Buying a new TT today

hshifi,

"So many people have spent a lot of money trying to turn their Honda Civic into a Porsche. Just save up for the Porsche and sell the Civic when you get enough money."


Wise words. Unfortunately some of us had to find out the hard way.

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon is not a bad deck, as the OP has discovered. It's got much of what the high end decks have. 

What will a top tier turntable give that the Carbon won't?

Maybe a touch more low bass, certainly more scale, and perhaps a finer sense of separation and image. Even then it will have to be the right record, some will still sound more or less the same as the Carbon.

So it might well be better to save up first before making a sideways move. As you say, if it's a Rega then it's going to have to be one of the better ones. 

I’ve noticed that questions about turntable upgrade on this forum coming from people who own those Rega, Pro-Ject and related belt drive turntables, we have over 50 posts about it, almost even week a new post (and same turntables) over and over again.

I can’t remember posts/threads from the new Technics (GR or G) turntable owners who are not happy about this Direct Drive and willing to upgrade. I do remember only optional (very expensive) tonearm upgrades for this deck. When people invest in Tri-Planar tonearm for their Technics SL1200G i think this is a proof how how this turntable/drive really is. But i can’t remember anyone ever posted something like "I bought this Technics SL1200G and i don’t like it". I can’t remember anyone ever mentioned any technical issue with this Japanese made Direct Drive.

But i read about technical issues with Rega and Pro-Ject every week on audiogon.

Some people just don’t want to learn.

Those Rega, Pro-Ject and all these brands simply can’t make anything even close to the Japanese high-end Direct Drive. And if we remember more great products from Technics it will be hard to find any better tonearm than EPA-100 under $1500 or EPA-100 mkII under $4000. And those older DD from Technics like SP-10 mkII (under $1500) or SP-10 mkIII (under $7000) are ultimate. Now new SP10R replaced them all. Stock tonearm on $1700 Technics SL1200GR is fine for what it worth.

I know for sure than none of those Belt Drive (Rega, Pro-Ject and related) owner never ever touched those Technics DD turntables (old or new).

Technics is only one brand from a bunch of amazing Japanese brands like Denon, Pioneer, Micro Seiki, Victor, Kenwood, Luxman ... All made superb direct drive turntables in the past, some still making them, some are gone. 

Please...some of the most expensive turntables in the world are uhm...belt driven🙄
Pro-ject's higher end turntables are very nice "belt drive" tt's. If u want a DJ TT then get the technics...at best its ugly...

Find an older scout.  They are just as good if not better than the new one.  

Please...some of the most expensive turntables in the world are uhm...belt driven

This is pointless argument. We’re talking about turntables with stable rotation and they are Direct Drive, no one using belt drive motor to cut lacquer (acetate) because you don’t want variable pitch on your record. Records are made on Direct Drive (Neumann Lathe to cut lacquer disc). Think about it.

Coreless Direct Drive motor is the most stable motor in the world, before new Technics there was JVC, Yamaha .... coreless DD motors.  

Pro-ject’s higher end turntables are very nice "belt drive" tt’s. If u want a DJ TT then get the technics...at best its ugly...

This is another pointless argument because the best Direct Drive turntables are NOT for DJs if you don’t know yet, DJs definitely adopted them because of the powerful motor and stable rotation. This is my ex Technics, do you think it’s a DJ turntable with Reed 3p "12 inch tonearm ? Or it looks ugly ?

Let me show you some and if the price is the argument for you then you will be shocked for how much this Denon Direct Drive goes for nowadays.

Pro-Ject is a joke like many audio components designed in the digital world of plastic toys. In this world turntables are not designed to last forever like it used to be in the 80’s. And the buyers know nothing about turntables today.