garrard vs clearaudio innovation

Clearaudio is obvious winner, no question, not even in the same stratosphere.

http://www.dagogo.com/View-Article.asp?hArticle=768

A fully sorted 401 with an upgraded platter and bearing such as Artisan Fidelity will easily beat the table you mentioned. I’ve heard that Clearaudio table including all the way up to the Statement.

My sorted 401 easily outplays the Innovation Wood which I’ve listened to multiple times. The Innovation is a nice enough table but my 401 with the Artisan Fidelity Reference Platter and bearing is all together on a higher playing field.

A restored 401 using the stock platter and bearing may sound more exciting and flat out more fun than the Innovation but it will not be able to stage, layer and expose details and minutiae on the vinyl the way the Clearaudio will.

Depends on the 401. An okay example in a hollow plinth on a credenza won’t cut it. But as @audiofun said, a tuned 401 is very capable. My Audiograil 401 in a slate plinth with Artisan Fidelity idler, PAC platter and SPH bearing is astonishingly good. And cost about $4000.
EDIT: That's an old thread!

Hi orionpcgames, several considerations. If you are using a subwoofer you really have no choice. The Garrard will drive you nuts with rumble. Even if you do not have a sub the magnetic bearing on the Clearaudio is handily better. The Clearaudio is not a suspended turntable (neither is the Garrard.)  It will work well when placed on a solid footing from floor to stand. The usual problem will be a wood floor. Wood floors bounce and this will unsettle just about any non suspended turntables even the heavy ones. Fixed tables need to be on concrete floors. Some people will use wall shelves which can help but may not be perfect depending on the construction of the house. If you have wood floors you will be much happier with a suspended turntable like the SME or SOTA tables. SME tend to be very pricey but I think the 15 is in your price range. SOTA's are American made and much more reasonable. The new ones have a magnetic bearing just like the Clearaudio, vacuum hold down and an extravagant DC motor drive. The Cosmos is about the same price as the Clearaudio. The Clearaudio is a cool looking table and very nicely made. Their cartridges are top notch. The SOTA in the right wood like cherry, rosewood or Ebony are plain beautiful. You can jump up and down on wooden floors and neither the SME's or the SOTA will care at all. They will just go along like nothing happened. Put a Kuzma 4 point 9 on any of them and you will be in heaven.

Mike

Pretty darn happy with my 401 in 40lb birch and curly maple plinth with Micro Seiki ma505ls arm.
As far as I am aware it is stock idler, bearing and platter. Although all cleaned up, lubed and fresh setup.
Sits on my rack on solid tiled concrete floor.
No rumble I have ever heard even with ml Dynamo sub.

Last time I looked the Artisan Fidelity platter, bearing and idler upgrade ran out to $3900 parts only.
Not going to happen in my lifetime......