Vinyl

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AmoebicDysentery
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Post by AmoebicDysentery » Mon January 14th, 2013, 11:16 am

Last week I picked up a Stanton T92 locally from Ebay. The internal preamp wasn't so hot (no phono input on my receiver) so I got a TCC TC-750 phono preamp and it sounds pretty good to these ears.

I've got my eyes on that uturn table, as well...Would be cool if it lived up to the hype!

badcarburetor
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Post by badcarburetor » Mon January 14th, 2013, 11:32 am

That U-Turn is very nice looking. I don't know a whole lot about turntables, but what I do know lines up with that being a very solid product for a buck fiddy. That Ortofon cartridge alone is worth about $50. If they work half as well as they are being described that looks like an excellent return on a low dollar investment.

The only thing that would concern me is, "An exposed belt allows users to manually change between 33 ⅓ and 45 RPM." If I'm reading that correctly it means that you have to manually change the fucking belt when you want to play something on a different speed. I have heard of that being the case with some expensive turntables. I don't dig that. It's too much trouble if the means gets in the way of the end. I'm going to do a little research and see what else I can learn about them.
melkor wrote:I don't own one, but the Technics SL1200 is a great model. Don't think it's made anymore.
Sadly, this is true. I have a feeling it will either come back or a clone will hit the market. I have two Technics SL-1200 MKII tables in different parts of the house. One is about ten years old and is loaded with that Ortofon and the other is an old DJ table that I bought used (around the time that it was discontinued) and had set up at Beatlab next to the Majestic. I can't recall what cartridge is in it, but it's something decent. I like these tables because they sound great, are very user friendly and are super common so it's easy to get them serviced and to find parts for them. They are the Chevy 350 of TTs. Treat them right and they will last for decades always sounding as good as when first properly set up.

Since the 1200 is currently gone, NUMARKS and STANTONS are good choices for DJ quality tables that are durable and easy to get serviced and to find parts.

We'll probably see a real change in the TT marketplace as that seems to be the best way (other than MP3) to actually sell music. Here's a recent NPR chart showing vinyl sales over the last 20 years:
Image
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badcarburetor
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Post by badcarburetor » Mon January 14th, 2013, 4:20 pm

In case anyone is interested, I ran the U-Turn by a friend of mine who is deeply into high end audiophile gear. His system is in the $50K range and the tonearm he runs is around $10K alone. Yeah, that's a crazy ass use of money to me, but to each his own and he can afford it so good for him. Anyway, my point is, this guy knows his shit. So, in case any of you dudes are considering pulling the trigger on this table here is a pretty reliable evaluation.

If I wasn't set up with 1200s I'd be all over this TT. The only downside that I see is anytime you go boutique with anything that rarity can cause problems when looking for parts or service down the line, but at this price it's probably worth the risk. And, assuming they are successful, you could probably mail it in for service if you really needed to. I'd always try the guys at Beatlab first. though.

Here's what my friend had to say:

"It is nice to see a $150 belt-driven turntable.

All the basics of a good cheap high-end turntable are there:

* belt-drive w/ synchronous motor
* MDF plinth
* Uni-pivot arm
* Ortofon cartridge
* nice looking rubber feet for decoupling

However, they dont mention what material they're using for the platter (I guess a $250 version gets you an acrylic platter), so I'm curious about that.

Nothing too groundbreaking at all with the design, but the price sure is right.

Normally you get a piece of shit for $150 (new); a direct drive with cheap bearings and a log of an arm.

Used, on a good day, you *might* be able to get an older Rega P1 (sans cartridge) or one of the other competently designed entry tables by Pro-Ject or Music Hall for $150. But that is "used". Even the cheapest entry-level good tables usually start at $250-$350 when coming fresh out of the box.

A brand new turntable with these features for $150 is very good.

It is a lot easier to build some hunk of turntable jewelry and sell it for $20,000 than it is to build a decent performer and sell it for $150 (and still make a profit).

Turntable, tonearm, and cartridge design have been pretty unchanging for a long time. Once in a while there are some innovations, but any serious innovations immediately boost the price almost exponentially. There is nothing new design-wise with the Orbit. Only the price is new...which is good
"
"God created the devil? At least he did *something* cool." Homer J. Simpson

stewvee
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Post by stewvee » Mon January 14th, 2013, 5:53 pm

badcarburetor wrote:We'll probably see a real change in the TT marketplace as that seems to be the best way (other than MP3) to actually sell music. Here's a recent NPR chart showing vinyl sales over the last 20 years:
Image
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Knucklehead
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Post by Knucklehead » Thu February 7th, 2013, 11:52 am

Detest Records just posted a bunch of 7" to their webshop. This must be the last of the stock, as Jerry is winding down Detest Records.

If you guys haven't heard that Cryptborn record, I really, really recommend that you pick it up.

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