Is the Townshend Rock 7 "the" giant killer?

Just installed the hyperspace with anna tonearm....i find it to be amazing. note that the hyperspace is supposed to be much better than the lower models. i had a few friends over (long time audiophiles) and they were blown away by the airiness of the setup. i guess at this level it's a matter of taste.

Glad you are enjoying the new table.

Yes, at most levels it is a matter of taste. Which makes it important to try out as many flavors as possible to determine what works best for you.

I have heard a number of highly regarded tables. I preferred the Rock to the WTA in direct comparison, and while I didn't directly compare them I wasn't impressed enough by the VPI Classic heard in a friend's system to arrange a head-to-head comparison.

What I have yet to hear is a high mass table. But a high mass table will be out of my budget for a while...

It's much easier to find a used Rock 7 in Great Britain ( 240V 50hz motor ) than the US and at a much better price. I just bought one for 1000 Pounds plus 50 pounds shipping ( about $1650 ) including an Audio Origami RB251 arm. It's easy to run a 240V 50Hz turntable in the US by buying a good quality 12V to 240v 50hz power inverter ( about $280 ) and a good quality 12V linear power supply. The combo puts out a really stable 240V 50hz output and allows you to use 240v 50hz motor controllers such as the Heed Audio Orbit 2 which requires no mods to the turntable motor at all.
look on HiFi Wigwam in the classifieds forum. They come up once in a while.

I have read this thread with interest. I bought an elite rock for which I did a mini review. It is a better engineered table than the Rock 7 in some regards - better bearing in particular - far closer to the Cranfield concept. I have heard a nottingham hyperspace and it is very good - although it is warmer and more musical than to my preference. The Elite came with both a Jelco 250 variant (mission) and a really good pickering cartridge. The only thing i changed was the tonearm cable - i plugged in my Nordost Tyr. It lacks some of the air and magic of my Amazon Model One - but the amazon has a significant amount of better/fancier parts - Moerch arm/ shelter cartridge - both probably more exuberant sounding than either the Jelco or the Pickering cartridge. That said - I reckon the Townshend combo is perhaps more accurate.
I think the Townshend Elite can be massively improved with a two phase power supply and a a more powerful motor - I am trying to find a quiet and powerful AC motor - but i just can't seem to locate one

My friend Larry Weinstein (Hollywood Sound's owner and audiophile guru for more than 3 decades) always has in display both the WT Amadeus and the Rock 7 in his listening room with Lyra carts driven by RA Hera, Zeus, and Ares and connected to his "all time" pair of favorite monitor speakers, the unassuming Spiral Groove Canalis Anima.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not to take anything away from the WTA which has very strong merits and I could very easily live with it but with the Rock 7, well........I have never experienced a more capable TT under $10,000.00.

The Rock 7 delivers eminent resolve, musicality, openness, and depth in spades!!!!

Trully amazing TT when set up properly and paired with state of the art ancillary equipment. To my ears, a giant killer indeed.