Turntable ‘Upgrade’

[AndyCC72]

Since spending an afternoon round @Baggawire house listening to his fantastic vinyl rig I’ve decided I’m going to up my TT game.

I’ve between £1800 - £2400 to spend for a used TT and have been eyeing up all of the below on eBay:

Thorens 1610- £2k

Clearaudio Performance DC with Clarify Arm - £1.9k

Vertere DG1 - £2.2k

Michell Gyrodec with ‘Tecnoarm’ and external PSU
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28520183...wx3v1zotfk&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

The carts I’ll be running on the turntable is an AT ART7 and AT OC9XML

Anyone have any opinions on which of the above offers the best SQ and would work with my carts ?

Keen to hear if anyone owns or has owned any of the above and what they think about them?

I currently run a Technics SL1500C with KAB dampener and it sounds great but it could be better 😅😅

 

[Rockchild]

They are all good. It will be down to personal preference and sound presentation. I’ve had the Gyro and have the Thorens. Both completely different but great. I prefer the Thorens because it’s more involved with the music whereas the Gyro was more dynamic

 

[AndyCC72]

They are all good. It will be down to personal preference and sound presentation. I’ve had the Gyro and have the Thorens. Both completely different but great. I prefer the Thorens because it’s more involved with the music whereas the Gyro was more dynamic

Thanks … my speakers are very dynamic (Spendor D7.2) so based on that I think I’d lean towards the Thorens when matching them with a TT.

 

[trumpetman]

Audition time then....... I don't know your home area, but I'm sure there are good attentive dealers that could help. Used gives good value.
I've had a bit of a TT journey and have returned to Nottingham Analogue. They are not to everyones taste, but for me and my system NA works brilliantly.
I run or have run the two AT cartridges you mention on NA tts.
Good luck, take your time, wammers will help if you need them!!

 

[DUVET]

Patience is the key here . There are so many good turntables that come up here second hand . Also dealers looking to lose stock. so I would be scouring their ex dem and pre loved . Acoustic Solid , Project , Gyro all good options . Nottingham Analogie make great turntables and a Dais recently sold here for peanuts compared to its retail . My advice would be use us. Start searching and then when you find ones that pique your interest pester us .

 

[DomT]

Thanks … my speakers are very dynamic (Spendor D7.2) so based on that I think I’d lean towards the Thorens when matching them with a TT.

But I wouldn’t worry about those speakers with a Gyro. If you had a Rega I might be more cautious though (I had a P9).

What turntable did you get to listen to? What was it about this turntable that inspired your desire to upgrade? There are a bunch of great turntables out there so let’s help you narrow it down a little and you already have a good turntable. Interesting that a Technics SL1200G wasn’t on your list.

FWIW I heard a Vertere at the Delux Audio show last weekend (have a look at that thread in Bake Offs) and I thought it the worst sounding turntable room by far compared to the rest. It could have been the turntable or the speakers but it didn’t sound great at all.

 

[AndyCC72]

Audition time then....... I don't know your home area, but I'm sure there are good attentive dealers that could help. Used gives good value.
I've had a bit of a TT journey and have returned to Nottingham Analogue. They are not to everyones taste, but for me and my system NA works brilliantly.
I run or have run the two AT cartridges you mention on NA tts.
Good luck, take your time, wammers will help if you need them!!

Thanks, but as I’m buying used there’s no opportunity to really audition.

What did you think of the ART7? Mine arrives today.

 

[AndyCC72]

But I wouldn’t worry about those speakers with a Gyro. If you had a Rega I might be more cautious though (I had a P9).

What turntable did you get to listen to? What was it about this turntable that inspired your desire to upgrade? There are a bunch of great turntables out there so let’s help you narrow it down a little and you already have a good turntable. Interesting that a Technics SL1200G wasn’t on your list.

FWIW I heard a Vertere at the Delux Audio show last weekend (have a look at that thread in Bake Offs) and I thought it the worst sounding turntable room by far compared to the rest. It could have been the turntable or the speakers but it didn’t sound great at all.

The 1200G is what I would ideally like upgrade to but I can’t afford that, even used.

I listened to Baggawire Acoustic Solid deck. Wonderful, coherent sound with just the right mixture of detail and musicality.

 

[AndyCC72]

Patience is the key here . There are so many good turntables that come up here second hand . Also dealers looking to lose stock. so I would be scouring their ex dem and pre loved . Acoustic Solid , Project , Gyro all good options . Nottingham Analogie make great turntables and a Dais recently sold here for peanuts compared to its retail . My advice would be use us. Start searching and then when you find ones that pique your interest pester us .

You’re absolutely right, I need to be patient. I’m generally hugely impetuous and notoriously impatient and jump into decisions. This will be my last Hifi purchase for a while (I’ve bought new speakers, Phonostage and cart in the last 4 months) as the Hifi slush fund will be depleted after this purchase,

I’d ideally like the 1200G but I can’t really stretch to that, even used.

any opinions on this Project Xtension 12

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15539493...wx3v1zotfk&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[myles]

The 1200G is what I would ideally like upgrade to but I can’t afford that, even used.

I listened to Baggawire Acoustic Solid deck. Wonderful, coherent sound with just the right mixture of detail and musicality.

I did have my Acoustic Solid Wood TT up fro sale but had no bites so I am now using it in my office system. I have bought an Audiomods Series 5 arm to go with it so if you were interested it would go as a package.

 

[AndyCC72]

I did have my Acoustic Solid Wood TT up fro sale but had no bites so I am now using it in my office system. I have bought an Audiomods Series 5 arm to go with it so if you were interested it would go as a package.

Just sent you a PM with a few questions.

Cheers
A

 

[Clubsport911]

Thanks, but as I’m buying used there’s no opportunity to really audition.

What did you think of the ART7? Mine arrives today.

I have a nearly new, but much modified 1210GR - with AT33-PTG/II - you are welcome to come and have a play

 

[AndyCC72]

Thanks, that’s kind of you but it’s a bit of a journey.

What modifications have you done to the 1210GR?

 

[Lurch]

There's a GR in the classifieds.
https://www.hifiwigwam.com/threads/technics-sl-1210gr.112661/

 

[trumpetman]

What did you think of the ART7? Mine arrives today.

It was a few years back - not as expensive as they are now, great cartridge but lost on the deck I had at the time (Michell Mycro)
I use an AT-33SA and AT33-PTG/I on my Spacedeck.

 

[Lurch]

@AndyCC72 I believe
@lostwin & @johns are in your neck of the woods, so would be worth contacting them to have a listen to their TTs.
Additionally I will be holding my next bake-off in May where there will be atleast 2 TTs (my Brinkman Bardo & 401) if the 401 appealed, I'd be happy to lend it to you for a week or two to see how you get on with it in your system. It would also be well within your budget should you decide to try and twist my arm (no plans to sell but you never know).

 

[AndyCC72]

@AndyCC72 I believe
@lostwin & @johns are in your neck of the woods, so would be worth contacting them to have a listen to their TTs.
Additionally I will be holding my next bake-off in May where there will be atleast 2 TTs (my Brinkman Bardo & 401) if the 401 appealed, I'd be happy to lend it to you for a week or two to see how you get on with it in your system. It would also be well within your budget should you decide to try and twist my arm (no plans to sell but you never know).

Thanks Lurch, appreciate that.

BUT ... I'm either going to buy Myles Acoustic Solid (as I loved @Baggawires and by all accounts they're quite similar) or go balls out and part finance a SL1200G.

I'll let you know which I decide. Thanks again for the offer and advice.

 

[culturecrammer]

You should be able to get a second hand 1200G for £2400 or thereabouts if you bide your time. Good luck.

 

[Clubsport911]

Thanks, that’s kind of you but it’s a bit of a journey.

What modifications have you done to the 1210GR?

Headshell wiring, arm tube rewired, additional internal chassis damping, revised earthing, bypassed internal PCB phono board, new mat, new phono cable, screened mains cable, external damping added to arm tube and finally, one more layer of isolation under the feet. Yes, I now realise, it's a hike...

 

[hiesteem]

I think an Extra bit of saving whilst your listening to all the various tables available would be my plan. They all sound so different. Nottingham, linn and perhaps we'll tempered all offer something different. Make some cash available for phono stage if you don't already have one.