Yogiboy wrote:
Another candidate for cartridge for the Polytable is the Shelter 201 (used in the Absolute Sound review). Although it lists for $310 stateside, you can get it from Japanese dealers on Amazon and eBay for around $167. At that price it’s a stone cold bargain (I have one and love it).
A low price, high (relative) performance alternative for the Vincent phono stage would be the Schiit Mani for $129.
Another alternative: If you go with the Polytable at $1495 plus a Japan-sourced Shelter 201, you’re at $1657. You’d be only $161 over your $2K budget to upgrade to the Vincent 2-chassis, tube-powered PHO-700 for $499.95.
I have a tubed phono stage. They can make quite a difference.
This is nice at $1495 for table.Not only did the GEM Polytable fare well in the Absolute Sound review, it got Class B status in the Stereophile review by Michael Fremer (review not available onlien yet). This is by a considerable margin the curent lowest price Stereophile Class B recommended turntable.
Cartridge $350.
The Vincent phono looks like a winner at $299
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/gem-dandy-polytable/
Another candidate for cartridge for the Polytable is the Shelter 201 (used in the Absolute Sound review). Although it lists for $310 stateside, you can get it from Japanese dealers on Amazon and eBay for around $167. At that price it’s a stone cold bargain (I have one and love it).
A low price, high (relative) performance alternative for the Vincent phono stage would be the Schiit Mani for $129.
Another alternative: If you go with the Polytable at $1495 plus a Japan-sourced Shelter 201, you’re at $1657. You’d be only $161 over your $2K budget to upgrade to the Vincent 2-chassis, tube-powered PHO-700 for $499.95.
I have a tubed phono stage. They can make quite a difference.