garrard vs clearaudio innovation

Isn't that something noromance. I am not here to upset anyone or tell them what they should buy. By all means buy what you like. However, turntables are very simple mechanical devices. The simpler the better. No turntable can beat the laws of physics.
Norman, if you like dinosaur turntables knock yourself out. I can't use them because I have very powerful corrected subwoofers and a turntable like that would ruin everything. Garrards are cheap. I can buy over 5 of them for what my Cosmos cost and the Cosmos is a very fairly priced table given the competition. So maybe they will be worth a little more in the future. Still Cheap. None of the ultra high end turntables use an idler wheel drive. Do you think Tech Das would not be capable of making an idler wheel drive if they wanted to?? What about Walker or Clearaudio, or Basis, or SME. Watch what happens to VPI's half baked attempt! It will be gone in a few years. The idler wheel is a dinosaur. I'm all for collecting dinosaurs but I don't care to use one. If using one suits your purpose, wonderful.

Having said all that. The fact that there are so many still around speaks for the build quality of the Garrard and there is certainly a retro cool about them. Given the right Plinth, arm and cartridge I'm sure they can sound great. But, even brand new they rumble more than a belt drive.  I have a few 180gm pressings that most likely have more rumble than the old Garrards. Some hot shot gets his hands on an old lathe and thinks he is going to make high quality pressings on it never mind the thing has been in storage for 20 years an bounced all around town with it's 100 lb platter on. I have 6 "Audiophile" pressings like that and three of them are Ryko Discs. 

I used to own an Innovation Wood, which I ran alongside a Nantais Reference Lenco MkII. Had it on a Minus-K platform with a Phantom Supreme and Universal arm. Sold the Innovation and its arm, kept the Lenco, added a Brinkmann Oasis and a Phantom III. I don’t miss the Clearaudio. It’s a good table but never really satisfied me, just never felt organic and always seemed hard and lean. Its time keeping was quite good (via KAB) but so is the Lenco’s--maybe not quite as rock-solid but certainly very good. The cantilevered armboards needed careful shimming to achieve level, which bugged me. For all its magnetic/ceramic bearing, the motor noise was far more audible on its armboards than the Lenco’s (via stethoscope), and at a higher pitch. My Lenco has better grip and drive, or gives that impression, anyway. People like to diss idlers but done right, they are very satisfying decks. YMMV. BTW, I prefer the Brinkmann (on a Minus-K; without, like the Clearaudio, it’s a touch hard and lean) to the Clearaudio.

Mijostyn what cartridge are you using on your SOTA and Kuzma?

jam759, In the arm now is a Clearaudio Da Vinci v2. I have an Ortofon Windfeld Ti in the second head shell.