Best auto-lift/shutoff turntables?

Thanks, Ed. My experience with the Thorens TD-320 has been quite good. There may be sonic compromises involved in having the auto-lift and shut mechanisms, but I don't think I can hear them. or, since I haven't a/b'ed the table with a good, purely manual table maybe ignorance is bliss? Since I'm willing to buy used, I thought that maybe there was a good older table out there with the convenience I want and the sonic quality I hope for. So far, only Elizabeth hs recommended 2 tables, Denon and Dual, but I think those might be lateral moves compared to a Thorens. Is that true?

Winegasman- Your principle objection to the Teres seemed to be price, not that it didn't have auto shut-off. I intuitively understand your desire for auto lift, but not really sure why you're looking for the shut-off as some extra motor/platter running time isn't going to affect anything adversely. Even if you forget and let it run overnight, it's not a big deal. (Heck, I let mine run for three days straight just to break the motor in!)

With respect to the Expressimo Autolift, it's not a big deal to install. The "tricky" part that was refered to before doesn't have anthing to do with drilling, screwing, glueing or something of that nature. The "tricky" part is simply getting it placed in the right spot, which is only a matter of taking time to move it in increments.

I would propose that you consider the Expressimo lift and place it on a manual table of your choosing. This would open up alot more (and better sounding) choices as the Denon, Dual and Thorens are all about the same, give or take.

The only other table with the lift and auto-off feature is the old Empire 698, alhough I'm not totally sure that it had the "off" feature. Nice looking table and can sound pretty good, too. Around $300+, maybe up to $400 for a real nice one.

Thanks. Does anyone else have experience with the Expressimo? If it's easy for an all thumbs person to install correctly, I'd consider it -- I'm just not able to solder, drill or do anything generally that would make me a useful person to have around. (I am expert at sitting in a chair and listening to records, and I'm not bad at helping get rid of extra ice cream -- but those are about the only things I do well.) If there's enough consensus that I'd get better sound from a manual turntable with expressimo, and that I would be able to set it up without hurting myself, I'll certainly widen my range of equipment interests. Thanks, Jimbo.

Winegasman, Maybe you should give Sal (the owner) a call at Expressimo Audio. He is one hell of a nice guy, very easy to talk with, and I'm sure, could instill the confidence you may need to get the job done properly. He is in California, and is usually in after 9:00 am Pacific time. His # is 707-445-4660.

If you let him know what turntable you are using, he could give you a recommendation on which lifter to use.

Let us know how you make out, Ed.

In addition to what Jimbo said about letting it spin, I can attest that many dealers do this regularly. The first time I went to audition some amps at one of my preferred hifi shops, they asked me to just keep the LP12 they had in the listening room spinning--it's no thing to whisk a vinyl off that felt mat while it's spinning. I noticed they kept their Notts spinning, too. Makes sense--starting and stopping a low torqure motor running a big hunk of platter will certainly cause more wear than just letting it go. Only reason I stop my Gyro between plays is because of the "grippy" platter, plus the clamp is tough to screw on in the same direction the platter spins ;) I did let my AR spin, though. I realize this may not help the original poster, but perhaps other readers of this thread could benefit.

Winegasman, it sounds like you have your heart set on a full automatic, and although I'm something of a newbie myself, I personally just haven't seen any better auto 'tables than that Thorens. If you want a truly better analog experience, I'd really consider what these guys are saying about adding aftermarket lifters. If you're not comfortable with the install, then I'm sure you could find a local high end shop to do it for you for a nominal fee, especially if you're on good terms with them. Have them check that things are set up and working properly while it's there.

Good luck-
Dirty