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Kilo buck turntables


Audio Flynn

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I have heard a few really good turntables. SOTA, Lenco, Michell and others. Priorities being different in the past decade I never found huge fault wthe my old Michell Focus. Allowing myself one toy a year in other pursuits of late I decided it was time to acquire a made in USA turntable to be my last a fifty five, perhaps.

Major influences were not wanting to buy a separate arm (sota) and really liking my VPI record cleaner. Crazy part is VPI has so many products that seen to oveHedgesNomad traveler and scout Jr after hundreds of hours of internal ocd debate did not seem like a significant upgrade.

It had to be the Classic with longer arm and Soundsmith moving iron cart. There were just too many other life complexities to commit to a LOMC future.

First forty hours were plodding to keep tweaking in level,azimuth and tracking force while the Otello cart home in.

The kilobuck TT experiment is quite engaging. My 3000 LP collection no doubt needs thinning out but the diverse first pressings I have will be with me until I assume room temperature. Peter Gun, Provocative Percussion, Time Fades Away and Michael Hedges among dozens of others have unprecedented depth of soundstage, attack and decay. Sweet realism!

Of course Tull "Thick as a Brick" first pressing is a tad overly compressed and bass heavy. What were they smoking? Not so good but the flute is spot on.

It is a huge decision with so many options of table arm and cart but well worth considering.

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I have heard a few really good turntables. SOTA, Lenco, Michell and others. Priorities being different in the past decade I never found huge fault wthe my old Michell Focus. Allowing myself one toy a year in other pursuits of late I decided it was time to acquire a made in USA turntable to be my last a fifty five, perhaps.

Major influences were not wanting to buy a separate arm (sota) and really liking my VPI record cleaner. Crazy part is VPI has so many products that seen to oveHedgesNomad traveler and scout Jr after hundreds of hours of internal ocd debate did not seem like a significant upgrade.

It had to be the Classic with longer arm and Soundsmith moving iron cart. There were just too many other life complexities to commit to a LOMC future.

First forty hours were plodding to keep tweaking in level,azimuth and tracking force while the Otello cart home in.

The kilobuck TT experiment is quite engaging. My 3000 LP collection no doubt needs thinning out but the diverse first pressings I have will be with me until I assume room temperature. Peter Gun, Provocative Percussion, Time Fades Away and Michael Hedges among dozens of others have unprecedented depth of soundstage, attack and decay. Sweet realism!

Of course Tull "Thick as a Brick" first pressing is a tad overly compressed and bass heavy. What were they smoking? Not so good but the flute is spot on.

It is a huge decision with so many options of table arm and cart but well worth considering.

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I'm not clear -- are you looking at alternatives, or did you decide?

 

If the former, don't forget Basis.  They are made in New Hampshire, though they've gotten pretty pricey.  I believe the 2001, an excellent suspended 'table without tonearm, is still available.  Graymd got one several years ago with the help of A.J. Conti, the manufacturer in Hollis, NH.  I think they sound very full, steady, and terrific.

 

Basisaudio@aol.com

www.basisaudio.com

Edited by Chad
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+1 on first pressings, and I agree with Thick as a Brick, but have you compared it to the Cd? I'll take it over the CD anyday. I have purchased a couole of reissues over the years and punted on those as well. Did you find something you prefer?

I concur on the Basis products but I am not a fan of the Graham, although many, many are.

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Hey gents!!  Its been ages..... I hope everyone is doing well.

 

Like Larry, I'm also a tad confused.  Is this a question?  A recommendation? Food for thought?

 

I also agree with Larry and Travis that any version of the Vector is a better mate with a Basis than the Graham.  I also agree that the original pressing of Thick as a Brick could very well be the best out there, especially for the money.  I broke the seal on an MFSL a few years ago and was sorely disappointed (very thin sounding - nice detail but no bottom end), unlike the MFSL pressing of Aqualung which is a real showstopper.  I received the new box set of TAAB I & II as a gift last year and it is just awful.

 

Rick - If I had to guess, I'd say you are underestimating the potential impact of a decent LOMC cart.  I know it's a PITA adding a step-up and all that but I have always found it more than worth the time, effort and extra $$ with every table I've owned.  Just my 2 cents....

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Hey gents!!  Its been ages..... I hope everyone is doing well.

 

Like Larry, I'm also a tad confused.  Is this a question?  A recommendation? Food for thought?

 

I also agree with Larry and Travis that any version of the Vector is a better mate with a Basis than the Graham.  I also agree that the original pressing of Thick as a Brick could very well be the best out there, especially for the money.  I broke the seal on an MFSL a few years ago and was sorely disappointed (very thin sounding - nice detail but no bottom end), unlike the MFSL pressing of Aqualung which is a real showstopper.  I received the new box set of TAAB I & II as a gift last year and it is just awful.

 

Rick - If I had to guess, I'd say you are underestimating the potential impact of a decent LOMC cart.  I know it's a PITA adding a step-up and all that but I have always found it more than worth the time, effort and extra $$ with every table I've owned.  Just my 2 cents....

Deju vu.

As I was writing my response above, I was going to add something about "it still wouldn't compare to being in the front row at Tull at Strathmore" but didn't see the point because you are never here, and then look who pops up.

You still have that set list I grabbed for you?

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I was just kind of going off stream of conciseness. I did buy the VPI Classic 1 with Sounsmith Otello and Counterintuitive.

I did not want to seem like this is the best turntable ever. I think there are amazing options on the market.

The intention was to buy USA products and keep the project simplified by not going with lomc.

3_4 years from know I may get the itch to go all out on a lomc preamp from NOS Valves.

A hearty record collection deserves an analog front end to achieve it's potential.

Edited by Audio Flynn
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It's in a box somewhere!  I'm getting ready to move so it'll probably turn up.  The only song I distinctly remember from that set list was "Aqua-bung."  I guess you need a sense of humor after 40+ years of touring!!

I remember that all female string quartet for for first few songs. He did TAAB,Living in the Past, Past Time with Good Company, Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses, Locomotive Breath was the encore and that old lady usher ran up and yelled at me for snapping a photo.

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It's in a box somewhere!  I'm getting ready to move so it'll probably turn up.  The only song I distinctly remember from that set list was "Aqua-bung."  I guess you need a sense of humor after 40+ years of touring!!

Wow.  That brings back some things I would rather forget.

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Hey Jay!  What's new mi amigo?

 

The "Aqua-bung" reference was from the actual set list Travis snagged from the keyboard player.  I didn't forget the songs (not all of them anyway), just the way they had them written.  I seem to recall "Heavy Whores" was also on the list.... 

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AF-

I miss your old avatar. Are you replacing it with the MTSU logo? Wait until next year.

one of the forum members from years ago made it for me. It is on some decent hard drive out there.

I was a bit bummed but you play enough games in that tournament you just increase the probability of upset. Like Kansas getting defeated yesterday.

Go Green!

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Hey Jay!  What's new mi amigo?

 

The "Aqua-bung" reference was from the actual set list Travis snagged from the keyboard player.  I didn't forget the songs (not all of them anyway), just the way they had them written.  I seem to recall "Heavy Whores" was also on the list....

I got to see last fall's Full rock opera tour. Young band and excellent av experience.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Tull not full. Crazy automatic correction.

Last night I played Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton. Not A classic jazz LP but Transformation was a pretty good fit for my jazz taste needing some melody.

So much of 50-70s jazz and blues will never be on CD or digital streaming. Greatest hits CDs get boring quick.

The other odd vinyl discovery I made recently was The Crusader's with BB King and the London Philharmonic live from the 70s. Not an audiophile pressing the sure but an interesting historical work. BB King was huge world wide and this LP captured the depth and width of soundstage one would expect from BB live my Michel TT would not have achieved.

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