Turntable upgrade recommendations: SME vs AMG vs Technics vs other

@rauliruegas

My friend actually is an analog-only audiophile, and has been for decades. He had the FM223 in his system for a few years, and then moved on to other phono stages, including the Ypsilon VPS-100, which he has currently in his system. I don’t know his actual music tastes, but he has extensive experience in listening to various components (if they’re analog).

Yes, I suppose I could’ve purchased the Basis reflex clamp for temporary use on the Rega, while I decide on an exact upgrade, but one thing I like about the SOTA reflex clamp is that it’s not a twist on clamp, but just has a lever that you press, which I suppose would give more consistent clamping that a twist on style of clamp, which I think SOTA also has a version of. As to which clamp it better, I cannot aver, as I’ve only ever heard the SOTA. However, I’m sure the Basis is also an excellent clamp.

I would recommend to anyone with a turntable that doesn’t come with a clamp/weight (which includes all Regas) that they should definitely try a clamp, as the sonic improvement is so marked that even my wife (who doesn’t even have a "good ear") can tell a significant improvement.

I’ve heard the Ypsilon in a system with which I was quite familiar, and I thought it was superb, but in comparison to other very expensive phono stages, one must keep in mind that it makes only 39db of gain. If you own a high end LOMC cartridge you must account for a SUT or an additional active gain device in the signal path. In fact even with a SUT, the owner of the Ypsilon had a complaint which I proved to him was due to an insufficient amount of total gain, for his Lyra Atlas SL. I convinced him to add an active linestage, and that made him happy (after he spent another $26K for the linestage).

@lewm

Yes, it should be common knowledge among Ypsilon VPS-100 (phono stage) purchasers that an SUT goes between your turntable and the phono stage. Ypsilon has three or four various SUT for sale/use, depending on the output of the cartridge in use, and that does increase the expense, but *only* by about $3k if you get the basic copper SUT . . .

I've owned or worked on many turntables over the last five decades. Regardless of sound quality, none have been as much of a joy to use as SME.

In addition, very few other turntable manufacturers have the equipment and skills to achieve the incredibly tight tolerances that you find in all SME turntables and tonearms; one of the many reasons for their excellent sound quality.

Funny story. To prove in principle that my contention he needed more gain in order to soothe his itch, I lent the owner of the Ypsi my own 25-year-old Quicksilver phonolinepreamp which is worth maybe $1200.  I hooked it up in his system so the signal from the Ypsi passed through the Quicksilver linestage section and then to his amplifiers.  In sum, he had a SUT of unknown turns ratio feeding the Ypsi which was feeding the Q. Results were dramatically better. He genuinely loved it. I keep the Q around for a spare and did not really want to sell it, but the point was made that he did not have to spend a fortune in order to add some gain via an active linestage.  However, such is the cost conscious snobbery of high end-ism (more $ = better sound) that he replaced my Q with an albeit very fine VAC linestage costing him another $26K.