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Will an entry level Project or MusicHall be enough

Unsatisfied with my current set up...I am comtemplating buying a table...and have heard from most respected audiophiles that a $500 table will easily surpass even the best CD transports and DAC convertors...what brought me to this conclusion...SACD...it makes me not want to play my current CDs...will a "starter" table such as the Project 1.2 or MusicHall 2.1 be a step in the right direction...or will I need to go higher up the chain..thanks..
128x128phasecorrect
hackmaster
102 posts
 
The best starter table around is the Rega P2 hands down. Smokes the MMF and Project stuff.
sean
6,231 posts
 
If you are looking for the most bang for the buck, you would be best off with a used AR ES-1 or a model they sold under the name of "The Turntable". You would be far better off with one of these than you would be with one of those new and highly touted "particle board" turntables with no suspension or isolation and arms without VTA adjustment.

While the stock AR arm limits you as to what cartridges you can use due to the low mass design, ALL arms limit your selection one way or the other. It is a good basic design that shares a great amount of similarities with the Graham arm.

A Harman Kardon T-60 is also a decent table, uses an arm of similar design, comes with a factory record clamp and can probably be purchased even cheaper than the AR. Both of these show up on Ebay on a regular basis.

Invest the difference between one of these tables and a new "particle board" TT in a second hand record cleaning machine and enjoy. To do better than either of the tables / arms that i mentioned, you will have to spend quite a bit more money. While the leap in performance would be sizable, so would the price increase. Sean
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psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
VTA *is* crucial, no matter what a salesman might tell you. So is adequate suspension/isolation and speed/rotational stability.

So be it.
mahandave
153 posts
 
You have to go with the Rega, nothing else in the price range comes close. This is not an exagerated claim. The Rega's have arms and cartriges that all make for the best system synergy/compatability you can find. And yes they will generly smoke one thousand dollar cd players. The build of the Rega's is way way better than the Projects,MusicHalls etc. at this price point.
krell1's avatar
krell1
250 posts
 
I have a Krell AVS,300S,DT10 with N802's and I just added the MMF7 with Goldring. After owning a big rig TNTIII,JMW,Ruby I can say I am pleased. I know it is very musical using it with a Monolithic & power suply. I was thinking of others but the MMF7 reminded me of the TNT in a smaller package and I will probably get a glider 2 cartridge before I ever did sell it. It is a very enjoyable purchase and doesn't have you thinking of alot of upgrades.
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