SME 20/2 SME V or Triplanar VII?

Guys, what can I say? I truly am learning from each post!

Like any good story, some twists near the end elevate the story.

I have lusted after the SME 20/2 for the past 2 years, but had despaired of ever getting one since the price of a new one was not acceptable in my budget range. Recently, I was nearing a decision to order a Galibier Gavia when an almost new 20/2 became available at an acceptable price and I bought it.

I am scheduled to audition a Galibier Gavia with a Triplanar/Zyx Universe/Dynavector XV1S later this month. My reasoning is that if I get the Triplanar or the Phantom and the Universe or XV1S, I will have a reference to help me decide whether to keep the 20/2 or sell it and order the Galibier. If I told this part of the story to anyone other than other audiophiles, they might want to have me committed.

Does this twist change things for any of you?

Thanks for your patience.

Ed

Tim summarized the synergy topic nicely and Flyingred provided some excellent details. (See, no flames!)

SirSpeedy,
Give us details and a name and address. We'll all post letters to Rowland, inquiring about power supply upgrades. Maybe that will get them moving! We were without a playable rig for 5 months and Dan_Ed has been without one even longer. It ain't fun.

Ed,
Hearing different gear is VERY helpful. Chatting like this can be, but nothing substitutes for carefully considered listening experiences. Your insane plan makes perfect sense to me.

Ed, it changes everything! I checked out the SME (plus many others) and was not convinced before beating a path to Colorado and the Gavia is significantly the best turntable I heard at its price point.

The SME is a fine table (for some) however the outstanding feature of the Galibier is that you will never find yourself saying "It ruthlessly reveals bad recordings" - it has the ability to make even the most mundane cuts sound enchanting. The SMEs can sound a bit leaden-footed on genres other than classical.

Thanks, Doug for validating my insane plan. And thanks Flyingred for your take on the SME and Galibier Gavia. A new Gavia BTW is much less costly than a new 20/2. The reasons for that are (1) Thom Mackris's tables would have to sell for about double their current prices if he sold through dealers because of his added marketing and dealer support cost and the dealer's markup and (2) the fact that the Bush administration has trashed the value of the dollar so badly that the exchange rate against the British pound or the Euro has made things from the countries about 40% more costly for us over the last 4 years (this is not political commentary, just a statement of fact).

Anyway, I think your comments support my mad scientist approach that if I get the either the Triplanar or the Phantom (either of which I'm sure would be happy with on the Galibier) and either the Dynavector or the Zyx cartridge (also either of which I'd be happy with on the Galibier) I can easily move to the Galibier if it kicks the SME's butt. However, with the SME V, I would want to sell that too because I would not want to put it on the Galibier.

Thanks guys. This has been fun. I will post back when I've got the the SME up and running with the Triplanar or the Phantom and the XV1S or the Universe.

Have a great and safe 4th.

Ed

I'm betting you're going to settle on the Gavia!

(Please, leave the political musings for elsewhere. Most consider it bad manors.)