Another turntable
Hello everybody
I am an analog lover (no CD nor streaming at all). For about 20 years now I have a TW Acustic Raven AC, with 2 SME 3012-R tonearms. One for the stereo and one for the monos. The TW evolved with the battery PSU, and heavy platter form the Black Night, and the 3 motors in a round shape.
I listen mainly classical music and a bit of jazz music.
I read many threads on forum and TW is never talked about. My TTIs 20 years old now and as I am turning old too, maybe I look for what would be my last TT ( the famous « last one » before being retired with not enough money for climbing the audiophile mountain again.
I have no preferences for any technology as long as it makes good music. I can buy used or vintage (if professionally restored).
I can go up to 20000 € max. I need the possibility of 2 arms, or one classical and enough room for a Viv Lab.
My little list is
- Kuzma Red 2 or Stabi M
- Verdier La Platine
-SME 20 or an old 30
- Brinkmann
-Shoppered TD124 ?
- What else ?
Thanks for your suggestions. As you understand I live in Europe. How do you quote TW now in regards of these pretenders ?
Dear @senza : One very special and ecellent TT alternative comes today with the DD unit by Technics, in many ways better and outperforms almost all the TT's named here and you can get with two arm boards. It's weird that in this thread almost all just forgeret DD TTs, anyway here is the Technics:
R. |
The TW was a great turntable, and still is. It's not like TT technology has gone very far in 20 years. And who cares if it is not talked about; there weren't very many out there. A TT may age in one place and that is the bearing. Have you looked at it, or had it looked at for wear? IIRC the original was in stainless steel. When I had a bearing replaced with a sapphire thrust plate and ceramic ball and a special lubricant the performance went up measurably. Another place to upgrade might be the PS. Then as others have written upgrade can be in an arm. Just my 2 cents. |
The bearing is not as old as the TT. I changed it when I bought the 20kg BN platter, less than 10years ago. I emailed S. Yorke for his SYD9 prices and fab delay. Here is his complete answer pasted here : « Hi, No, sorry, I don’t do that audiophile stuff anymore. » End of the story. I asked him to explain a bit. No answer yet. Über Technics seems to be a world in its own. Too many pros and cons. The partisans of the old SP10 vs the partisans of the new ones. The different plinths and how they sound… |
I have owned all the good Gararrds (Loricraft etc), Lenco (PTP Solid, Jean Nantais), Technics SP-10 Mk3, Platine Verdier, all EMTs. The only few which sounded really good to my ears are these SME 30/ Micro Seiki SX-8000 Hartvig TT signature http://hartvigaudio.com/products/hartvig-tt-evolution Avid Acutus Reference Most other TTs I personally liked were either too expensive or too cheap :-) |
Like @pani , I myself have owned Linn Belt Drive, Garrard 401 ( Martin Bastin Overhaul ) PTP Solid 9 , and a Variety of Vintage DD TT's SP10 MkII, DP-80, TTS 8000, Aurex SR510, and I have listened to recently throughout the past year Post Covid a SP10 R and prior to Covid a SME and a Orbe. I lean heavily toward the DD Sonic Signature and the Joy of all the inbuilt speed stability. |
