Garrard 501

[anubisgrau]

is it really worth 17k?

 

[pmac]

is it really worth 17k?

I have no idea, I haven't heard one, have you?

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Dean it doesn't mean it's worth that, a top spec LP12 is more than that now. For £5.5K you can get some pretty special TT's and I suspect this isn't one.

:rofl:

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It's the Garrard equivalent of the Technics SP10Mk3 and comfortably the best Garrard TT you are ever likely to hear.But if you want to own an old anachronism and fiddle with it until the cows come home it's probably not for you.

That's interesting, how would you describe its sound?

 

[anubisgrau]

of course not. how many are made?

frankly, don't see much sense in it but that's maybe a wrong impression. there must be some people interested in hearing how a contemporary 301 or 401 would sound like. no matter how much i love idlers (have several of them), i feel you can use a modern technology in much better way than running a platter with a rubber or a silicone wheel.

 

[pmac]

of course not. how many are made?frankly, don't see much sense in it but that's maybe a wrong impression. there must be some people interested in hearing how a contemporary 301 or 401 would sound like. no matter how much i love idlers (have several of them), i feel you can use a modern technology in much better way than running a platter with a rubber or a silicone wheel.

Presumably by using a rubber or silicone belt?

 

[anubisgrau]

an expected answer i was aware of when i wrote my post. actually yes, it still leaves you a bit of more freedom for some solutions - not necessarily hi tech ones but still some i would rather leave my money with. i don't either find a 60kg platter run by 3 motors via a silicone belt an ultimate XXI century technology, but somehow i can't jump over an emotional barrier in my head that associates idler only with the vintage decks we all know.

of course i have no clue what i'm writing. maybe the 501 is the best sounding deck ever.

 

[Tune]

I have no idea, I haven't heard one, have you?That's interesting, how would you describe its sound?

I've only heard one under show conditions - Munich 2007 into some huge Backs & Muller loudspeakers. So I can't comment properly other than to say the system was powerful and propulsive and held my attention. That's the only time a Garrard has - even the full Shindo rig at Shindo san's Tokyo workshop failed to impress me.

I'm not a Garrard man but if I were, the 501 is the one I would aspire to. Some of the comments earlier seemed to suggest it was unlikely to be as good as some old shitter that's had a buff up and been slipped into a DIY plinth made from landfill.

 

[Huntergatherer]

Don't some moving coils with step ups cost £5000, seems bloody good value compared to them.

 

[anubisgrau]

yeah, we are slowly approaching a conclusion that some 500k speakers are actually the best buy...

 

[AGrail]

Lorricraft's economy of scale in manufacturing terms is tiny (Compared to Linn) and with this comes huge expense. I can say the Motor, spindle housing / bearing and chassis of the 501 are very nicely put together. With that said I wonder if a 'floating' MDF board for a plinth is the way to go?

 

[Markus]

In contrast to most here, I have heard various iterations of the 501. In all of its guises, it's a superb turntable. The current version is much developed over earlier ones. It's one of the world's great turntables and, in context, very much worth 17k. In today's market, you could spend significantly more and end up with worse sound.

 

[pure sound]

I've heard it a few times at shows but was unable to determine that it was actually any better than a well restored 301 or 401. If anything it seemed more restrained dynamically. But show conditions can be less than ideal, it'd be nice to hear one in a system & room that I knew or alongside another turntable I was familiar with.

 

[Markus]

I have a well-sorted 401. I've heard it in direct comparison with a current 501. The 501 is very significantly better, including dynamically.

 

[anubisgrau]

I'm aware the price talks are always a very sensitive issue, especially in audio. However in comparison with the 17k Garrard, there's still a plenty of decks that look like an absolute bargain on the market. For example, STST direct drive stuff which is 1/3 to 1/2 of the price. Linn certainly ain't a good reference point.

 

[Tune]

I really don't think value comes into it in high end audio Gordon - I think most top vinyl spinners today are so low volume products that you pay the price simply because you want to own one.

If I had unlimited funds, I would buy a 501 simply because I wanted one. the look and feel remind me of a Bentley Corniche or Aston Martin Vantage. With matching SME the whole turntable oozes class. It's good to hear Markus's opinions and I can certainly confirm that his 401 appears to be a very well sorted deck - especially when played through a decent phono stage

 

[Beobloke]

This deck is also being discussed elsewhere on the interweb where one person opined that most home made DIY efforts based around Lencos would "look far better...and quite a few would be comparable in terms of performance as well..."

I'm glad I read that when I did - I've had a crap afternoon at work and needed a good laugh!

:rofl:

 

[Tune]

A full Shindo 301 will cost you considerably more...

 

[pure sound]

$25000 in 2010 including arm & cartridge (£15K at todays rates)

http://dagogo.com/shindo-301-turntable-review

 

[pmac]

$25000 in 2010 including arm & cartridge (£15K at todays rates)http://dagogo.com/shindo-301-turntable-review

Look nice, but not heard one. Have you Guy?

Jack Roberts seems to be impressed by its "listenability"

 

[pure sound]

Matt has the platter, bearing, the Schick arm & the Shindo SPU all in a similarly cut Cherry plinth so probably close. It is very nice sounding.

 

[pmac]

Matt has the platter, bearing, the Schick arm & the Shindo SPU all in a similarly cut Cherry plinth so probably close. It is very nice sounding.

Thanks :^

Maaaattttt!

When's your bake-off ;-)