Turntables currently considered top of the range. Do you know what they are ?

What did you think of the difference between the Wood and the Master?

@dwette The the extra mass (especially in platter) definitely makes a positive difference - in both sonics, and the fact that I’ve experienced (sometimes) woofer flapping with the Compact and Wood but NOT the Master, despite ALL kinds of thrashing with loud music :) The Innovations (Compact / Wood / Master) share very similar sound signature - super clean midband, superb detail, pristine & smooth treble, clean bass - while remaining quite musical. The bearings are all dead quiet and smooooth. The Master just seems extra dynamic and powerful.

I also have SOTAs I like quite a bit - Nova V, Cosmos IV - they’re a tad warmer and "fuzzier" sounding than Clearaudios (sometimes this warmth is nice), very musical, and have GREAT isolation built in (especially Cosmos). I like them a lot. But the best sounding source I’ve ever had is Master / FR64S / Koetsu Blue Lace Diamond - decisively so. The FR64S can’t fit on a SOTA, only the lighter FR64fx, and these things do make a difference.

At times I’ve thought about selling the Master, since the SOTAs seem to get quite close, but at the end of the day - no, I just can’t! I’m certain I would regret it too much. The build is exceptional and it’s a gorgeous statement table. You know what, I just amped myself up again on how much I love it lol.

mulveling, why did you choose Clearaudio turntable ? Did you compare with other brands ? There is quite a choice at this level.

@inna
12 years ago I was looking for something different / better than my old SOTA Star and decided to buy new through my local dealer. Limited to what they had, the Innovation Compact that really clicked with me. I liked its fast, detailed, lively sound. And I love the looks of this series. So I decided to go one up to the Wood. After I bought that, the dealer got a Master for the floor, and one for his home. Then 5 years later I moved up to the "floor" Master. My dealer also had Transrotors and Pro-Jects (absolutely NOT) and in the past had VPIs. I don’t know what came over me to try VPIs a couple years back, but I did and it was fun for a minute but that ended quickly - back to SOTAs and the Master Innovation.

I always think Linn LP12 because that’s the one that I have been most familiar with. Maybe, it’s short sighted of me but I’ve never felt the need to look at anything more exotic than an LP12.

For a short while, my Klimax LP12 has been at the top of the tree, until Bedrok came along this year. I can’t see me ever buying the new plinth given the disappointingly high cost. Yet reports indicate it is a significant upgrade for the money, so never say never.

Has anyone thought of the top McIntosh TT at 14k

I forgot to mention how the VPIs sound versus Clearaudio and SOTA. Aries 3, Avenger Ref. They’re darker sounding. Especially with the 3D and Fatboy arms (I honestly liked the late make metal unipivots). There is a bass-reinforcement effect that can be fun, and some like. In my setup they were extremely reactive to feedback in audible bass frequencies, say 60 - 120 Hz. I think this is part of their sound. The CA Innovations can be reactive in the subsonic range (woofer flapping), due to the magnetic "float" bearing, but are SUPER clean and quiet through the audible specturm.

I think this is why VPIs pair well with Van den Huls, which have super clean bass, a lot of HF energy and firehose of details. With Colibris you can find yourself staving off sibilance, but Crimson & VPI was a really nice balance. I still ended up liking the metal uni better, but see why some like the Fatboys. The plain 3D arm, ugh I hated it.

@mulveling Thanks for the detailed and very helpful response. I hope to do that upgrade later this year.

I really haven't had any issues with woofer flapping on my Innovation Wood with the Universal arms. I do have it sitting on a HRS R3X isolation platform, with the LF feet factory tuned specifically for the turntable. I have a pair of REL S/510 subs so I should notice if I had an issue. My Boulder phono-stage has a 10Hz low cut filter and I don't notice any difference with it engaged.