Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

I have the GT2000 and am quite happy with it, though I have not done direct comparisons with other DD turntables.

The difference between the GT2000 & GT2000X is that the latter has a bigger motor shaft and plinth. The have the same platter, motor, and controller. The 18kg gunmetal platter was optional for both.

Some people like the arm on the GT2000 but many also change it for something else. Yamaha sold two other arms and SAEC made a special version of 407, the 407/GT that can directly replace the existing arm. There are also commercial arm boards available that allow the use of other tonearms. I have no experience with or knowledge of fractures in the tonearm.

Thanks, Sampsa. Have you compared your GT2000 to any other vintage DD turntables? Have you ever seen either the 18kg platter (hard to believe) or a GT2000X?

No. I've compared it to a Garrard 401 with the same cartridge (SPU Gold) but with different tonearms and preferred the GT2000.

I haven't seen either the GT2000X or the YGT-1 platter in real life. They're both pretty rare but do occasionally pop up on the net.

I have now compared the Jico leather mat with the custom rubber mat that comes with the Exclusive P3.

Overall the leather mat has good transparency let down by a softening of the leading edge of instruments and a slight fattening of the sound in the upper bass. would probably be good with neutral/lean SS gear.

The P3 rubber mat is more coherent top to bottom and the music is more involving.

A bit of a PITA is the thicker mat is not flat - it bows where the Jico cattle mark is. Makes every lp look like it is bowed. Sort of defeats the purpose of a mat when it cannot effectively coiuple the lp to the platter.

YMMV

Still have to compare on my P10 and TW Acustik.

cheers

I concur. First job of a mat is to be flat. Of course, the platter supporting it has to be perfectly flat too.