Direct Drive TT...vintage era....sleepers....

Violin, The Micro is an excellent set-up, but I would say that the value of that tonearm puts the combo out of the "budget" category for many, and the 505 is hardly undiscovered. None of this matters to your enjoyment, of course.

You should check out the vintage Kenwood DDs. The KD500 and 600 were giant killers back in the day. I used to see them with Black Widows, SMEIIIs and sometimes heavier arms more suited to MCs. This is the era that produced the LO7D. The ones with the white base that looks like corian, have a big advantage over the most wood base tables. It's a composite material with limestone and I think polyester resin. Whatever it is, it works.

The KD550 and 650 came with arms. They look like decent med mass arms but I don't have much experience with them. There are also a couple of less expensive ones with that base material. One is the 5070 I believe. It might have auto functions. I have a KD500. At the moment I have an Alphason 100S on there. I also have a 770D which is a nice table w/arm, but I had to modify the wood base.

I guess you can tell that I'm a DD freak. I used to have a Goldmund Studietto/Zeta. Anyway Kenwoods are pretty cheap and have great potential. If you find a 550 or 650 and don't like the arm, just put something else on there.

+1 for the Kenwood KD-500.

*3 for the JVC QL-7. Demonstrably better than the equivalent Technics or Denon.

 

Shortly after the original date for this thread, there was an early introduction to to Materials that can be used within the parameters of Audio Equipment, which have inherent properties that are seen to be very much wanted in relation to Dissipation and Damping of Transferred Energies.

Today the Materials referred to above, that are produced by a process where a  Resin Impregnated Densified Wood is the end product and which are supplied as a Brand Name, such as, Permali or Panzerholz (but not limited to) are proving to be a material that enables a DD TT, and other drive TT's to raise the level of performance that can be produced.

I am very familiar with these material types used on DD TT's and utilised for other purposes and the perception of betterment from it being in use is audible. 

For those looking to eek extra from their Vintage TT's, where the exchange of a Plinth is not too complex, I highly recommend the additional investment.

An individual does not have to go to a too great a expense to make this happen.     

Yuk to all of them. You are much better off looking for a decent belt drive table, even an LP 12 which everyone knows I dislike.