Dr. Feickert Blackbird

Interesting comparison with the DC vs AC motor Karl...Which leads me to a quick recommendation for the OP. Don’t snooze on the Stabi REF 2. It’s going to be a different sound than the "R", which admittedly, I’ve not heard. I have heard general comparisons, and the "R" may be a bit more neutral, which shouldn’t be taken as a negative. It’s all about the rest of your system, rack, and overall sound you’re looking for. The Ref 2 has been in production for well over 20 years, so I think it goes unnoticed. I have one with the Gimbaled Ref 313, which is simply a joy to use. Probably no going wrong here. If I could swing a Pipe Bomb for my second system, I would likely buy one. But that setup is something I’m trying to keep sanely priced.

Kuzma Stabi R is better, without question. You want 4 arms? You can have 4 arms.If you only want 1 arm, look at the Thales Compact and the simplicity arm.

Again, I appreciate all these points of view. Like a beach ball different points of view show differing colors.

@elliottbnewcombjr You make several good points. Yes, Mono and yes a cart that I don’t have to worry about on more worn records that I still love. 2-3 arms and no fuss. Ready, steady, go!

@rooze Yes, OL is still no my list. Others have offered how versatile, clean and easy they are as well.

@karl_desch Thank you for expressing it that way. My daughter loves guacamole and peas. Can’t stand them myself. Different tastes in food, wine, music, art, cigars, and especially what you want out of the music.

My goal is not to find the best quality sound possible, my goal is to see how great I can get my existing speakers to sound. I may eventually change them out, but I want to see how far I can go with them, between a great source, cables, room treatment, upgraded crossover, isolation, tweeks, etc.

I am emotionally attached to these Belle Klipsch speakers and they are sounding pretty damn good right now. I am only the current caretaker of these non-numbered speakers No serial numbers. They were a gift from PK to my friends aunt. She ran the Motel in Hope Arkansas. The Japanese and other guests would stay at her motel while visiting the factory. My friend inherited them from her and cannot keep them. He traded them to me for a pair of Heresys. My goal is to see how great I can make them while enjoying the path and music along the way. Right now I love them, they sound so much better than when I began the journey. They have come alive! Can’t wait to see even more improvement with a better TT, arm and cart.

I still have the first album I bought in 1975. Black Sabbath, Masters of Reality. I currently have over 3000 albums plus 78’s and 45’s to play with, hence the desire for variety. I have the ability to put together a stand-alone 78 player and stand-alone Garrard 45 changer. It’s the 33’s that need the upgrade.

Thanks again this has been an eye-opening discussion for me, giving me more avenues to pursue.

You have space for 3 dedicated TT’s, wow!

My friend has room for only 1, and many 78’s as well as mostly 33’s.

for others: Single Table/Arm solutions I have had experience with are:

My Thorens TD124 with 4 speeds, SME 3009II with changable headshells, each appropriate stylus type. Wonderful combo, but SME arm: no easy height adjustment if needed for cartridges with different heights. All could be ’shimmed’ to the same height I suppose. I was just single latest Shure MM in those days.

The Thorens needs a very stable setup, it’s massive platter and bearing design are succeptible to vertical vibration, bad match for my flimsy wood floor

this shows the SME 3009, custom plinth takes second arm

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649770090-thorens-td124-sme-3009/

this more compact for single arm, new blank armboard.

I wonder/suspect that Acos Lustre GST-801 would fit, an awesome removable headshell and  VTA on the Fly setup. I want someone to have this baby!

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My friends Technics SP-15 3 speeds, with BP-500 Base with VTA on the Fly, and either 1 curved arm with removable headshell and multiple headshells (his choice), or several easily exchangeable arms with pre-mounted cartridges, including the straight arm with fixed cartridge. The arm changes as easily or easier than a headshell.

Changing height couldn’t be easier, and very precise mechanism. I just installed one for him.

Arm Base and Two Arms (sold, good pics, none active on hifishark now)

SP-15 in Technics plinth, different tonearm. You simply change the round insert for your chosen arm (up to 10.5")

@karl_desch , that is what people say, "I like what I hear," when in reality, "I like what I see," is more appropriate. It could also be that people like antique things or the price. The criteria you mentioned I hold to are aimed at reducing distortion, sound that was not in the recording. It is a hopeless thing to do with turntables but that is the neurosis. Thus it might also be what distortion people like most.

The turntable is a vibration measurement machine, any vibration. The world is polluted with noise, vibration. Hearing what is on the record means isolating the whole affair from other vibrations, ones that are not supposed to be there. This along with lack of noise/rumble and stable pitch tell you 90% of everything you need to know about turntable performance.

Another problem I see in forums which leads to dissimilar opinions is that we all listen differently. We tend to pay attention to our pet aspects of performance and like everything else with humans there is a wide range of hearing ability. 

As people are readily aware, flowery descriptive terms of turntable performance do not cut it with me. Save it for the wine. What are you actually hearing and what is your reference? As compared to what? It is unfortunate but, what one person thinks they hear is anecdotal and means not much of anything. I include myself in the one person category and frequently ruminate over whether or not what I think I hear is real. If you have 3 or 4 people hearing a similar characteristic as a group in an isolated situation you are beginning to make me a believer. If they can all identify the subject blinded you have hit the Lotto.