Personal turntable/cartridge evolution

I began with a hand-me-down 70s vintage Dual 1248 table and a Micro Acoustics MA2002e cartridge, given to me by my dad when I was in the eighth grade ('95). That kept me at bay until I graduated college in May '03 and I purchased a Pro-ject RPM4 with the Grado Platinum high output MI cartridge. A little over a year later I replaced that with the VPI Scout / Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood setup which I'll keep to perpetuity.

Circa 1970 Soundesign "stereo"

Circa 1977 Secretly used Father's Garrard turntable

Circa 1978 Sanyo TP 1020 "Direct Drive"! with Empire cartridge

Circa 1980 Kenwood KD 500 SME III Grado Signature

Circa 1982 Yamaha PX2 Linear tracking turntable Dynavector Ruby and Monster Alpha Genesis cartridge

Circa 1986 Linn LP 12 Grado arm Grado cartridge

Circa 1993 Switched to CD only, and miserable ever since

Circa 2003 Switched to SACD, still miserable

Circa 2006 Experimenting with PC based uncompressed audio

Happier - at least its convenient - but really, still miserable

Circa 2007 Great PC based audio at last? VPI? Michell?

Thanks for listening.

CW did you have the Grado Signature arm please?

Chadnliz

Yes, I think so -- it was a bronzey colored, supposedly rare tonearm by Grado, manufactured in the early 80's?

It was very nicely constructed, had an S shaped wand and was relatively high mass as I recall.

It was hyped and sold to me by my audio mentor and I took his possibly biased advice primarily based on my respect and enthusiasm for the Grado signature cartridges.

Perhaps I would have liked the tonearm more on a different turntable, but I always worried that it was too heavy for the floating suspension of the LP12 and in summary, that Linn set up was the most tedious, least sexy, least enjoyable turntable I ever had.

Dual
Technics
Systemdek Transciption/Mission 774/Empire Mc1000 (vdh)*
(Various come and go)
Scheu Premier II*/Morch UP4/Allaerts MC1B
3 Old Thorens*
Shroeder 2 then DPS*
SME 20A/SME 5
Garrard 301/Hadcock 242 SE/Music Maker 2 &3*
Various brief appearences, not least arms and carts (ET2, Audiomeca, Clearaudio Accurate, Koetsu Urushi)
Allaerts MC1B Mk2 and finally the incredible MC2 Finish*
Cartridge Man Conductor Airbearing*
Garrard 401 (still setting up)