Who will survive? One last table til I die.

Stereophile July 2003 details Paul Bolin updating his SOTA Cosmos
http://www.stereophile.com/contents703.shtml

The Technics SP-10 MK II or III is a classic: bulletproof
construction, low rumble/noise, excellent sound quality,
high torque, stable speed control.

Check the following:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~rabruil/sp10page.html

They pop up on Audiogon and eBay periodically. I'm using
one with an SME IV arm and Denon DL-103D (another classic)
and I have no intention of changing any of them.

Would you consider laser turntable? No wear to your records (they will last forever :-). Please take a look at the link:
http://www.elpj.com/
I know nothing about the built quality of this equipment, maybe other Audiogon'ers could help...

I was at house where the owner had the $20,000 laser turntable. He stated that on a perfectly clean record, the sound is incredible. But on a less than perfect lp, the system has a hard time tracking. It doesn't sound like this product is perfected yet.

Thanks for the responses to my post. To refine the discussion, perhaps I should comment on some of the suggestions.

For example, I agree that the Linn will probably be around in one incarnation or another forever. The company has also been very stable over the years and seems likely to stay that way. There must be more LP12s out there than any other table, and the availability of parts, mods, repair persons and such is likely to be strong for many years, which is exactly what I want. Unfortunately, I have owned this table, and it is not sonically competitive with today’s better efforts.

I have had a couple of SOTAs, culminating in the Cosmos (very early version), and have been pleased with their performance. I have talked with the present personnel and am seriously considering their available modifications and upgrades. However, SOTA has had a spotty history of financial stability, folding and resurrecting itself with new ownership several times. The present operation seems to be very small and vulnerable to extinction if they had a one car crash. I’m not convinced they will be around in five years much less twenty-five. Continuity is important.

I do like the idea of the VPI HR-X. The company is stable. Even if the top guys retire, it seems they have adequate backup to keep things rolling for years. There is a good product base out there, which insures enough demand for parts and such to make it worth someone’s time to provide them over the decades. Their tables are very good sounding, of course, and I assume the HR-X will be their best effort to date. I have never owned a VPI so I don’t have first hand knowledge of their reliability and longevity. The pictures of the HR-X are interesting. Is the machining and parts quality and design good enough to last twenty years? Is it finicky to set up and does it maintain its setup or need constant tweaking?

My comments about VPI would probably apply to Basis also.

I believe the Technics table is not belt driven, which seems to me to be essential to smooth out speed variations and obtain top sound. Wasn’t it a favorite of DJs because of its quick startup?

I’ve always been intrigued by the laser turntable. The reports I have read, though, echoed Henry10023’s: perfectly clean records are a must. The sound was also said to be okay, but not the very best. There is also the problem of company stability and longevity, if there is a company.

I like the idea of stocking up on parts for whatever table I get, whether it be armboards, pulleys or whatever. I recall a review of the Walker which pointed out the maker’s contention that some of the major components were easily available from mass market sources. That idea appeals to me. I’d like to be able to gut my sewing machine to keep my table running.

A better phono section is always a good idea, but that is a different discussion.

Steve