Personal turntable/cartridge evolution

geez i fergot about the plastic battery powered portable record player and my box of top 40 45s i had in 1969 10 yrs old!!!

1982: JVC QLY-5F direct-drive with electronically damped tonearm
Cartridges: Adcom crosscoil, Denon 103D, Grace F9-E

1984: Thorens TD166mkII
Cartridge: Denon 103D, Grace F9-Ruby

1985: Kenwood KD-500 with Grace G840-F
Cartridges: Grado, Dynavector "Ruby" 23R

1986: AR ES-1 with MMT
Cartridge: Grado Signature 8M

1986: TEAC TN-400 Magnefloat with Grace G840-F
Cartridge: Grado Signature 8M

1987: Maplenoll Athena
Cartridge: Grado Signature 8M, Sumiko Blue Point (yeccch!), Grado TLZ

1994 Thorens TD124 with SME 3009 S2/imp
Cartridge: Stanton CS-100

2002 Teres (original basic kit) with rosewood plinth, still under construction

2004 Technics SP10mkII in birch ply plinth with JMW-10
Cartridge: Shelter 501/II

At this time, I still have the TEAC, Maplenoll, TD124, Teres and SP10mkII tables. The only arms remaining are the SME, the one built into the Maplenoll, and a Grado Signature (the metal one from the '80's) that hasn't been mounted to a turntable yet. The Shelter cartridge was defective so I returned it, and sold the JMW arm. I have ordered a Music Maker III cartridge, which I plan to try on both the SME and Grado arms. I'll probably eventually pick up a Hadcock 242, which is supposed to be especially good with the Music Maker.

Anymore, the turntables just seem to accumulate, rather than old ones leaving to make room for new ones!

1964 - Garrard Model? (the cheapest, #50 I think); Pickering Cart.
1967 - AR XA; Shure V-15TypeII
1973 - Braun TT; B&O Cart.
1975 - Rabco ST-7; Ortofon MC
1980 to 2001 - nothing, no stereo!
2002 - MMF-7; Clearaudio Wood
2004 - Nott. Hyperspace with OL Illustrious; Shelter 90X (tweaks: Neuance shelf, Nott. motor controller, Bob Benn Insider and Outsider brass record weights)

I began with a hand-me-down 70s vintage Dual 1248 table and a Micro Acoustics MA2002e cartridge, given to me by my dad when I was in the eighth grade ('95). That kept me at bay until I graduated college in May '03 and I purchased a Pro-ject RPM4 with the Grado Platinum high output MI cartridge. A little over a year later I replaced that with the VPI Scout / Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood setup which I'll keep to perpetuity.

Circa 1970 Soundesign "stereo"

Circa 1977 Secretly used Father's Garrard turntable

Circa 1978 Sanyo TP 1020 "Direct Drive"! with Empire cartridge

Circa 1980 Kenwood KD 500 SME III Grado Signature

Circa 1982 Yamaha PX2 Linear tracking turntable Dynavector Ruby and Monster Alpha Genesis cartridge

Circa 1986 Linn LP 12 Grado arm Grado cartridge

Circa 1993 Switched to CD only, and miserable ever since

Circa 2003 Switched to SACD, still miserable

Circa 2006 Experimenting with PC based uncompressed audio

Happier - at least its convenient - but really, still miserable

Circa 2007 Great PC based audio at last? VPI? Michell?

Thanks for listening.