Clearaudio Innovation Wood vs. TW Acoustic

No_regrets, my friend's system consists of top of line T&A active speakers (I think it is now not the current model), a McIntosh pre (can't remember the model, one of the anniversary model I believe) and ARC Ref2 phono. He uses Graham arm and Ortofon A90 and a Benz LPS on second Graham armwand.
I don't think either table has any problem with speed stability that I could hear.
No experience with Spiral Groove but I imagine that it would another excellent contender.

btw Minus K works extremely well with TW as well and I would not hesitate to recommend it at all.

Hi No-regrets,

No experience at all with Spiral Groove.

I replaced the IW with a Brinkmann Oasis, which I really like. Lower noise floor, better articulation of instruments in space, very neutral and natural in presentation with maybe slightly better speed stability, though the IW had no notable problems in this regard. Its ergonomics are simple and elegant, and the armboards are brilliantly engineered with extremely high tolerances. The IW maybe dug a little deeper in the bass.

I made the move mostly because I wanted to try a next-gen direct drive, and I'm glad I did. I wish the Oasis took two arms, though. Its integral screw-on clamp works very well but requires some getting used to: slight differences in screwing tension have sonic consequences, so you have to come up with a repeatable method. And the Oasis needs the Minus-K even more than the IW did. Right on the shelf it sounds relatively hard and thin.

In the same system , I also have a fully-updated Nantais Reference Lenco with two arms, and it might be my favorite (at least sometimes). Great rhythmic grip and drive with plenty of detail retrieval and coherence, even if it has a slightly higher noise floor, is a bit less precise in articulation, and is marginally less neutral than the Oasis with a warmer presentation. Excellent speed stability, too. And perhaps because of its 100lb+ plinth, the Lenco doesn't require a Minus-K nearly as much as the other two decks.

So I'm belt-free for the first time since I cut my teeth on a Dual idler in the '70s. I might return to a belt-drive in the future--plenty of good ones out there--but I'm happy without for now.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Bill

Hi Suteetat,

Thank you for telling me more about your friend's system. When you described the Innovation Wood as being….clean, clear, detailed, and fast….it made me think that maybe his system was based on solid state rather than tubes.

I'm a tube guy myself and really value the harmonic richness and purity of tone that can be achieved with some vacuum tube gear.

It's good to know that you felt as though both tables excelled with their speed stability.

The MinusK sounds like a very valuable component to be utilized….I'll have to check into them more.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me!

Happy New Year!

Hi Bill,

I really appreciate your responses as they give excellent comparisons between the various tables and how the use or non-use of the MinusK affects the sound of the tables.

I remember when the reviews of the Brinkman Balance came out….it sounded like it would be right up my alley. I've never had the opportunity to hear any of the Brinkman tables. I wonder if the Oasis and the Balance retain a similar house sound, even though their drives are different?

Thanks again for your time and help. Happy New Year!

The Balance is another beast entirely. While I've never heard one, I have little doubt that it's in a different league than the Oasis. Its price-point certainly is.

Happy New Year to you, too!