Advice and recommendations needed for a turntable rig...

krelldreams

I meant the Ovaltine Shaped gizmo from Bavaria.

I like your VPI a lot, EXCEPT fixed cartridge tonearm.

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This very positive review included this

"I am glad I had so many different cartridges to play on the Scoutmaster. They helped me characterize its essential quality: accuracy. This turntable does not romanticize, nor does it impose its own sound on the music in any way I can discern. Having swapped out all four cartridges numerous times I can attest to that. I hesitate to use the term neutral because in the ears of some audiophiles it connotes sterility or, worse, a kind of sonic banality. But that’s exactly what you get here. Slap in the Grado and its fulsome midrange comes through the VPI unclouded. Or switch to the Denon (which I like so much) and there is that balanced, unhurried and unflustered sound."

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I wonder how long it took this reviewer to change these 4 cartridges, on ANY fixed cartridge arm, then he says ’numerous times’.

He probably owns a Jaguar 12 cylinder, a member of the Masochist club, (or a JVC TT-801, masochist membership required).

Disconnect the 4 wires; unscrew the cartridge; screw in the next cartridge (often a nightmare); hook up the 4 wires; adjust overhang; adjust null points; check arm height, adjust? check azimuth, adjust (how with that or most fixed cartridge arm?) adjust tracking weight; adjust tracking force.

4 cartridges-numerous times. I’d run out of curse words and I know plenty of them. (don’t drop any nuts/washers/screws)

numerous times: have some clips, silver solder, soldering skills to replace the cartridge pin clip that broke off. Insulation on clip? Rewire tonearm?

I do what he did, numerous times, without hesitation, no masochist me:

with my alternate cartridges pre-mounted in their own headshells. Overhang and null points done, azimuth done. If arm height is not right, my Acos Lustre GST-801 arm has the smoothest easiest arm height I ever touched, I adjust it while playing. I’m pretty quick at tracking weight, and use a blank LP for anti-skate.

What I really advocate is a TT with TWO Tonearms, two cartridges ready to go; one arm with removable headshell, that arm with easy arm height adjustment.

That’s why I think this Technics SP-10 MKII, with Acos arm is a terrific combo, on eBay, $2,995. + shipping

Technics Sp-10 Mkii Turn Table W/sh-10b3 Obsidian Base & Lustre Gst-801

Nice but price is a bit stiff unless both are mint and table is thoroughly refurbished, IMO. 

US Audio Mart

Luxman 441. Acos 801 arm, asking $2,300.

ad says ’air bearing’. it is not, it uses the magnetic field of the Direct Drive motor to raise/reduce the bearing force. 1/4" thick iron plate within.

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I helped my friend get the wider PD-444 (two tonearms), this one on eBay, $1,990. delivered, 60 day returns. Add one arm now, 2nd arm later if desired.

LUXMAN PD444 record player Quartz lock direct drive Arm USED Japan #4903

We put two Micro-Seiki 505s on it (one long). Removable headshell and adjustable fitting for azimuth.

Had I known about it, I would have chosen it over my JVC Plinth, which is deeper rather than wider: I had a deeper 2nd glass top hanging over the back made

The Luxman fits anywhere there is enough width.

I squeezed a 3rd arm on my JVC, couldn’t do that with the Luxman

Luxman has hinged (removable) dust cover (you can play with it raised. My JVC, I lift the big factory dust cover off, and have a nearby spot for it, you need to plan for that to be easy and avoid scuffs with removable ones.

@elliottbnewcombjr … Oh! Haha… Yes, that oval ‘table looks really cool! So, regarding the cartridge swapping: I am not one to swap cartridges once I settle on one that pleases me. Now, “comparing” cartridges to choose a winner IS a real pain! But, I only do that a couple times per decade, so I put up with it. Some who have my arm choose to buy spare arm wands, which can be set up with alternative cartridges and just swapped in and out. The problem is the cost. A VPI JMW arm wand is, for me, too much to spend for an option I would rarely use. But thank you (again) for a thoughtful, informative response!