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TT opinions please

I've been lurking in the background for several days now, and I've observed that there are quite a few knowledgeable souls out there. I've been into audio for better than 20 years, (with several unexplained lapses), and I've floated back into vinyl. It's definately time to swap out the old TT, (a B&O TX w/MMC3), and I'm considering several alternatives, among them:
Rega P3 w/ Origin Live RB250, New
Arison RD11s w/ AQ arm, Used
Basis 1400 w/RB300 arm, Used
VPI 19jr. w/ AQ arm, Used
Linn LP12, several flavors of arms, used
maybe a Pro-Ject Perspective, New
or perhaps a Michell Gyro SE w/ RB300, New

Some of these I've heard, most of them I have not. I tend to prefer fairly sharp highs, moderate midrange bloom, and a tight bottom end. This will be connected thru a Musical Fidelity XLP, Adcom 750 preamp, Parasound HCA-1200 and PSB Stratus Golds.

I'm not exactly poor, but I am cheap! Any thoughts, opinions, directives, etc? Thanks in advance for the help!
geezer
jaica
81 posts
 
I had the Vpi, It is a very good turntable and you can upgrade it to mark IV. It can handle a better arm than most people give it credit. They are not the pretiest turntables, but they are ok. Get the tall dust cover, you are going to need it when you upgrade the platter to mark IV. Since the heavy platter is also much thicker.

If you buy it upgraded it, you will save money over upgrading it latter.

The other tables like the REGA are also good, but I like the VPI better. If you want to spend a little more go for the VPI Aries with the JMW memeorial arm as long as you have a very stable table base, (NO ISOLATION ON THE ARIES)
gregm
3,405 posts
 
For detailed tight sound, you could also consider the small Clearaudio decks, and Morch arms. A Pro-ject P with a Benz Glider I heard offered great tunes. A latest version Linn/Ittok (or better) no longer requires the nerve-raking tweaking Jfrech mentions -- but is expensive.

Good luck!
albertporter's avatar
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albertporter
4,949 posts
 
Based on your stated preference, I would go with the VPI and AQ arm combo. Listening sessions with these combinations leads me to believe this would produce the sound closest to what you describe.

The Linn and Basis combos you list are fairly warm sounding in the mid and mid bass, so probably not as lean was you might like.

The Rega is very smooth in the extremes, and therefore will probably not produce the "sharp highs" you seem to be seeking.

The cartridge you choose will play an equal or greater role in this tonal balance game, but since you ask only about the TT arm combo, this is my best guess. If I were making this choice from the listed products, I would buy the Basis with RB300, or even better, a Basis with a Graham arm (even a very old one).
jeffloistarca
1,004 posts
 
Oracle Delphi IV or V. From there, pick an arm and cartridge you can afford. My preference is a SME 5 arm, cartridges vary a fair bit according to musical tastes and your budget; a Grado Reference may be a good choice. Do your best to make the right investment in vinyl, God knows it's worth it.
geezer OP
2 posts
 
Thanks, folks! Judging from what I've read in your responses, either the VPI or a Rega 25 get the vote. The Linns seem to require to much tweeking for my taste.

I didn't mention a cartridge specifically because I wanted to reduce the variables early in the discussion. One of several drawbacks with a B&O table is that you are stuck with their cartridges. A more "standard" table/arm combination affords the opportunity to try different cartridges, which is fairly easy to do, while trying different tables is not. So, given either the VPI or the Rega, any cartridge suggestions out there?

Jfrech - Can you point me towards a Rega 25 at less than $1300? Most of them I have seen retail at around $1295. What do you gain with a P25 over the P3/2000?

Albertporter - Please read "detailed highs" for "sharp highs". I must have been vocabularily(?) challenged this morning.
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