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Turntable/arm short list suggestions, please.

I am looking to fill the final (for now!)piece of my system puzzle. People here on Audiogon have been most helpful to me in the past and I turn to their experiences, again. I would like to find opinions regarding the "best" table and arm for a maximum of, say, $1400-$1700 USED. Will cross the cartridge bridge later. I have a list now that includes - VPI Hw19 MkIV, Rega P9, Basis 1400, Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck. Open to others....

Realize this one has been asked numerous times and with various combinations of components - here is mine:

*McCormack DNA-225 amp w/HT ProAc 11 power cord
*Sonic Frontiers Line 2 preamp w/Valvo tubes
*Lehmann Black Cube phono stage
*PSB Stratus Gold i speakers w/Cardas Cross biwire cables
*Planning to try a pair of Zu Oxyfuel interconnect pairs I picked up on the cheap for amp/pre; pre/phono connects

I mostly listen to mid-60's - late-70's rock (not metal, jazz, and female vocalists. Thnaks in advance for any and all input.
4yanx
4yanx OP
1,576 posts
 
Thanks to one, thanks to all. I have recently disposed of the Sonic Line 2. I have instead added a Kora Eclipse pre/phono with a Ensemble Megaflux power cable along with a Nottingham Spacedeck/Spacearm for my table. I will keep the Black Cube for a time to A/B against the Kora phono stage. If not all-world in sound, the system is getting to be all-world in manufacture! :-)

McCormack, Cardas, Zu, HT - US
Kora- France
Lehmann - Germany
Nottingham - Great Britian
Stratus - Canada
Ensemble - Switzerland

I will give this stuff a go for awhile, let the Zu and Cardas cables burn in, and then see where I need to go from there regarding wire, tube rolling, tweaks, etc.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Congrats with Kora -- that's where it will realy start...
twl
3,251 posts
 
Ejcj, I do not own a Linn, but know about the design. I don't understand your comments about it being outdated. Just about all the newer tables out there are merely copies of the Linn with fancy looking plinths. The precision bearing assy. with pointed spindle and diamond lapped thrust plate, and the suspended solid subframe which provides a rigid structural loop between platter, arm and cartridge is now standard design practice in high end turntables.I agree that there are several excellent turntables out there now, but to call the Linn outdated is going a bit far. Perhaps the set-up difficulties are a bit off-putting, but any bloated bass response may be due to to improper set up, or arm/cartridge combination, or even the turntable revealing a bloated speaker response which is very common.
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