Buying a new TT today

Chakster - if you knew anything about Rega, the first thing they were (and are) historically know for is their tonearms. They OEM them to many others turntable companies. Why would you ever put an arm on one of their tables with a much lower value proposition? They offer their cartridges packaged with their tables at a significant discount, but can handle pretty much any cartridge natively or with a spacer that they sell, anticipating people like me either don't want their cartridge or are not in the market for one.

I'm not very familiar with VPI tables (I think they are overpriced and I don't like the way the arms float which makes it more difficult to cue the record and their wires hang in the air) but I believe you can change arms pretty easily, as they make multi-arm tables. There are less expensive belt drive tables in addition to the lower end Regas from Rega imitators like Project and Music Hall, which at their low ends tend to offer complete packages for entry level costs for the younger crowd on tighter budgets. Those guys are improving their tables these days, but problem is their arms aren't as good as Rega's. Not sure what Technics offers these days, but I just don't hear much about them (other than on Audiogon from the old timers). Maybe it's the noise their motors generate....

I'm not a Rega zealot, and a lot of dealers don't carry them because Rega forces them to carry their whole line. I think they are the only company that makes everything except Linn (who seems to have lost their way, shrinking their TT offerings down to just the LP12 and reducing their dealer network significantly in the US). I do believe Rega either stopped or will stop making CD players and never started with streaming devices. It's a shame about Linn because they used to make some really nice mid end tables like the Axis a while back.I almost bought one, but it was before my Phase Linear (Pioneer-Japanese) table broke. I wish I did.  

I guess Linn went for the money selling out their name to car makers to badge their stereos just like Bose, Mark Levinson, JBL, Burmeister.....You'll know the end is near for Rega if Roy E GAndy ever does that.

Enjoy the music, not the noise.

264win,

http://www.newaudio.it/marantz/TT15S/TT15%20Gramophone%20April%2005.pdf

Good article. From a British magazine too. Gramophone is primarily a classical music magazine but often had decent reviews. My take was that if a component was good enough for classical it would be also be good enough for pop, whereas the reverse might not always be true.

So the Marantz TT15s is a KI tweaked Clearaudio deck. Wow!

Ken Ishiwata was a big loss to audio, part showman and part shaman always stressing balance and flow.

Anyway, you're right that this isn't about the old belt v direct drive argument. At this price point the TT15s is no doubt an excellent turntable.

This is about whether you're happy with it, and you seem to be.

All good.



sokogear,

"I guess Linn went for the money selling out their name to car makers to badge their stereos just like Bose, Mark Levinson, JBL, Burmeister.....You'll know the end is near for Rega if Roy E GAndy ever does that."

As a former owner of the LP12 I think you're right. For me, it soon became a bottomless money pit, and Linn do seem to have been switching their strategy all over the place in recent times.

Unlike Rega of course who have always remained true to the cause since the days Tony Relph and Roy Gandy kicked the whole thing off way back in the 1970s.

Rega, the almost accidental success story after having to play second fiddle to Linn for many years all of a sudden find they're very near the summit themselves now.

Yes they make everything themselves now, but are they taking on too much?Why for example have their speakers gone backwards, and why so many CD players, and where will they go next now there's no one left to follow? 

Is the P10 better than the 1200G?

Questions, questions...

I beleive Rega has stretched a little thin going for growth, but now are paring back, discontinuing CD players and not getting into streaming. Both good news. I think they are at the summit. Who is their competition? Linn? VPI? Clear Audio? I don't know....

Linn must have been bought or polluted with short term investors or something, because they used to be great and highly respected. The LP12 was the ultimate table. 

Now nobody in metropolitan Philadelphia sells their equipment. Hard to beleive....

I have a P8 and don't know the 1200G. The arm on the P8 (RB880) was a dramatically noticeable improvement over the arm on my P5 (RB 700) and I upgraded that before getting the P8, so I was able to see where the audible improvement was, and that's all that matters. The arm made a bigger difference than the table. That is no disrespect to the new design of the table, based on the "cost no object ultimate Rega table" Naiad, but Rega tables are quiet, and accurate with their PSUs. I don't regret getting the table because there are a couple nice new features I like, but I would have been 97%+ where I am purely from a sound standpoint from where I am today. Is it worth the extra I paid less what I got for the remnants of my P5 of about $1300 - hard to say, but I do like the design and the dustcover and the power connection to the PSU from the table. Some improvements are listed so it can be cost justified but may not be detectable to the trained ear, only to the most critical listener.

I would love to test the new arm on the P10 (RB 3000) at some point, but right now, I would never hear the end of it from my wife if I bought that after I recently got a phono stage with upgraded power supply and speakers in the past 4 months.

Is the P10 better than the 1200G?

Questions, questions...

Of course NOT, it’s not better.
Only in someone’s imagination.

"G" is $4k reference Direct Drive from Technics with the same coreless DD motor as in the SP-10R (their top of the line).

"G" has an improved tonearm, better than $1700 "GR" version.

For the most critical listeners tonearm can be replaced with something very special and Ultra High-End like Reed, custom metal armboard is what you need to do so.

you can check all new SL1200 series here

@chakster 

Yeah we get it!!!  Seriously we do! DD and Technics are the end all! They are the only TTs to be considered and all else are to be banished to to dust bin!
We have heard you loud and clear and get your message!!!
Please post up the rest of your system so I can tell you how you have made bad choices! And I will!!!
I will be the first on this thread to tell you that as I have said before you are telling half truths, so you know what the other half is right?
And please make sure that you post up right here on this thread the rest of your system! I’m waiting!