Best Turntable: Rockport or Goldmund?

It is difficult to get spares for the Goldmund and if repairs become necessary, it will take a very long time. Should you ever want to buy a G., inspect the bearing very carefully and give yourself a thirty day trial period, to see if the elctronics of arm and platter control really work reliably. I do not know the situation in the US, I am talking Europe here. Unfortunatedly I have no Rockport experience. (Funny that all the wags who answered you, did not associate Rockport with roquefort, which would have given endless occasion for further jokes, but then perhaps they don't like cheese)

I just spoke with a fellow Rockport owner who owned a Goldmund Reference before buying his Rockport (pre-Sirius, no air suspension, etc.), which he has had updated several times. He said the Rockport completely destroyed the Goldmund.

Your post reminds me of those good old pissing contests of my schoolboy days long since gone and made me smile. If I had just bought a Rockport, I would probably maintain the same. Only "completely destroy " is just as "complete" BS of course, because at this level of refinement of LP playback, complete "destruction" is hardly possible, I would rather suggest the term of say " fairly significant differences within certain parameters ". The language your friend uses, makes it difficult to take him seriously.

I own a Rockport Capella and had a Goldmund Studio prior to that and have a friend that sold his Goldmund Reference to purchase a Rockport System Two Sirius.....Biggest change was the silence followed by the dynamics.....I have had the Capella now for about ten years with the only thing I have had to replace was the compressor which was done by Rockport in two days under warranty.....Oh, I did have a motor go out, but not the fault of Rockport......Built like a watch and something I will never get rid of.......

Rcrump, yes I know exactly what you mean. A well set up Goldmund was not bad at that, but the biggest surprise I had exactly in this field, when I had the shaft, bearing and pivot reengineered and heated, when playing and the arm made more stable.The silence was stunning and yet vibrant, so much different to the black void of CD.
Unfortunately I've never had the chance to listen to a Rockport, but all the people I've talked to who in fact had, were full of praise and admiration.