recommendation for a high end analog system

It was after living with the Nottingham that I became interested in first idler-drive turntables and then direct-drive.  After purchasing both a Garrard 301 chassis and an NOS Lenco L75, and thinking for a bit, I decided to go with the Lenco, sell the Garrard as is.  I eventually ended up with a highly modified L75 in a slate plinth.  Along the way, I picked up a Denon DP80, just because I had a longstanding interest in it and the price was right.  The DP80 had a thorough going over by Bill Thalmann and is also in a slate plinth. And from there I just went on and on with vintage direct drive turntables, buying but not selling. I owned two Mk2s before acquiring the Mk3.  (I did sell both Mk2s.) Suffice to say Mk2 is good, not as good IMO as the DP80, and the Mk3 is better than all of them.  I never heard a GAE in my own system, so I can have no opinion.  I go back and forth between the Mk3 and Kenwood L07D, and I like aspects of both.  The difference is slight.  The DP80 has the Triplanar mounted with a B&O MMC1, which drives my modified Silvaweld SWH550 MM phono stage.  I love that rig from cartridge through phono stage.

@lewm , no argument from me. However it is not the duct cover that the Tri Planar in interfering with, it is the plinth cover. Because the Tri Planar drops down in the rear and that the Sota's tonearm board is recessed the counter weight runs into the cover. What people think is the plinth on the Sota is just a cover. The "plinth" is really suspended inside from the base plate. You could make the Tri Planar fit by cutting away that part of the cover that would be behind it but Sota will not do that themselves because they think that is cosmetically unacceptable. You could do it yourself. My own thinking was that the Schroder fits perfectly and is on par with the Tri Planar so why start chopping things up especially since this may not be my last turntable. I still have my eye very much on the Dohmann with a Schroder LT.

bkeske, When I was getting the "Voice" I asked Peter what the difference between the "Voice" and the Sussurro (a low output version of the "Voice") was. His reply was "larger coils in the Voice." Since the coils are fixed and there is no reduction in moving mass with smaller coils my next question was "then why is the Sussurro $2K more expensive?" He said," market economics." I also asked "then why wouldn't the "Voice" be a better cartridge having a much lower signal to noise ratio." His reply, "It is." He said that he only makes low output cartridges because they are more profitable and people want to use their fancy, expensive high gain phono stages. They are stuck on thinking low output cartridges sound better. Then I got the Strain gage pitch. Which I would like to hear. I thing the Hyperion is too expensive to make to justify a high output version. People who buy high output cartridges will not spend $7K on a cartridge.

@mijostyn

bkeske, When I was getting the "Voice" I asked Peter what the difference between the "Voice" and the Sussurro (a low output version of the "Voice") was. His reply was "larger coils in the Voice." Since the coils are fixed and there is no reduction in moving mass with smaller coils my next question was "then why is the Sussurro $2K more expensive?" He said," market economics." I also asked "then why wouldn’t the "Voice" be a better cartridge having a much lower signal to noise ratio." His reply, "It is." He said that he only makes low output cartridges because they are more profitable and people want to use their fancy, expensive high gain phono stages. They are stuck on thinking low output cartridges sound better. Then I got the Strain gage pitch. Which I would like to hear. I thing the Hyperion is too expensive to make to justify a high output version. People who buy high output cartridges will not spend $7K on a cartridge.

Yep, I’ve heard Peter say the same/similar. That’s why I think the Lo MIMC Zephyr is probably a great deal for $2K new. That is the one I keep leaning towards for a Lo cart. I’ve just heard that my Hagerman Trumpet really performs best with Lo carts, albeit it sounds great with my Zephyr. And really, that is my major interest; getting the most out of my Trumpet.

The Strain Gauge is a whole nuther  animal. I would love to hear it as well. Pretty amazing in theory really.

As far as raising a tone arm above the ‘plinth’/cover, I have a Jelco TK-850 MKII, and have thought about adding a VTA on the fly adjustment mechanism. Problem is it would hit against the wood ‘plinth’/cover. But, you can find a Jelco 1/4” spacer and add it to the Jelco mount to raise it up, and I’ve heard that works. I’m sure you could do the same for other arms.

I do not use the/a SOTA dust cover. When I do cover it, I have a custom soft cloth cover I use. To be honest, the cover isn’t on much. I play albums most every day.

@dorkwad  when you say...

“I used to have a Maplenoll Ariadne TT/arm which was excellent sounding. The Illustrious is a very good sounding arm that is a significant upgrade in all ways from what I had before.”

In this regard you put an OL Illustrious on the Maplenol? What to your ears did it improve, and be how much?