Brinkmann vs TW Acustic

Iaxelrod, Just to be accurate, the Lenco is a great turntable, but it is NOT direct-drive. It is an idler drive, like the Garrard 301/401 and the Thorens TD124. This means that the motor is in direct contact with a wheel that is also in direct contact with the platter. (The TD124 is not quite this simple.) The motor drives the platter through the motion of the wheel against the platter surface. I love my Lenco, but I would not recommend it for a novice unless you buy one that is "ready to roll" with all the necessary upgrades to get the best out of it. Artisan Fidelity and OMA sell turnkey revised Lencos, as does a gentleman named Peter Reinders in Europe. The Reinders Lenco can be found, I think, on Lenco Heaven website, where Lenco freaks go to worship. Probably a great sound for a little more than US$3000.

Someone commented that the Bardo does not differ much from the "sound" of other, belt-drive, Brinkmann turntables, despite its being DD. I suppose that's possible due to the use of similar build materials. The Oasis DD, I think, is upscale in cost and performance from the Bardo, but if you can afford a LaGrange, you can also afford an Oasis. Both Brinkmann DD's seem to use coreless motors, which is desirable, altho some great DD turntables use conventional motors, too. At this price level, and assuming that there is indeed a dealer in the US, you might be well advised to get on a plane and go hear some of these turntables you are considering. However, the experience will always be colored by tonearm, cartridge, phono stage, amplifier, speakers, etc. Thus you want to hear them in a single environment if possible.

Pani,

I don't know either cartridge specifically but do know the family sound. The "characterization" of sound you give sounds more like the cartridge than the turntable based on your description.

As such, that makes both turntables fairly neutral. But neither cartridge is what I consider to push the limits of the turntable design.

I researched the Bardo and Oasis heavily before deciding on my Technics SP10. The Bardo and Oasis have the same drive mechanism and base platter, the only difference being that the Oasis has a plinth. Since the plinth imparts a sonic characteristic, the Oasis will sound different than the Bardo.

I highly recommend you contact Steve Klein at Sounds Of Silence. He's a Brinkmann dealer and will give you the straight dope on the entire line.

No TW Turntable is neutral sounding. Based on some design flaws a lot of internal influences are reflected into the tracking process of any cartridge used. These colorations are politely ignored from all users, instead they attack those who don't share their opinion or even worse, try to "educate" them. In a way it is sad because much more clever designs are denied and the so-called "recommendations" aren't such, it is simply a owner's opinion to keep 2.hand pricing high. The Brinkmann is also not among those turntables which show design solutions which push the sonic curtain but it is a solid made unit. Sonically you will find 20 others out there which will show more or less same sonic results for much less money. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely don't care what someone owns, wants to buy or dreams about. But when the mediocre is pushed to something outstanding then this is a slap into the face of all those who do something better.
Linn LP12 is also a mediocre Design, but it is probably the most successful Turntable ever made. So, Listeners who understand what they hear, are a minority. One man's ceiling is another man's floor ...

Have not heard the Brinkman. The Kuzma XL is better than the TW also mentioned in the Syntax link.