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Why will no other turntable beat the EMT 927?

Having owned many good turntables in my audiophile life I am still wondering why not one of the modern designs of the last 20 years is able to beat the sound qualities of an EMT 927.
New designs may offer some advantages like multiple armboards, more than one motor or additional vibration measurements etc. but regarding the sound quality the EMT is unbeatable!
What is the real reason behind this as the machine is nearly 60 years old, including the pre-versions like the R-80?
thuchan
pani
1,219 posts
 

Update: I have now heard the EMT 950 and 927 in the same room (another friend bought it). Both using the TSD-15 cartridge and internal phono stages. The 927 is clearly superior. It sounds bigger, more fluid, more explosive. 950 has the EMT presentation of big bold sound but ultimately sounds a bit dry (like every DD)

So 927 remains unbeaten

bonzo75
33 posts
 

950 is a poor TT.

 There are many versions of 927 depending on the restore. Of 4 I heard only 1 done by the Dutch restorer was good and they go for 50k +. They are great for jazz and rock and sound big and bold with good groove, but don’t have the nuance for classical similar to modern belts. This can be addressed to a large extent by having a cartridge like the Dava field coil which

lewm
13,071 posts
 

At this point in time, the 927 is like Captain Ahab’s white whale. The one you might find may not bear all the sonic virtues of the one you are seeking, and it might bankrupt you nevertheless (not quite as bad as what happened to Ahab, I admit).

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