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Out of production reference turntables



Hi Folks:

I am sure that there are a sizeable bunch of us who have no qualms about purchasing a piece of gear who's manufacturer no longer exisits but the sound and build quality is fantastic and reliable.

In the analog realm the modern turntable that is my benchmark for the sound I prefer is the VPI TNT.

When I was first seriously getting into this hobby, I remember reading about a few top end tables that, at the time, were considered the best. I would like to get some opinions as to how the following reference tables compare to gear made today using the VPI "signature sound" as a comparison.

1. Goldmund Reference
2. Forsell Air Reference
3. Rockport (any model except the Sirius)
4. Oracle

Thank you for reading.

D.H.
danhirsh
mikelavigne
2,194 posts
 
"Only heard a Rockport briefly and thought it excellent but tuneless"......now there is a credible piece of info.....spoken like a true Naim 'crazy'.

the Rockport will simply reveal what the Lp, cartridge and phono stage is telling you. it really has no 'color' of it's own.

and btw, i like Naim 'mostly'.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Silly me. All these long years I thought the tunes were provided by the musicians. They actually come from the turntable! So do I need a different table for each key? Which one should I use if I'm playing Schoenberg or Webern? ;-)

I actually appreciate it when someone gushes about the "musicality" of a TT, or of any component for that matter. Lets me know right away that I should look elsewhere for neutrality.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
13,018 posts
 
Dear DH: If the VPI TNT has a " signature sound " then: shame of VPI TNT and this is for any reference TT ( Yes, I agree with Bob: the Oracle is not a RTT ). If you " have a signature sound " for a RTT then something is wrong: maybe the rack, table, floor, TT mat, etc... and have to check it. Remember that the target of a RTT is spin to 33.3, 45 or 78 rpm with out any kind of " self sound ". Yes, I know that lessers TT has a signature sound, but in a Refernce TT this is out of question: it has to be dead neutral.
Where you have a signature sound is in the tonearm/cartridge/arm board combo.
Regards and always enjoy the music.
Raul.
naimfan
166 posts
 
I should perhaps clarify "tuneless." In hindsight, it's a bit over the top...

When I heard the Rockport it SOUNDED fantastic. It was wonderfully neutral, even, extended, and stable. But it did not separate musical lines as well as the Goldmund--on records I've engineered and produced, it was more difficult to separate, for example, the bass guitar from the drums than it was on the Goldmund. The Rockport did a better job of separating them in space.

The Goldmund, for me, remains the very best turntable I've heard. I just wish I could afford one.

Oh, Mike--ad hominem comments are always fun, but really, they say more about the speaker....

Best,

Bob
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Naimfan,

Interesting observations.

The Rockport seperated instruments better in space. That implies superior reproduction of the time domain. Perhaps due to better speed stability?

The Goldmund seperated instruments better in timbre or tonality. That implies superior reproduction of the mix of frequencies that gives each instrument its unique voice. Perhaps due to better control of the spurious resonances that can muddy clean stylus tracing?

All speculation on my part, since I haven't heard either table. But maybe useful to D.H., who's also trying to audition these tables without actually being able to hear them.
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