Comments about Nottingham quirks


In this month's 2009 analog issue of "The Absolute Sound" there is a review of the Nottingham interspace Jr. that seems pretty bad. I was considering a 294 until I read how annoying most operations of the Nottingham are. The weird thing is they list the 249 as one the best recommendations even though it has the same quirks as the interspace Jr. Any thoughts?
fruff1976
I am usually not very critical of these write ups but this one was a little over the top. There is good reason not to use a finger lift on a unipivot design, I have gotten so used to the "kick start" on my nottingham that an on/off switch is a pain, and I have never heard a hum comming from a nottingham cable. This was a very poorly done review,in my opinion, as the complaints could be attributed to the reviewer really not knowing what he was doing. As for the plug and play mentality. That really is not very supportive of the professional audio dealer. My Nottingham was set up completely, adjusted perfectly and has worked flawlessly for the past three years.
Thanks for the responses. I was considering switching to a Nottingham because it is the brand my local dealer carries. I try to purchase locally when I can so I can keep the local shops in business. This review really made stop and think if Nottingham tables throughout the line are not that good to deal with. What really confused me was how the reviewer basically slammed the interspace but the Nottingham 294 was listed as "Our top Picks" in the same magazine? The reviewer (Paul Seydor) basically says, he wouldn't buy this table if it were his own money. The 294 is only a few models up and pretty much carries the same features. Wouldn't his review cover most of the Nottingham line?
My brother has the table that the Interspace has replaced, the Nottingham Horizon SE. It doesn't have the same tonearm issues. I don't know why they would have changed that design. They are good tables, but I personally would have to agree with what the reviewer said about the quirks. I thnk the Rega P5 is a much better bet in that price range - far better tonearm (RB700) in particular.
I've never had any of those issues with either of the Nottinghams I've owned. They are well made and sound great, and are very easy to setup and use. I like starting the platter with a push, I think it's easier and quicker than a switch and the lack of fingerlift is a non issue as well.
I have a Spacedeck w/ an RB700 arm. Sounds fantastic with no humm at all other than the sl. humm from my tubed amps. I too thought the review was a bit off...