Great thread!
I have the GAE. LOVE IT!
One of of my all time favorite pieces of gear. I think of upgrading other parts of my chain but never the turntable. I would need to hear a remarkable difference in order to justify doing so.
I run an AudioTechnics ART9, which is about $1k, into a Manley Chinook phono stage and I can’t imagine how much I need to spend to do better.
So true is the the comment above about the power and RCA jacks being tough to access. But I acknowledge I do not access those often.
This is is my fourth real table. I loved prior Roksan, Rega, and Origin Live tables I owned. The Technics is better all around.
Like someone above said, there’s functionality and approachability in its ease of use and unflappable design. It’s a rock. Just try to get a footfall to shake it. I’m so done with delicate tables or fussy ones.
The comments about PRAT and especially piano are spot on. The table sounds like it’s out in front of what’s coming in the groove. It’s like being perfectly sober and slightly caffeinated in focus. Just where it should be.
Disclaimer— I have never heard super pricey tables. At $4k in my system this is where it’s at and where I’ll stay!
