Any new turntable brands we should pay attention to ?

American made Mobile Fidelity

Almost none of these products, save the Technics and the Dohmann, bring anything new to the table except affordable pricing.  Most of those that are affordably priced are concocted of MDF, perhaps with aluminum in the platter driven by a cheap motor via a pliable belt, and an inexpensive tonearm.  They are very much in the "me-too" line of thought.  I realize that for those on a budget, the availability of such products is important, but it's not technically interesting.

The Shindo Garrard and the Palmer 2.5 are quite nice, not inexpensive or affordable by any stretch...although it might be difficult to track down the Shindo Garrard 301.

Hi everyone,

Had the pleasure of hearing the Mobile Fildelity Ultradeck at this past Capital Audiofest. They had it playing through TAD electronics & speakers. They MoFi sounded very, very good...quiet, deep background with a very textured & detailed presentation on top. They were spinning the One-Step (I believe that’s what they call it) version of Santana’s Abraxas & the sound was incredible. They’ve been getting great reviews...and the pricing is very fair & competitive. 

I also visited the Fern & Roby room. They had various versions of turntables they built, including some with their own phono preamp. While they struck me as very well-made, I couldn’t help but feel they were products that were aesthetically-focused, more of a lifestyle concept vs. sonic purposed. No doubt they had a different look to them with elements of steampunk & even an industrial-age vibe. The price of entry is high, however, they present a unique design & look on the “usual” record player. 

Just my $0.02 worth, of course...

Arvin