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Is the Townshend Rock 7 "the" giant killer?

The reviews I have seen of the Townshend Rock 7 (and many of the comments from owners) not only say that it's a great TT, but suggest it's a giant killer. Stated differently: it's hard to find anything in the $5K to $20K range that beats the Rock 7. Some reviewers say vinyl through the Rock 7 sounds more like master tapes than vinyl. I find this pretty hard to believe. Has anyone had direct experiences with the Rock 7, especially as it compares to other more expensive turntables? Thank you.
ggavetti
4musica44107
520 posts
 
Notec - I have heard the WTL Amadeus and Versalex, and recently have heard the Townshend Rock 7. All are very impressive. I have not heard them in A/B mode and wondered if you have had such an opportunity? And even if not via A/B mode, what was it about the WTL tables that you preferred over the Townshend?
fjn04
1,561 posts
 
Always difficult when it's not in your own system. When i heard the GTA at a dealers with my own cartridge, I loved the sound. So much so, that I bought it to take the place of my Amadeus. That said, when hearing the GTA, it was with a higher end Shindo preamp. The GTA is close to home now, so I will soon know for sure. The Rock looks to be a very impressive table, and of course takes that damping a step further. With the Amadeus @ $2800, the GTA @ $3800, and the Rock at it's higher price point, I doubt anybody loses.
manitunc
795 posts
 
I owned a Rock 3 and was very impressed with the sound. the front paddle damping is for real. I regret selling it as the bass was as clean as I have ever heard, probably better than I have heard. And that was with a rega clone arm. And I would describe the sound as master tape like in that resonances that I would attribute to the turntable/arm/cartridge system seem to disappear. Just a very clean presentation in the good sense. Not hyper detailed or etched as you would find with a rising top end, just everything there without artifacts.
If the 7 is a lot better, then I could see it being a giant killer, the 3 was close.
roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 
I am also interestested in the reasons for Notec's opinion. Were these compared side-by-side? I compared the WTA and Rock 7 side-by-side and both were excellent. With a Rega 301 the Rock did some things better than the WTA (bass for example), while the WTA did better treble. Felt like a pretty lateral move based on personal preferences. And Robert Greene's description of the WTA being top-down vs the Rock being bottom-up rang true for me. BUT the Rega arm on the Rock was a real weak link for me when I made my comparison.

Notec, what arm did you hear on the Rock? This will make a big difference.

In fact, it would be appreciated if anyone giving impressions of the Rock specified the tonearm used.
4musica44107
520 posts
 
I heard the Rock with a NOS SME IV.
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