Why will no other turntable beat the EMT 927?

A correction.

I misspoke when I said the 927's motor was made in-house. Rather, it was EMT designed, and built from scratch by a vendor. Still, it is an incredible piece of work.

Mosin, How about defining a "neutral" component as one which has "no discernable character of its own". In other words, one that does not add or subtract a sonic signature to the music.

This may be impossible to achieve, but I do think it is a reasonable goal. One way I would describe a turntable that is too fast or two slow is that it is not "neutral". Such a turntable would impart a color on everything it plays. Some would probably say the same about particular drive types and certain build materials.

Now, if one likes having three platter options in order to alter the sound to his/her personal liking, that is fine. But for those who want to hear what is in the grooves without any alteration, it does not seem to be the best approach.

I think neutrality is a worthwhile goal for a designer. Not the only goal perhaps, but one which will meet a demand in the market. And because it is so difficult to achieve, I don't think there is any chance of everything sounding the same.

Finding neutrality is like finding the mythical Unicorn. I mean it is more an abstract concept than something real. For example, just listening to live music and moving around the room, concert hall or even outside venue the sound changes. Suppose you could get your favorite singer to stand in your listening room and belt out a tune. It isn't going to be the same thing as the record because the artist's studio sound is completely different from your room. Afterall, our hifi's are supposed to recreate the ambience of the recording. So now suppose you get to stand in the studio while your favorite singer performs. The recording engineer is in an isolated chamber hearing the performance through some studio monitors. (That's how I perceive it; but I have never been to a studio). How much comparison does the recording engineer compare the live voice to his mix down? What if they adjust timber of the singers voice a bit. So at best, neutrality is a comparison between systems or components and becomes a subjective judgment like everything else.

Unless you really want one there's no reason for you to get it, between your 927 and 8000 you're fully covered. As a dealer I have to get one. The time I spent with it at CES convinced me of its exceptional qualities but I can't draw final conclusions until I have it sitting in my room with its various platters. Their new pump system is superior to the 8000's and will have sonic benefits, how much is to be seen. My reference arm is also the 3012, I even cut my 927 to fit one.

There's nothing cheap or plastic about this table, it has a gorgeous build and IMO a very attractive design. Yes it's not the utilitarian beauty of the others but its still very attractive. My only gripe is that you're limited to two arms and only one long one. It's disappointing at this level. Will keep you posted with more when it arrives.

Unless you really want one there's no reason for you to get it, between your 927 and 8000 you're fully covered. As a dealer I have to get one. The time I spent with it at CES convinced me of its exceptional qualities but I can't draw final conclusions until I have it sitting in my room with its various platters. Their new pump system is superior to the 8000's and will have sonic benefits, how much is to be seen. My reference arm is also the 3012, I even cut my 927 to fit one.

There's nothing cheap or plastic about this table, it has a gorgeous build and IMO a very attractive design. Yes it's not the utilitarian beauty of the others but its still very attractive. My only gripe is that you're limited to two arms and only one long one. It's disappointing at this level. Will keep you posted with more when it arrives.