Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

How much all in?

I won't provide any hints of what I and others hear.
Will just say - look for an LP that provides you with huge Gestalt, especially toward the end of the side. Crescendo movement.

Physically, a record that has grooves running closer to the spindle.
The inside grooves on an LP are the smallest, tightest,  and hardest to track.

Look forward to impressions. 

@uberwaltz,

My comments below are meant to help.

I've always noticed your upgrade path and how fast it moves. If I may, I'd slow down a little. For me, I found that the more time I spend with one "upgrade" before making a move like, buying another piece of gear, the better.
I do love, your love for this hobby my friend.

@slaw 

I understand and take to heart your thoughts my friend!

However it has just about always been my nature, patience has not always been my strong suit! Lol.

But I am now in a position with more disposable income than I used to have and it is hard to resist!

Kind of nice situation to be in though!

The Nottingham table is a keeper forever I think and might just try out arms on it.

The SL-10 may give me some experience of what a linear tracker can do as it was one of the better examples the Japanese built in those wars I think.

Oh then there is the Dual 1019 idler gear drive TT as well.

Yes I am a spoiled brat nowadays!

@uberwaltz,

I appreciate your response my friend. I don't think you're a spoiled brat.

It’s its when it’s not it’s.

Clever expression of the rule, but only in writing: gibberish when spoken. I still rely on my 6th grade teacher: If it means "it is", use "it’s" — everything else is "its".

If you are happy that it [SL-10] is set up properly and works well. (won’t wreck your lps)

The next step is to put it in your first system, and play a record that has history there; an LP that you are intimately familiar with. One that you know every pop on it - and expect it. 8^0

Some would not dream of putting a $50 bought turntable up against their expensive one.

I think you will be surprised at what you hear.

I tried it. It wasn’t the SL-10, but the Mitsubishi LT-22 linear tracker. Same small tracking error (0.1°) but it takes 1/2"-mount cartridges. I put it in my main system; used LOMCs (Dynavector, Van den Hul, Fidelity Research, et al); and chose a "torture" LP: Mahler 3, whose finale taxes all arms/carts.

I never heard it so clean and dynamic: it just grew and grew until I had to turn it down before the cops arrived. Overall, for less tortuous music, it wasn’t ’quite’ as good as my better rigs, but only by a bit and that ’bit’ was small. And I think it can be ameliorated, maybe eliminated, as the internal wiring has five (5) solder breaks (not counting solder at the h’shell leads and RCA plugs). Eliminate those breaks, replace with a single run of good wire, and it will be better. Make it a fixed’headhsell, and better still. Might even turn that ’bit’ into a zero (the arms I compared it to were all fixed h’shell, giving them an advantage in the results).

But I now like the convenience of changeable headshells — not to mention the convenience of push-button auto-play/auto-life, which add no noise whatsoever. Shame it’s not a sexy as the SL-10 (I had one and loved it until...)