Buying a new TT today

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!

I agree with most on the thread suggesting to go with a TT. My advice would be to try and always think what you're wanting and if a little patience and increased budget would put you in a better position. In other words. For example, some have mentioned the Prime Scout which is a good table but does have it's own share of drawbacks. Really give some consideration to the technology of whatever you choose to go with and what upgrades it allows that are important to you. As a Prime owner myself I found that tonearm upgrade was important to me. Which VPI states is not possible with the Prime or Prime Scout. Had I realized that I might not have purchased a Prime. So again really think about where your hifi journey is going before purchase. But again, I think TT is the best choice.