Genetic differences in turntable design.

Cmk, all I can really say about that, is that I have actually had more trouble with vibrations of all types with my previous suspended turntables, than I have with my current unsuspended turntable. I can say without reservation, that my current Teres 245 shows no problems with vibrations of any sort, either airborne or floorborne. I have absolutely no type of isolation anywhere in the system, and it is rigidly coupled directly to the floor, via a rigid stand, with NO rubber, foam, springs, felt, air, or any other soft absorbing type of material. In fact, when I tried to use some felt under the cones of the TT, it absolutely truncated the attacks off of the notes, in a fairly severe way, and dynamics were compromised. And this, from a single layer of thin felt under each cone. This TT, and most unsuspended TTs want rigid coupling to the floor, with alot of mass in the stand. They do not want any kind of soft material between them and the floor, including springs or air bags.

My LP12 was a nightmare for vibrations, both airborne and floorborne, and I had to tiptoe around when changing records. And it was set up right, because I worked at a Linn dealer, and was the TT setup guy. Factory trained by Linn. My table was perfect.

I really think that the suspensions introduce more problems than they solve.

Twl: Judging all suspended tables on your experience with the Linn's is like saying that all Chevy 'Vette's suck because you used to own a Chevette. Both are "Vette's" and are even made by the same company, but there is a BIG difference in both design and performance. Compared to a VPI, Sota, Oracle, etc..., the Linn is a piece of under-designed junk. I would much rather have one of those "junky" ( according to most audiophiles ) mass-produced direct drive Technics turntables with some modifications and a good arm on it than a Linn. Sean
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PS... Most "Vette's" really are pieces of junk and i'm not talking about "Chevette's" either. I know first hand as i both own one and know a lot of other people that have them. Like the Linn, it is more a matter of image and prestige than it is actual performance and reliability. Save your money and don't buy either a Linn or a Corvette. That is, unless you just like to look at them and / or are a collector. If you actually try to use them on a regular basis, both of them will be a big disappointment.

If I were looking for a new table now, I'd go for one which is :
a) high mass
b) inherently designed to take care of vibrations from the ground

Designwise, the Stabi Reference sets a very high std.
http://www.kuzma.net/stabi_ref.htm
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1001/kuzma.htm

Sean, while I feel some agreement with your statements, surely you must know that I have owned and set-up and listened to many, many different suspended turntables, and unsuspended ones. While all are different, and have their own particular good and bad points, I have come to the conclusion that I did, by my own particular experiences. As I said at the end of my first post, IMHO and YMMV.

I certainly am aware that there are good sounding and performing suspended turntables. Some of the very best ones are suspended, and they do a good job with them.

I am speaking of my preferences for a particular design that, if well executed, I believe can be the preferred type of design, as far as total performance is concerned. Of course, listening environments can vary, and certain compromises may be required to accomodate these things. It is my current view that when the listening environment, including floor construction is correct and optimized, that a high mass unsuspended TT of excellent design can yield the best result.

My statements are not intended to be a "knock" on anyone's turntable, and are purely a statement of my opinions on design parameters.