I will second Nottingham. IMO, they make one of the very best bases, platters, and motors for the money. Motor is rock solid (I've tested numerous times with KAB strobe and no adjustment was ever needed) with no audible noise. I am not as wild about the Nott's tonearm. Not bad, but there are better out there. Nott's are not flashy, but if you can handle the way they look I think they are a very well engineered product worth a look.
Turntable Recommendation
I'd appreciate turntable recommendations. After waffling for some time about getting into analog, I ultimately decided to go the inexpensive route initially, and purchased a Pro-Ject Debut III to add to a Cambridge 640P that I already had. Even though I thoroughly enjoy my current digital setup (ARC 300.2 amp, ARC LS17 pre, ARC CD5, and Maggie 3.6's), I could not believe the analog difference in sound. It was wonderful! I’ll spare you all the additional adjectives, but to quote another Goner here, it just sounded “right”. Not perfect mind you, but “right” (to my ears). So though it’s only two weeks old, I’d like to consider a better tt. I am very fond of the ARC products, so depending on finances, I will either buy the PH5 or PH7 phono stage. I’m fortunate enough that I can audition both, but cannot do the same for turntables. I would like to spend $3k or less for both the tt and cartridge. I am not a tinkerer, so it needs to be something that I can set up and leave alone. The Pro-Ject/640P sounds too thin, a bit veiled, a tad slow, and could use a little more (only a little, since I enjoy the blend of ss & tube components I'm using now) soundstage – though the PH5/PH7 may take care of that. Thoughts?
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There are lots of great tables thatyou can buy in that price range. I don't want to be a nay-sayer, but I have NEVER heard a VPI table that I liked and I have heard everything from the bottom to the-of-the-line. I have recently been convinced that older direct drive TT are capable of better sound than I ever considered possible. There are probably thousands of threads here regarding similar questions to what you ask, but the best advice I might offer is to find someone you trust, or who has similar tastes and get advice from just a couple of people rather than throwing it open for everyone to recommend their flavor-of-the-month/week/day... |
I have a Clearaudio Ambiant and Satine for sale, but, exceeds your budget!!! If you are still interested??? email at [email protected] As always, all the best. Ralph Lomax |
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