Turntable Wars- Reviewers take sides

The Acoustic Signature is only $123K. Peanuts compared to some of the other high-bling turntables out there. Doesn’t the Clearaudio cost $250K? Not to mention the 280,000-Euro Apolyt (please). And with the AS you get a tonearm with inner tubes, as well, for your money.

Do you think so, Henry?  Back in the day, HP routinely had lots of unobtainium gear with which to play and on which he leaked incomplete reports now and then, with a vague promise of more to follow, which never happened.  If I still cared about such things, I would want my guru to be listening to the best of the best, if he had the linguistic skills and the scientific bent that would allow him to make cogent comparisons to real world (affordable) gear and to communicate his findings.  Unfortunately, most reviewers can't do those things.  Most don't have a clue.  Take a look at Peter Breuninger's video(s).  Have you ever seen more sincerity wrapped up in a look? He actually believes what he says, maybe.

Henry, True that HP was at one time operating with no advertisers, but word was that he (and some of his top reviewers) would keep gear "lent" for review for indefinite periods of time, as in "forever".  This creates a conflict of interest, because it behooved him to massage the sources of his megabuck equipment.  This also may have played in to his never quite delivering on a "full review".  As long as he was about to gush over something but hadn't quite done so, yet, it was in the interest of the manufacturer to let him keep it.

HW, Were the 700-lb Clearaudio and the VPI DD turntables both available to HP, in his house, prior to his death?  Perhaps he had a prototype at least of the VPI DD?  Thanks for posting.

And finally, since this thread is more than anything an "airing of grievances", Happy Festivus to all.

Whether Johnny moved or not, most of those folks are no longer performing in LA or anywhere else.  Bud Shank is one of my candidates for least hyped and most accomplished sax players of all time. However, the jazz scene in most of our major cities is very much alive.  My wife and I go out for "live" jazz at least once a month.  Tonight I hope I can convince her to go hear Cyrus Chestnut at Blues Alley in DC.  What this has to do with very expensive turntables, I do not know, except to say that keeping in touch with the sound of live music is a humbling experience for any of us who try to create the illusion in our homes.  Like HW intimated, beyond a certain cost level, it's bling.