vintage turntables?

Don't be afraid of the better quality vintage Japan Inc. tables. Denon, JVC, Technics, Pioneer etc. all made high quality tables during the day that would give many an new light fantastic tables today a run for the money if not beat the snot out of some. Caveat Emptor though applies.

Old Linn, Garrard and Thorens tables still set a high standard to which all others aspire to. Shindo in Japan has a highly modified Garrard 301 that sports a price tag of $20k. Vintage can be very desirable!

chuckelator...i somewhat agree. a friend of mine just purchsed a used table for almost 7k. it sounds fine...not the revalation you would expect if you have read its reviews...but it looks like a veg-o-matic juicer thingy. its paired with public address sized horns and nightlights for power, that cost more than tuition in a great college. it becomes evident that after a lifetime in this hobby, i still can't say i understand the need to focus on visual weirdness, knowing full well that the sonic results are no more satifying than the oldies but goodies.

I bought a new SOTA Cosmos mk3, had it upgraded to a mk4. It still couldn't hold a steady pitch compared to Technics SL1210MG5 (a current turntable in production) for 1/10 the price.

My advise is to enter the 'high end turntable market' with caution. You can easily spend a lot of $$$ and get nothing in return in terms of turntable performance.

I have invested around $1400 with various modifications from KAB and others on my new Technics SL1210M5G and I'm in a place that is untouchable by a SOTA.

I agree, the high end turntable market is dominated by visual appeal as one of the high priorities. Call me silly, but I've learned that if you can't spin the record consistently at a stable pitch, all other things are bogus.

I started out with a stock Technics SL1210MG5 and have upgraded the footers, record mat and power supply so far. Very happy with the results. But I'm not done yet. It's been quite an educational journey so far.