Turntables

@secretguy 

On the list of things that ACTUALLY affect sound, the turntable is right down there with water pressure in your shower.

That's too clever for me, I completely missed the irony.

You were being ironic, weren't you?

Yesterday I refined the two tonearm’s geometry and two headshells/cartridges alignments for a friend. Long Arm: MC Stereo; Short Arm: MC Mono. We listened, stereo/mono for a few hours, switch arm in seconds.

Luxman TT has a two arm integral junction box with front switch A or B, thus single phono cable to his MM/MC phono stage

Alternate cartridges in headshells, pre-aligned for short arm: Shure mx97e, with damped brush for warped LP’s; AT14s for MM Shibata replaceable stylus (avoid unnecessary wear to more costly MC Stereo stylus).

He is soooo glad I advised him to get a TT with 2 tonearms. He had been ready to plunk down a lot of money for a Clearaudio with 1 arm, fixed cartridge.

https://www.google.com/search?q=luxman+pd444&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1007US1007&sxsrf=ALiCzsaOhkMoRDWByFdbn2Zx8pom0Gsipg:1664124599851&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwicgIuds7D6AhX9g4kEHa-SDmkQ_AUoAXoECAIQAw&biw=1707&bih=849&dpr=1.5

There is more technology in that TT than I thought,

we chose Micro Seiki 505 and 505L arms (both silver wire) for it’s many features:

a. simple hole mount

b. VTA on the FLY base

c. Removable Headshell

d. Headshell fitting adjustable for Azimuth.

f. Integral Arm Rest,

g. Arm Lift, 2 way adjustable (raise/lower mechanism/adjustable length screw thru arm above lift plate.

h. adjustable dymamic tracking force (tungsten wire); and adjustable anti-skate (on the fly if you have steady hands).

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/micro-seiki/ma-505.shtml

You were being ironic, weren't you?

Not at all. I pay attention (and money) to things that matter. In this case, cartridge and phono stage. But I'm funny that way.

The caveat is that the TT does the basic things correctly. Speed...w&f etc.

Omg, water pressure in a shower is so important. I worker in Japan for decades. You want to get a great shower? Go to Japan… anywhere! One of life’s greatest pleasures. Turntables also. 

@secretguy - that's a big caveat, and are forgetting about the tonearm. Some TT experts think that is the most important. I put it equal to the cartridge/phono stage. When you were saying turntables are the least important, I was talking about the whole analogue front end.