best turntable under $5k

"It's interesting that just about all the tables mentioned have been beaten by a modded Lenco idler drive, at least according their original owners."

Some have been beaten. Some others, the Lenco is perhaps as good as these. So in these latter cases the Lenco may get the nod based on nothing else but price, which is a very powerful reason to stay with the modded Lenco.

I have not gotten really serious about a Lenco plinth but I have set one up in a temporary plywood base and an RB 250, fully modified, from Brit Audio. The Lenco does sound really good, but I still preferred the Basis 2500 I used to have. Dare I say it. The Lenco is not the end all, be all table. But it is very cost effective. Now, on to something new in turntables for me!

A temporary plywood base: what does this mean? Now I understand your earlier cryptic message in another thread that you could build any plinth I care to name, a disengenuous statement which meant what I suspected, that you had not in fact built a plinth worthy of the name, and had not tried a variety for optimization. Is the Lenco securely coupled to the plinth? Is the base glued together for maximum effectiveness? Is it pine ply or birch-ply? Is it Direct Coupled (married via the circular area of the top-plate). Is the plinth heavy or is it light? Have you made a serious effort to maximize it? I have to say, I don't think you have made either a fair comparison or a serious effort to get the Lenco singing. I have heard the Lenco humiliate high-end belt-drives and direct drives (Technics SP10 MKII in 70-pound plinth) too often, reports from around the world have been too universal and conclusive, the comparisons are not subtle in their results, so I simply do not believe you have made a real effort to optimize it, it is not a matter of taste unless you consider more detail, much deeper and tighter bass, more natural highs, better imaging and superior timing a matter of taste. What we need here is a serious comparison of the Lenco against anything at all in front of a panel of our peers, and I am not afraid to do this. The time for a Big Showdown is coming. Perhaps some Lenco participant in your area can arrange a fair hearing, in front of witnesses, in the meantime. And in the meantime, if anyone is looking for the best for under $5000, or the best for under $10,000, or the best for under $15,000, I present you the Lenco. And yes, I dare say it, and am willing to back it up in front of any number of witnesses.

John, perhaps you did not read my post or simply became aggitated that I have not whole-heartedly endorsed the Lenco. I openly admitted that I did not seriously undertake the plinth project. You are very quick to jump in when anyone dares to offer an opinion other than yours concerning the Lenco. I did not disparage the Lenco, I merely stated that I believe that it betters some tables but is perhaps only as good as others. Blasphemous though that may be.

Yes, I can build just about any plinth you care to name. That should not surprise anyone since we are talking about nothing more than basic tool skills here. (4yanx's wonderful creations not withstanding!) No, I have not because I have many more important demands on my time. I also don't have time to build my own electronics, or speakers. You say that you don't think I have made a fair comparison and perhaps that may be true. So what! This is a public forum and as far as I know I'm still allowed to voice my opinion even if you don't think I'm that well informed.

It seems that everytime the subject of "What is the best table" comes up most everyone eventually agrees that there is no such thing. But here we have the exception. We are all expected to endorse the Lenco as the best table in the world, past, present and future. Perhaps your creations will be as good as any table in the world. Perhaps someone would still choose anther table if for no other reason than they like the looks of something other than a Lenco-project. Perhaps they may not like the idea of something that hasn't been produced for years. Hell, maybe they just don't like castings and platter mats.

new....audio note tt2, linn sondek, roksan xerxes, phonosophie....used the world to choose from

It's kind of funny reading this thread. It was almost like saying "my choice is better than your choice" in a very twisted sort of way. At least that's what I got out of it.

Choosing a turntable is exponentially more complex than say a CD trasport/DAC combo. You have the table, the arm, the cartridge, (and the tiny wires that connect the cartridge to the arm wire in some cases) There are tens, if not hundreds, of choices for each category. A simple change in cartridge or tonearm might have a big effect on how the same table could sound.

On top of that, how the combo sounds will depend on the rest of your system as well. And don't worry, any table you get, you will be able to "constantly" improve it if you want. Any slight adjustment in VTF, VTA will affect the sound somehow. And changing the cartridge will get you started all over again. But don't drive yourself nuts. Just enjoy the music.

FrankC