Thread title:
Given that the Merrill is only $500 more than the Pro-Ject, it only needs to be incrementally better, not "far superior."
If it were $2500 vs. $1000, it should be immediately noticeably better, but still not "far superior."
To make an illustration from (the "golden age" of stereo, the Technics SL1200 DD ’table was $350 in 1975. The Hitachi P-38 was $250. Adjusted for inflation the Technics would be $1556 and the Hitachi would be $1112 today. That’s roughly the same price difference adjusted for inflation. The Hitachi had an MDF plinth finished in rosewood-grain vinyl. The Technics had the aluminum/synthetic constrained layer construction and more sophisticated controls. It was better built and probably held up better, but to my ears didn’t really sound better. IME good imaging and soundstage came easily to the Hitachi while it's proved elusive with the Technics. Anyway, a $100 increase in 1975 is equivalent to a $500 increase in 2016, and while we expected some sort of "improvement" for that $100, nobody expected "far superior" for $100 in 1975.
The GEM Dandy may be worth the difference just for the fluid-damped Jelco arm. And while I like the Pro-Ject Carbon line, I really get some use out of interchangeable headshells, esp. when I want to spin some mono records with a mono cartridge.
Is the Merrill "Gem Dandy" turntable far superior in sound than the Project RPM-3 TT??
Given that the Merrill is only $500 more than the Pro-Ject, it only needs to be incrementally better, not "far superior."
If it were $2500 vs. $1000, it should be immediately noticeably better, but still not "far superior."
To make an illustration from (the "golden age" of stereo, the Technics SL1200 DD ’table was $350 in 1975. The Hitachi P-38 was $250. Adjusted for inflation the Technics would be $1556 and the Hitachi would be $1112 today. That’s roughly the same price difference adjusted for inflation. The Hitachi had an MDF plinth finished in rosewood-grain vinyl. The Technics had the aluminum/synthetic constrained layer construction and more sophisticated controls. It was better built and probably held up better, but to my ears didn’t really sound better. IME good imaging and soundstage came easily to the Hitachi while it's proved elusive with the Technics. Anyway, a $100 increase in 1975 is equivalent to a $500 increase in 2016, and while we expected some sort of "improvement" for that $100, nobody expected "far superior" for $100 in 1975.
The GEM Dandy may be worth the difference just for the fluid-damped Jelco arm. And while I like the Pro-Ject Carbon line, I really get some use out of interchangeable headshells, esp. when I want to spin some mono records with a mono cartridge.