a Yamaha PX-3 on the 'bay about 2 years ago and fell for it's wonderful sound quality.The Yamaha PX-2 I own now sounds even better. :yes:
The overall dismissal of the top quality Japanese gear during the 70's/80's leads me to believe most Hi-Fi reviewers are on the take.Especially when you consider that the direct drive TT's that they were dimissing give a high percentage of their perfomance without a silly level of tweeking(not that they don't benefit from that of course).Whereas the belt drives that everyone was going ga-ga about are excruciatingly difficult to keep in top tune. :cry:
Other high end TT'S form Japan to keep an eye out for are the Technics SP-10 Mk III and the Sony TT(?) 8000.There are many others of course but these are the ones I can recall without straining the (limited) grey matter.
melofelo
Addicted Member
quote:
"Can anyone here please explain why would anyone would want a 2500 dollar turntable, I mean what is it about these so called hi end TT put the price where it's at? Hell the damn thing looks like the cutting lathe used to make the vinyl that this thing plays on."
..
.
possible answer :
$2500 is cheap for for a 'reading' lathe ?
review here :
http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/hfw/oldeworldehtml/triol07dtt.html
"Can anyone here please explain why would anyone would want a 2500 dollar turntable, I mean what is it about these so called hi end TT put the price where it's at? Hell the damn thing looks like the cutting lathe used to make the vinyl that this thing plays on."
..
.
possible answer :
$2500 is cheap for for a 'reading' lathe ?
review here :
http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/hfw/oldeworldehtml/triol07dtt.html
axel
Super Member
stereofisher,
the monster Pioneer was the Exclusive P-3/P-3a - a true reference and bestseller in Japan, for very rich people that is.
theophile,
I'm all with you!
btw, I'm in contact with the owner of the reviewed L-07D - a lucky fellow who also owns other contemporary japanese TT monsters. Hifi-World's senior editor is a TTS-8000 owner, too
While the TTS-8000 is a big one for sure, the real Sony topper is the PS-X9 - you can actually stand on the platter and the X9 will continue spinning (with you standing on it) at 33 1/3rpm. But hey - don't forget: it's only a Sony!
the monster Pioneer was the Exclusive P-3/P-3a - a true reference and bestseller in Japan, for very rich people that is.
theophile,
I'm all with you!
btw, I'm in contact with the owner of the reviewed L-07D - a lucky fellow who also owns other contemporary japanese TT monsters. Hifi-World's senior editor is a TTS-8000 owner, too
While the TTS-8000 is a big one for sure, the real Sony topper is the PS-X9 - you can actually stand on the platter and the X9 will continue spinning (with you standing on it) at 33 1/3rpm. But hey - don't forget: it's only a Sony!
When will you be posting pic's of same on TVK? Average pic's are better than none.axel said:
There's something about the Kyocera's platter.
It looks just like the one on Rega's top of the line TT.
The difference is Kyocera was doing it 20 years before Rega.
Technics SP-10 Mk III also has the reputation of being able to hold a man's weight and still revolve at the correct speed.
Yeah Japanese gear is sh*t!
I can just hear the offended Linnies saying"It can't play a tune".To them let me say,the worst sound I have ever heard from a supposed Hi-Fi rig came from a demo in the mid 80's at an authorised Linn/Naim dealer: Sondek Valhalla,Ittok,Asak/Naim 32/250 into small Linn speakers(not Kans).
Absolutely Dire sound,mind bogglingly bad.I had the dealer sitting next to me,tapping his foot.He turns to me and says"Whaddaya think?"I swiftly reply"I've never heard anything like it!"
I've heard similar(bar the speakers) Linn/Naim systems sound quite nice indeed.So God knows what was going on in that system.I can only speculate that the individual speakers were phased differently internally. :worried:
It looks just like the one on Rega's top of the line TT.
The difference is Kyocera was doing it 20 years before Rega.
Technics SP-10 Mk III also has the reputation of being able to hold a man's weight and still revolve at the correct speed.
Yeah Japanese gear is sh*t!
I can just hear the offended Linnies saying"It can't play a tune".To them let me say,the worst sound I have ever heard from a supposed Hi-Fi rig came from a demo in the mid 80's at an authorised Linn/Naim dealer: Sondek Valhalla,Ittok,Asak/Naim 32/250 into small Linn speakers(not Kans).
Absolutely Dire sound,mind bogglingly bad.I had the dealer sitting next to me,tapping his foot.He turns to me and says"Whaddaya think?"I swiftly reply"I've never heard anything like it!"
I've heard similar(bar the speakers) Linn/Naim systems sound quite nice indeed.So God knows what was going on in that system.I can only speculate that the individual speakers were phased differently internally. :worried:
Just saw this thread on the Asylum.
It kind of illustrates the blinkered thinking which makes owning a turntable a political statement.
http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/450633.html
Kinda sad really. :worried:
It kind of illustrates the blinkered thinking which makes owning a turntable a political statement.
http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/450633.html
Kinda sad really. :worried:
axel
Super Member
theodoric,
thanks for the link - hopefully the seller will respond!
The "6" mentioned as production run seems a little low, though.
The smaller PL-910 probably made it to at least 30 or 40, the 901 should have made it to 15. If so, anyway, it is probable that 12 out of the 15 still are in Japan
thanks for the link - hopefully the seller will respond!
The "6" mentioned as production run seems a little low, though.
The smaller PL-910 probably made it to at least 30 or 40, the 901 should have made it to 15. If so, anyway, it is probable that 12 out of the 15 still are in Japan
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