Man, I wish I had posted that question here a montha go....
I was looking very seriously at both those tables. A Canadian dealer who advertises here on Audiogon was dropping Acoustic Sig and blowing out his demo Final Tool & Mambo(w/ Kuzma Stogi arm) for $1,340 and $3,400, respectively.
The ad stayed up for a month with no activity, so I finally called to see if they still had them - they did. I dilly-dallied for another day or two over which to get and when I called back, both had been sold already.
Live and learn, hesitation kills in this sport.
Dlshifi - "the German Final Tool seemed like a precise machine with a clearly defined soundstage and neutral presentation."
That seems to confirm Michael Fremer's opinion of the FT in his Stereophile review in 2003:
"The Final Tool is a great-sounding 'table, especially if you want rhythm, pacing, dynamics, image focus, and rock-stable soundstaging. If you're shopping at this price point or well above and like the delicate, the plush, and the airy, the Tool is probably not the 'table for you,"
But, he also added:
"although adding something like the 309/Celebration combo or a Rega with a slightly forgiving cartridge will get you close."
So, with the right arm/cart it might be possible to have your cake and eat it, too.
As for the Resolution, a few weeks later, a dealer here in Los Angeles was letting go his demo table w/ and Encounter arm for $3,400. Once again, I piddled around over the total cost and decided against it.
But, your description of it's virtues match his exactly.
Now, I have a Scheu Premier mkII w/ Scheu's Tacco tonearm. We'll see if it is up to the task.
I was looking very seriously at both those tables. A Canadian dealer who advertises here on Audiogon was dropping Acoustic Sig and blowing out his demo Final Tool & Mambo(w/ Kuzma Stogi arm) for $1,340 and $3,400, respectively.
The ad stayed up for a month with no activity, so I finally called to see if they still had them - they did. I dilly-dallied for another day or two over which to get and when I called back, both had been sold already.
Live and learn, hesitation kills in this sport.
Dlshifi - "the German Final Tool seemed like a precise machine with a clearly defined soundstage and neutral presentation."
That seems to confirm Michael Fremer's opinion of the FT in his Stereophile review in 2003:
"The Final Tool is a great-sounding 'table, especially if you want rhythm, pacing, dynamics, image focus, and rock-stable soundstaging. If you're shopping at this price point or well above and like the delicate, the plush, and the airy, the Tool is probably not the 'table for you,"
But, he also added:
"although adding something like the 309/Celebration combo or a Rega with a slightly forgiving cartridge will get you close."
So, with the right arm/cart it might be possible to have your cake and eat it, too.
As for the Resolution, a few weeks later, a dealer here in Los Angeles was letting go his demo table w/ and Encounter arm for $3,400. Once again, I piddled around over the total cost and decided against it.
But, your description of it's virtues match his exactly.
Now, I have a Scheu Premier mkII w/ Scheu's Tacco tonearm. We'll see if it is up to the task.
