The WOW is a "steal" at the selling price of $1,995.00 with a Rega 202 included. As I said, I'm a BIG fan of Rega products and, IMHO, Rega tonearms are amazing when you take price/performance into consideration:
The base is constructed of a MDF and acrylic sandwich with their proprietary Tidorfolon bearing and a 24 mm polished aluminum platter. The motor is fully separated from the plateau to minimize unwanted vibration. The major highlights of its design include:
same Tidorfolon Bearing design used in all Acoustic Signature turntables, with 10-year warranty;
same AC motor used in all Acoustic Signature models;
heavy 9 lb. CNC-machined platter with leather mat;
high gloss acrylic black or white finish and;
Rega 202 tone arm.
You get to choose white or black finish.
Now the Townshend Rock 7 is in another league of its own and you will be hard pressed to find a better sounding TT in its price range. Everytime I visit my friend Larry at Hollywood Sounds I have to listen to this table. To my ears, you will need to spend up to $10,000.00 to match the sound:
The Townshend turntables incorporates a unique approach to arm-damping, involving viscous damping at the front end of the arm, right next to the cartridge, using a distinctive damping trough.
The trough-damping gives a solidity to the sound that one seldom encounters in vinyl playback. The arm in the Well Tempered Amadeus, with its bearing via damping only, comes close.
The cartridge is supposed not to vibrate at at all, to sit still except for the motion needed to remain centered over the groove as the record plays.
So based on this unique approach, the tonearm is not as important, an old Rega RB250 will do justice just fine.
Caveat? Extremely fuzzy to set up but once its set up properly, satisfaction will be endless!
Hope this helps in your quest for the right TT for you.
Happy listening!
