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Nottingham vs. Wilson Benesch turntables?

I have assembled a great 2 channel system (Verity Parsifal Ovations, Luxman 509u integrated & D-06 cdp), and it is time to add analogue for vinyl 50's & 60's jazz, chamber music, solo piano etc. The 509u has a good phono stage, and so I need a TT, arm, and cart.

A couple of options available locally are the Nottingham Analogue Ace Spacedeck (or the similar Space 294)and their respective NA arms, the Wilson Benesch Full Circle (complete with arm and cart), the Avid Diva II (and Volvere), and Thorens.

The Nottingham and WB turntables have a certain appeal at a similar price, and I was wondering what you would advise for someone getting back into analogue?
toronto416
toronto416 OP
230 posts
 
Silly question, but is the VTA adjustment on Nottingham arms sufficient to accommodate the 5mm thick Boston Audio Mat 2?
inna
7,296 posts
 
This is not a silly question at all. You would want to adjust VTA depending on how you want your music to sound, it will also depend on chosen cartridge and thickness of records which varies. Some people even want to be able to change VTA during the playback. So..Boston Audio has a 30 day money back guarantee, at least if you buy directly from them. No risk really, you will just have to try. You might even order both Mat 1 and Mat 2 and compare. In fact, that's exactly what I would do if I planned to buy new.
toronto416 OP
230 posts
 
Thank-you!
The BA Mat 1 or 2 sound like a better option than the stock felt mat supplied by Nottingham, and it sounds like the VTA adjustment can accomodate the additional 3 to 5mm of extra height.
inna
7,296 posts
 
Mat 1 would be a direct replacement of the stock mat in terms of height, both are 3mm thick.
Some company, don't know who, makes a device for Nottingham arm to be able to adjust the VTA "on the fly", that's while the record is playing. I personally never bothered.
It may actually come down to personal preferences whether you like Mat 1 or Mat 2 more.
kenley
4 posts
 
Something very new to consider: Inspire hifi 'Monarch'
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