Personal turntable/cartridge evolution

Right around 1978 I bought a Phillips GA 312 (the one with red touch controls). It gave up 4 months ago and I bought a Linn Sondek LP12. I expect another 15-20 years from it, by that time I'll be close to 70 and maybe a Gramaphone will be in order.

Great thread! I started with a Thorens TD125(?) back in the 70's, using a Shure arm and cartridge. I bought a Linn LP12 with Basik arm in the late 70's and have been using that ever since. I forget which cartridge I used originally, but I got a Denon 103 real soon after I got the LP12. I stuck with that (getting the tip replaced a few times) until a few years ago, when I tried a Benz Micro Gold. Last year, I changed the motor to an Origin Live DC motor.

TJ

Dual 5000 (I think)
Kenwood KD-500 with MAyware Formula 4
Kenwood KD-500 with Black Widow
Thorens 160 Super with Shure III
SOTA with Shure III
SOTA with MMT
Rega 25

Dopogue we had a lot of similar stuff

This is a fun thread!!

1976-1979 Dual 504 with various cartridges

1979-1998 Empire 698

1985-2001 Rega P3 with Sumiko Talisman

2001 to present Well Tempered Classic with Benz LO.4

Late '60s-'70s, McDonald/BSR auto-changer. Loved it, innocent non-audiophile simply looking forward to new releases!

Late '70-'80s, university student with Akai belt-drive, Accutex cartridges. Loved it, looked forward to new releases!

CD comes out, I hear my first one (a Yamaha) and hate the sound (cold, hard, unnatural). I make a bet with the Yamaha-owner that for the same money I can build a vinyl-based system which will cream his. I eventually buy a Rega Planar 3, Musical Fidelity A1 amp, and Rega Camber speakers. Am astonished at the increased information hiding in my vinyl, Yamaha owner sells his CD-player and buys Revolver/Sumiko MMT/Grado system....He still does not own a CD player, even though I now do. I eventually upgrade the cartridge to a Fidelity Research MC. Buy my first crap audiophile album. Innocence is over.

Late '80s, I buy a Maplenoll air-bearing turntable, with various upgrades and in various iterations over the years. A very lively, slamming 'table. Buy a Decca Super Gold, various high-end Grados, a Kiseki Blue Silverspot (which I still own), and a Kiseki Purpleheart Sapphire (I stupidly sold).

1990, tired of clamps, troughs and pumps, I buy an Audiomeca turntable, to which I mount a re-wired Rega RB300 tonearm. Beautiful, musical sound, again with tremendous verve.

1992, trip over an idler-wheel drive at a fleamarket in Helsinki, strip it down, hook it up, and am astonished at what I hear. Never even heard of "idler-wheel drive" before. End up with a reconstructed Lenco in new plinth with Rega arm. Never looked back. Cartridges include Grado Platinum, Shure V15VxMR, Audio Technica OC9, Kiseki Blue, Ortofon M15E Super. Large collection of other 'tables and tonearms as well. Keep the Maplenoll for historical/coolness factor to astonish friends (party trick).