Can a $3K table be among the best out there?

after i started this post I was determined to buy an Amadeus. Then I had the idea of calling a friend of mine who in Europe is considered a legend in analogue circles––a genius of an engineer who has no business ambitions but apparently manufactures what many consider the "best" tonearm on the planet and one of the best turntables. anyhow i asked him what he thinks about the amadeus, and he replied that he thinks it's not very good. then when i told him that i was also considering a thorens td-124 he replied that if i am into vintage i am much better off with an empire 598 troubadour. i was lucky to find one in immaculate conditions (with original box, tonearm, cart, etc)...and i am listening to it right now. boy is that good!

Ggavetti-Thanks for sharing the info. This guy designs TT's and arms. I am sure someone in his position, have opinions on how a TT should be designed. It doesn't sound like he agrees with the design philosophy of WT. That said, has he heard one. Perhaps exploring vintage, like your Empire, does have advantages over anything new in the same price range. I don't doubt this, as there is certainly a very strong following. The thing is, many including myself, don't choose to go that route. So then it all comes back to your post of $3K to spend on a TT/arm setup. I wonder which new $3K setups this guy has heard. If not, I can't see where his opinions hold any water. Congrats on your purchase, I'm sure it is a wonderful table. Cheers-Don

Fjn04, well, you know, when you are regarded as having gotten close to perfection (and dedicated your entire life to it), you get somewhat reluctant to accept other philosophies or ideas, especially if you care about measurable parameters like, for instance, the distorsion caused by a tonearm, how much damaging a needle is to the record etc. I have seen that with many other audio artisans who decided to work for themselves and not for the public (that is, who sell a few pieces to make a decent life but certainly don't aspire to get rich). Based on the way he talked about it, he knows WT first-hand and very well. I can say that one of the tables he always raved about of is Teres Audio...but that is certainly not in the $3K range. BTW, I see you like Shindo...I also got the bug (own a Masseto right now).

Ggavetti- This guy liking Teres is kind of my point. Maybe the guy thinks every table/arm between $3-$5K is nothing special. As we know, the Teres is not in the Amadeus price range. That said, if he hears an Amadeus, a VPI Classic, a Rega RP8, Clearaudio performance..., then it becomes meaningful. My only personal experience is with Basis tables, up to the 2500. No knock on Basis, but I am not looking back. The Amadeus gets an awful lot right, for a table in it's price range. It seems like all components built at a certain price point, don't do it all. Glad to see you are liking the Massetto! What cartridge will you be using on the Empire, and what is your amp/speaker setup. Cheers -Don

Fjn04, actually in our conversation he mentioned the VPI classic and WT as two TT's he'd never get. This is a guy who has spent his entire professional life on turntables and tonearms...he knows pretty much everything under the sun. And by the way, he doesn't look at gear based on price ranges. I paid my Empire $700 and he thinks this an awfully good setup. If I don't get a Teres, I might get a Townshend TT.
Using an ortophon mc-30 with the masseto. Perhaps we chat offline on shindo gear. please email me at giancoz77@yahoo.com
thank you.