DaleR Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Alright, all you vinyl aficianados...Saw this on E-bay, and I remember that Michael Fremer raved about this table in Stereophile. What say y'all? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=012&item=220001814311&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 I just got one and couldn't be happier! Don't let it slip thru your fingers! Absolutely world-class table! $142 with 18 hours to go?! I don't even want to tell you what I paid for mine and it didn't even come with a tonearm! BTW, be prepared to pay $500 plus when the whistle blows. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleR Posted June 30, 2006 Author Share Posted June 30, 2006 Thanks for the advice...A few weeks ago, I got out-bid on a Dual TT in the last 30 minutes! I learned my lesson then, but at $500 this one is a little too rich for my blood. I'm trying to pick up some speakers right now, too. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott0527 Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Yes, unfortunately it will probably jump to $500+ in the last hours or minutes. What is your budget? The one Fremer raved about probably had $2 grand in just the table. It was rebuilt by a professional, had some special new platter and plinth. Then he was using $1200 to $1500 cartridges. For everything Michael Fremer raved about, you can get similar performance from a Thorens TD160 belt drive table. Not on the same level, but still quite nice for $150 to $250 that they go for. And you can usually sell them for about what you paid. So as your experience and budget grows, you can sell the 160 and step up to the next level whatever that might be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Fremer may be right now and then but having read quite a few of his equipment and music reviews in the past, I can't fathom why anyone would respect his opinion over anyone else's involved in audio. A lot of his thing is writing in flowery audiophile language. I think it's silly when someone bases a purchase decision because Fremer liked this, Fremer liked that, Fremer didn't think this was as good as that, et cetera. Who the heck is this Fremer that anyone should be mindful of? A professional reviewer, BFD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Fremer may be right now and then but having read quite a few of his equipment and music reviews in the past, I can't fathom why anyone would respect his opinion over anyone else's involved in audio. A lot of his thing is writing in flowery audiophile language. I think it's silly when someone bases a purchase decision because Fremer liked this, Fremer liked that, Fremer didn't think this was as good as that, et cetera. Who the heck is this Fremer that anyone should be mindful of? A professional reviewer, BFD. I feel that way about a lot of attorneys I meet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleR Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 LOL...For the record, I just happend to remember that Fremer mentioned this unit a couple of issues back. I agree that his unit was decked out to the max, so maybe this one would not be up to his standard. I usually take most of what I read in Stereophile with a grain of salt, mainly because the reviewers tend to come off a bit pretentious. Frankly, I'll probably never be able or willing to spend that kind of money on audio equipment, but it's nice to dream As for my budget, I was thinking $150-$200 for a good table w/tonearm and cartridge, considering that I can buy a new Project unit for under $300. I'm just getting back in to vinyl, so I don't want to spend a ton of money and then not use it that much. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Def Leper Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 My biggest LP investment to date has been a VPI 16.5 record cleaning machine. The quality source material has been, and remains the biggest challenge in getting good sound, not my turntables. As an old geezer, most of my records were purchased first hand and about 2/3rds of them are out of print recordings that are simply not available in any other form, hence irreplacable. Being able to properly clean the records has had the most dramatic impact on the playback quality. I have several turntables and cartridge combinations, and none are particularly expensive. I would encourage you to avoid becoming an equipment-obsessed "audiopile" and get a good, basic turntable/cartridge rather than an inflated 'collector' model like the TD124. There are a lot of great tables from the 'golden age' of consumer audio- the 1970's and 1980's with great names like Marantz, Pioneer, Thorens and others, and you can find them at very attractive prices. If you spend more than $300-$500 for the table, arm and cartridge, you are spending way too much for your first turntable. After getting some vinyl to play, you'll find (especially if you grew up in the CD age) that the noise and dirt will drive you crazy. If you love the sound otherwise, the next step should be a way to clean your records, and a vacuum-based machine is the only way to go. After that, and as you acquire more vinyl, you can improve your system piece by piece as your tastes and interests dictate. Don't think that throwing piles of money will do much good though-- I've listened to my own records on turntable/arm/cartridge systems that cost more than both my family cars together, and didn't feel the modest improvement in sound quality merited the astronomical investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAPTORMAN Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Fremer may be right now and then but having read quite a few of his equipment and music reviews in the past, I can't fathom why anyone would respect his opinion over anyone else's involved in audio. A lot of his thing is writing in flowery audiophile language. I think it's silly when someone bases a purchase decision because Fremer liked this, Fremer liked that, Fremer didn't think this was as good as that, et cetera. Who the heck is this Fremer that anyone should be mindful of? A professional reviewer, BFD. I feel that way about a lot of attorneys I meet. I always wondered if there are politics involve in these reviews. Do you guys think some of these reviewers get something under the table to give positive reviews on the products. Sadly to say I'm one of thoses folks who would buy this audio stuff base on their reviews. Nevertheless; I try to buy them used, so I can unload them with minimal or no financial lost--Because I know there are other fools like me who read that very same review.[][] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago_Pete Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 I think Def Lepers advice is spot on. About five years ago I bought a clean Pioneer TT with a new cart off eBay for under a hundred, then upgraded to a Rega P2 and finally to the SOTA Sapphire I bought last Dec. The biggest improvement came from buying a Nitty Gritty cleaning machine not upgrading turntables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleR Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 Thanks guys, I really appreciate your thoughts...Check out Fremer's latest article in the Jul issue, in which he goes back to his old alma mater Cornell and demonstrates CD vs vinyl using a Radio Shack Optimus CD-3400 portable player and a $299 Poject Debut III table. Pretty interesting... I have always been a member of the start small-build later school of thought. Right now, I only have a handful of records to play anyway. But, I'm willing to jump in and excited to learn more about our hobby[] Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted July 1, 2006 Moderators Share Posted July 1, 2006 I always wondered if there are politics involve in these reviews. Do you guys think some of these reviewers get something under the table to give positive reviews on the products. Sadly to say I'm one of thoses folks who would buy this audio stuff base on their reviews. Nevertheless; I try to buy them used, so I can unload them with minimal or no financial lost--Because I know there are other fools like me who read that very same review.[][] If you have ever met John A, the Editor of Stereophile, you would know there is little to no possibility of that. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 I agree with what others have said here. Just curious, but was the Dual table you lost out on a CS-5000? I sold one a few weeks ago for $400 with a Shure V15V-MR cart. A really good table for the money. I would like to point out that the TD-124 I have in my posession is by far the nicest table I have ever heard. Granted, it was rebuilt piece-by-piece by someone who has many years of experience with these tables, and sits in a massive custom plinth. It also has a reputable tonearm/cart from the same era, and sounds simply marvelous with tubes and horns. Having said that, I would look at TD-125's, TD-160's, Dual, Pioneer and Technics tables, and look to spend no more than around $400, and you should be set. Like others have mentioned a good cleaner makes all the difference in the world. I have a Nitty Gritty Mini-Pro-2 that I am very happy with. It cleans both sides at the same time and does a good job doing so. It may not be as good as the VPI machines but I am very happy with it. Good luck and let us know with whatever you end up with... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleR Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 Mike, No, it wasn't at CS-5000...But, there are many Dual and Thorens tables on E-bay right now, including a TD-160. I'll check them out. I've read that belt drive tables are the best, but what about semi-auto or auto? I my memory serves, the TD-160 is a semi-auto table. Incidently, the TD-124 went for $610, and I think I saw another going for more than that. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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