Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

Dover- without him actually saying it....I don't think Thuchan is that impressed with the DP100M.
I DO know that it doesn't get much listening time amongst his enviable collection, so your description of its sound is believable....although I wouldn't necessarily use those two cartridges as a gauge.
I have them both...😎

Shane-rather than buying the Denon....I'd be more tempted to buy his TT-101 as a backup to mine. Knowing how thoroughly and beautifully re-built his Victor is...I suspect it may be the best TT-101 in existence...?🤗

Any news on your SP10Mk3?
Will be interesting to hear how it shapes up against the P3?
My money's on the Pioneer....😘

Hey Henry

it should be here on Wednesday, so should be able to play over Easter.

 Its the full SL-1000MK3D. This is the model with the P mount tonearm. I will first use it with the EPC-P100C-MK4 Cartridge.
Later I am going to use my Thales tonearm with it.  I have a NOS Technics arm board, however I have a another arm board coming in from the USA so I practice on that one first setting up the Thales.

  so direct stk technics vs P3 will be difficult.

cheers

The DP100 direct drive had a lack of focus, shallow soundstage, mild attack, overly delicate transients and compressed dynamic range compared to the Final.

Hi Dover, if that is true, and the DP100M is in the same league as the SP10MK3, P3a etc., then the Final must be one very special turntable!

I have never auditioned the DP100M, but have done so with the SP10MK3 and P3a, “lack of focus, shallow soundstage, mild attack, overly delicate transients and compressed dynamic range” are probably the last things I would say about these turntables, at least when auditioned on their own and not comparing to the Final.

Would love to audition the Final one day!

Thekong, You wrote, ..."if that is true, and the DP100M is in the same league as the SP10MK3, P3a etc.,"

That's one of the biggest "ifs" I have seen on this thread. First of all, Dover does not say what tonearm and cartridge were used to make the comparison of the DP100M to the Final.  Second, with all due respect to Dover, he is passionately in love with his Final (which is fine with me), but he does tend to try to prove its wonderfulness by verbal argument (which is hearsay evidence at best, IMO).  And third, I certainly don't think any of the aforementioned direct drive turntables is perfect, but, as you said too, these particular criticisms would not seem to apply to well set-up, properly restored and calibrated examples of the breed, no matter what. In fact, it's almost a list of why I prefer DD turntables I have kept in my system to belt-drive turntables I have tried and rejected.  On the other hand, Dover is the only person I know who has ever had a Final tt in his system; we cannot really know how a Final would stack up.  In sum, we don't have enough data to agree or disagree with Dover.  I personally do not at all care for the Denon DA307 tonearm, as supplied with the DP80 turntable. I don't know what tonearm is supplied on the DP100M, but if it is close cousin to the DA307, all bets are off.  Lack of focus and compressed dynamic range are, IMO, possible descriptions of the DA307.