Every day I see another turntable recommendation...

+1 @photomax 

I see the same thing with Technics tables: some forum guys will completely dismiss modern DD Technics tables because of their experience with “cheap DJ tables” from when they were in college 40 years ago…

I realize many are repulsed by the SL1200 but I am so thankful for having discovered its potential. Thanks to KAB and a few other suppliers, the hidden performance of these 3+ million turntables is quite staggering. One of the biggest benefits is the Mk2~Mk6 three (3) layer construction - these things are actually isolated. No wonder DJ’s used them! The footers in these capable machines break the audiophile rules of lossy coupling by having the feet screw into to lower chassis rubber boot. Yes. Not rigid! And unlike many lightweight sprung ‘tables, this system handles real SPL energy without soundstage compression. A sturdy shelf and a few pieces of sorbothane to provide lossy vertical & lateral isolation is all the isolation you‘ll ever need. Go figure . . .

Many TT owners are Wed to one Brand and One Model and are usually only owning one TT.

In some cases there are the same as above for the TT in daily use but other TT’s are owned, some of the additional owned TT’s may be in a set up condition allowing them to be used at leisure.

Focusing on the pleasure to be had from listening to replays on a variety of TT’s as the motivation to have a selection of TT’s, when this is a method used, the owners of the selection of TT’s that I meet with, are usually appraising of the TT’s in use and not too concerned about the gap in the technologies that separate them.

I have a selection of TT’s but use one model as my go to TT.

A friend has a Goldring Lenco produced in the 70’s, Thorens Belt Drive ’modified’ from the 70’s, Linn LP12 produced in the 90’s, Technics SP10R.

All are in use and each is savoured for the presentation they can deliver and the alternate experiences each can offer.

The Spec for three of the TT’s to aspire to is very well known, but neither is judged negatively for this.

It was the good impressions made from these TT’s that encouraged another to sell their SME 20/12 with Series V and purchase a Garrard 401, they preferred the Idler Drive presentation at this stage in their life.

Very true @pindac and well stated!

I can attest to the modern Linn LP12 to be a very fine turntable with the great benefit of allowing many incremental upgrades available to take it to the very top of the line performance. They are stable once set up. The Linn LP12 Majik is $5K… and you can incrementally upgrade it to the top level $30K Klimax.

I can share some comments from my friend / audio dealer who has setup and serviced all sorts of turntables for over thirty years. Many complaints on Linn as well as some other turntables of them not being set up right comes from people setting them up with no idea what they were doing… leaving off a motor screw, sprinkling baby powder inside the chassis, man handling the tone arm, using the wrong screws putting in thing up side down. This kind of stuff will screw up the sound of any turntable.

I used to have a VPI Aries without a suspension, a fantastic sounding turntable… I now have a Linn LP12… a fantastic sounding turntable.