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High mass vs Low Mass Turntables - Sound difference?

As I am recently back playing with analog gear after some 15 years away, I thought I would ask the long time experts here about the two major camps of record players -- high vs low mass-loaded-type tables...

For example, an equivalently priced VPI table (say a Classic, Aries or Prime) versus a Rega RP8/10 or equivalent Funk Firm table...  the design philosophies are so different ... one built like a tank, the other like a lightweight sports car...

Just wondering if the folks here have had direct experience with such or similar tables, and what have been your experiences and sense of strengths and weaknesses of these two different types of tables.



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slaw's avatar
slaw
21,443 posts
 
@avanti1960 ,

Right on man!

This is the main issue here. Not High mass vs. low mass.. it is first and foremost how any TT is decoupled from it's environment!
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
You would say that, slaw! Your fantastic Townshend Rock 7 table has the excellent Seismic Pod isolators ;-) .
tzh21y
1,654 posts
 
the RP8 has pretty incredible bass.  I could not believe it to be honest.
lohanimal
659 posts
 
@geoffkait  and @pryso  
made very good points i.e. corvette vs Lotus and that there are lots of variables as opposed to Low vs High Mass.

Take into consideration a deck like the EMT 950 which has a very light platter but has a substantial chassis/plinth and a very heavy/powerful motor.
I am personally intrigued by the Rega Naid which is ultra low mass - the reason being that I had once believed MASS = BASS. I understand that the Naid ain't lacking in the bass department. Likewise the DPS ain't heavy mass but when I heard it - due to the powerful motor and resistant bearing it produced sledgehammer bass. 
edstrelow
37 posts
 
I would correct geoffkait on his claim that sorbothane needs to be constrained to work.  I have been using it unconstrained for years with  good results, on speakers, headphones cd players etc. However constraining, i.e. covering the surface which is not in contact with the equipment,  improves its use a lot. You do not need aluminum sheets.  I have worked with various clamping devices and found that very little force on the sorb worked best. In fact I simply use 4 layers of electrical tape and get great results and have ditched the metal clamps. 
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