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Nottingham Spacedeck vs Rega Planar 8 vs Technics SL1200G

Hey Everyone,

An analogue newbie needs your advice.

Firstly I am not looking for any TT recommendations other than these 3.

My system is Devore O96, and the amplification would be either Lyngdorf 3400/Coincident Frankenstein combo or a Shindo pre/amp combo (forthcoming). The phono stage is TBD.

The sound I like is rich, full-bodied, with a good bass (I love percussion, and the double-bass instrument and  Mingus is my fav jazz artist). I am very sensitive to even a hint of brightness. I don't care about the typical audiophile presentation -- gobs of detail and soundstage but no soul.

My music of choice is jazz, vocals and small-scale instrumentals. No rock, no pop, no western classical.

Would love your thoughts on these 3 choices.

Since I am a newbie, easy setup is big win, which might tilt me towards the Rega or Technics, but with Nottingham I have a great dealer support that I would completely miss out on if I went with Technics (no Technics dealer in a 5000 mile radius).

I used to own a Rega RP6, so am familiar with Rega sound, and like it. But my RP6 was bested by my DAC (AMR DP-777) so sold it a few years ago. So I want a TT that will compete with any sub-10000$ DAC.

Looking forward to your thoughts that will help me scratch my analog itch.


essrand
br3098
974 posts
 
I know that you didn't want other recommendations, but this is sort of in the family:  IMO if you are seriously interested in the Nottingham decks you should definitely look at the Pear Audio Blue line.  These are the last turntables designed by Nottingham founder Tom Fletcher.  I believe that there are now five models and I think they are all great.

Disclosure: I was formerly a dealer for Pear Audio.  I have owned several Nottingham decks in the past.  I elected to sell the Pear Audio Blue turntables because they preserved (or improved) everything I loved about the Nott decks and fixed almost everything I felt needed improvement.  I am no longer a dealer for these (or any) product but I still own two Pear Audio turntables and they are wonderful.  Just my 2 cents worth.

migueca's avatar
migueca
112 posts
 
I never heard the Rega nor the Technics, but I own a very very old Spacedeck. I bought it used (much cheaper than a new one) after having fallen in love with Nottingham turntables through many auditions at a local store. 
The sound is sweet, full bodied, coming from a complete quiet dark. It's engaging. But what really got me into it, is all the concept: high mass and a low torque motor that requires you to start and stop the platter by hand. 
Regarding the service, they are amazing to their customers. My deck came with a defective spindle. It wasn't straight, causing a very annoying wobbling. I contacted their office (miss Penny) and in a matter of days they replaced my old damaged spindle with a perfect new one. For free! 
The arm is a bit dodgy to get in the right position, but once there, you don't have to touch it never again. I already replaced the internal wiring. Not an easy task, but I live near a fantastic technician (this guy also made my phono preamp).
By the way, miss Penny suggested me to use a MM cart from Nagaoka. I'm using a Goldring with very good results. She said that their tonearms are better matched with MM carts. 
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,640 posts
 
We sell both tables give us a call.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
inna
7,237 posts
 
I use Goldring 1042 MM as well. Nagaoka MP500 is fine. It took me an hour or so to find the overall best anti-skate position but that was fun. VTA - arm in parallel, in my case, easy.
Nottinghams keep working for decades, maybe you'll have to replace motor once, maybe.
Pear Audio is definitely worth considering.
tastyfreeze's avatar
tastyfreeze
135 posts
 
I love my Technics
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