Grand Prix Audio Monaco Turntable

Teres Certus 460 looks like a nice piece of furniture for my grandfathers living room. But keeping to the discussion, those speed accuracy figures they publish are probably not measured at the platter level. Just for fun I will ask Teres this very question and see what they say. No comment about the Technics, other than I purchased 2 of them 20+ odd years ago for a friend who needed them as a discjockey for parties, you know the kind of music/rap you need to scratch to back in the 80s...

No, a great test would be, independent of course, in a top system against the Continuum Caliburn and/or RT Sirius III, but with multiple experts present.

Albert Porter and I compared his extensively rebuilt Technics SP10 sporting a SME 312 with his Walker Black Diamond, using identical Airtight PC1 cartridges. IMHO, the Walker "walked" all over the Technics in most respects EXCEPT for speed stability due to stylus drag which showed up only on one record where it was shockingly obvious. It is conceivable that the Walker could be tweeked to overcome this issue at the possible expense of isolation from the motor. That is the choice Lloyd Walker made.

A.J. Conti of Basis claims that his top of the line table, a motor controlled belt drive, compared favorably with the Technics.

My point is that to claim across the board superiority of the Monaco has more to do with religious fervor than sense.

Most Japan Inc. DD's of the late 70's and 80's had W&F with a load from a tonearm/stylus of .025%wrms or lower, .035% Din. at the platter on motor into the .008% wrms. speed error was typically .002% for most and drift from thermal temp. even lower.
I noted Certus vs Monaco because they are both pricey direct drive concepts.

Dear Piedpiper: +++++ " I compared his extensively rebuilt Technics SP10 sporting a SME 312 with his Walker Black Diamond, using identical Airtight PC1 cartridges. IMHO, the Walker "walked" all over the Technics in most respects " +++++

IMHO till you compare two different TT's with the same tonearm/cartridge combination your statement is not a precise and value one and more a " religious fervor that sense ".

I know the Walker one ( not so very well than Albert ) that is a great belt drive TT example ( that btw has the same speed stability/accuracy spec than the SP 10 ) but unfortunately we can't compare against any other TT because the Walker don't accept other tonearm.

Right now I'm running one of my SP 10 with out plinth and pneumatic AT footers directly in the Technics TT base, I already try it with Dynavector 505, Audiocraft AC 3300/4400 and MS MAX 237 ( with several cartridges ): awesome performance, better than the Walker? who knows: we need to mount any of those tonearms/cartridges ( including the SME 312 ) in the Walker and compare.

What I can say is that the SP-10 very " old " design ( 1982 ) is a top contender here and now after those many years that were build!!!!!!!! and still spinning/running flawless!!!!, my hat off to these Matushita/Panasonic/Technics great people.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Piepdpiper, its actually the amazingly common sense of the Monaco design concepts that made me a believer. But it wasn't until I listened to the table for about half a year that it truely convinced me to order one. Every table I listened to afterwards, more expensive (ie Walker), less expensive (ie VPI) fell in some way short of impressing my ears. You, should judge for yourself though. As I see it, it would not be your cup of tea, you're more of a sound from tubes & platter-pulled-by-a-string kinda guy. The full benefits of a Monaco might not show up in your current setup anyway. Next time you visit Albert ask him what he thought of the Monaco, he didn't want to say anything on the Gon on his own page. He too is aware of the power of his opinion, but I'm sure he'd tell you in private.

And pls NO MORE Japanese DD from the 70s! The world really has moved on since then...believe me, it has, just like EVERYTHING else on this planet.