Who will survive? One last table til I die.


I want to buy a final turntable (call it 25 years worth of use until I can't hear or don't care). I want to be able to get parts and have it repaired for the next quarter century. I would also like the sound quality to be near the top or upgradable to near the top for that time period. I don't necessarily require that the manufacturer be solvent that long (the preferable situation), but otherwise the parts would have to be readily available and the design such that competent independent repair shops be able to fix it. I won't spend more than $10,000 and prefer (but don't require) an easy set up that doesn't need constant tweaking. I'm willing to pay for the proper stand and isolation needed over and above the initial cost.

I've got 9,000 LPs, and it doesn't make sense to start over replacing them with CD/SACDs (although I have decent digital equipment) even if I could find and afford replacements. Presently I have a CAT SL-1 III preamp and JL-2 amp, Wilson speakers, Sota Cosmos table, SME IV arm, and Koetsu/Lyra Clavis/AQ7000nsx cartridges.

Thanks in advance for your input. Steve
128x128suttlaw
Anybody notice how Raul's English improved about an order of magnitude in that last post? Interesting...
Indeed. One wonders who actually wrote it. Is some SS amp builder ghosting for Raul?
Raul- Would love to test it for three months. Everyone else uses their system as their reference point- what is YOUR reference point for your own personal state-of-the-art, zero feedback, solid state amp/pre/phono?

After all, I wouldn't want to start my testing with something less than the same equipment you have so as to be fair. Maybe you could let me know what speakers you have, too, to further reduce trial and error.

Regards
Jim

Raul, anyone who thinks that the location and order of harmonic distortion is "not matters", has no clue of what harmonic distortion is, nor how it affects a musical presentation. Please bone up on it, and try again.

Regarding the 1.8 ohm output impedance of my amplifier, I use 8 ohm speakers which provides a damping factor greater than 4, so it works as well for speaker control and frequency response as any SS amp with any kind of damping factor. Any damping factor greater than 4 is immaterial and makes no discernable difference in the amplifier's ability to control the speaker. The frequency response of my amp is totally unaffected by speaker reactance in my particular system, so it doesn't matter what Stereophile says about amps with 3 ohm output impedance and poorly designed highly reactive speakers. If you notice the Stereophile chart, the impedance peaks that are imposed on the very poor example they chose to use, are at the resonant freq.(F3) of the driver, and at the cabinet tuning point. In the case of my system, my frequency response starts above both of those points, and have no effect in my system. But since you are not a speaker designer(and apparently not an amp designer either) I wouldn't expect you to know about that, any more than you know about the subject we are discussing.

The "very high output impedance" as you put it, has no bearing at all on anything, until you connect a speaker to it. That is when the damping factor is defined, and not until then. If I attached a speaker with a 0.1 ohm load to a SS amp with a 0.05 ohm output impedance, then the damping factor of the SS amp would suck(with that speaker). If you actually knew anything about this parameter, then you would not make statements such as you do.

I actually think that you know very little about audio. You read a few things, and think you know what you are talking about. Your statements give you away.

By the way, we are all still waiting for you to reveal the contents of your "highly musical" solid state system that will be revealing of the "true music" that you think we all are lacking in our systems.

You know, not only are you seriously lacking in audio knowledge, but you are very abrasive, rude, and arrogant. You seem to think that it is ok to ignore anyone else's points, can never debate an opposing position with facts, and simply repeat your own flawed opinions, in the attempt to look important. This is really sad. I like to engage in vigorous audio debate, but I prefer to do so with someone who knows what he is talking about. Unfortunately, you do not.

I'd suggest quite a bit more study before engaging any serious audiophiles here again. You really do need it.
Dear Teres:****" Ultimately, there will never be such thing as a zero-feedback amplifying device, and this includes single-ended triodes (where the electron flow and the space charge are the feedback parameters working in conjunction with the grid-cathode voltage) and transistor emitter-follower configuration (where the flow of minority carriers is the feedback parameter). I agree that a zero-feedback amplifier would be great, but it's not achievable yet."***
Can you read this again?.

There are many amplifiers that don't use global feedback ( use local feddback )¨Krell, Levinson, FM Acoustics, Rowland, etc....

*****" You countered with a number of irrelevant facts (some of which were also wrong) but never came back with any justification for your position. "****

Justification? you can do it for your self: test a tube and a SS amplifier on the subject: in a scientific way and in subjective way, then you can have the answers. I don't have to probe anything for my self. It is almost imposible to do that by writing in this thread, you have to have " live experience ", is the only way. This is not a subject that we can arrange with " words ".

***" But my tolerance for those that impose their views on others is pretty thin."***

I don't try to impose anything, I only give my point of view : tube amplifiers are frequency equalizers.

Chris, if you really think that I'm wrong, why don't try to prove it. Till to now you don't do anything about. Only words that don't prove anything on that subject.
This is not a contest, it is not important who are right, the important issue is that all of us can learn about.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Dear TWL:****" Raul, anyone who thinks that the location and order of harmonic distortion is "not matters", has no clue of what harmonic distortion is, nor how it affects a musical presentation. Please bone up on it, and try again."***

The subject that the 2nd harmonics are a " gentle " one, it don't say that there is no distortion. Right?

***"The frequency response of my amp is totally unaffected by speaker reactance in my particular system."****

Do you already measuring?

***"The "very high output impedance" as you put it, has no bearing at all on anything, until you connect a speaker to it."*** Yes, everybody knows that.
****" If you actually knew anything about this parameter, then you would not make statements such as you do."***

Which ones?

***" By the way, we are all still waiting for you to reveal the contents of your "highly musical" solid state system that will be revealing of the "true music" that you think we all are lacking in our systems. "***.

You really think that some " names " can tell you that?, come on you are a wise people.

***"You seem to think that it is ok to ignore anyone else's points.."****

I never ignore anyone else's points: that's the problem.
BTW, till now ( like Chris ) you are not prove nothing on the subjects.

Tom, again, this is not a contest it is not important who is right the important issue is that all of us in this forum can learn about. Now maybe you can feel good if I tell you that you are right and that you are the winner one, Ok: you are the winner and I'm " seriously lacking in audio knowledge ."
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.