displaying reviews 1 to 20 of 63
Thorens TP 16 |
9/10 |
A little high mass by todays arms, but around 1975 I chopped my headshell way back. Works great |
review by ronzeman |
Linn Akito |
9/10 |
Easy to set up and use. Works well on AR tables and other suspended decks. A little better balance across the hearing range over the Linn Basik Plus. Almost no arm microphonics. Accepts a wide range of medium to high compliance carts.
Lively sound to the music without being brash. Needs better arm wires and horizonal bearings. |
review by BaMorin |
Nottingham Analogue Space |
9/10 |
With the right cartridge an awesome heavy weight contender from a company with some of the best after sales service on the planet. Works brilliantly on decks other than NA's own. Solid 'last a lifetime' construction. Setting the counterweight is a bit trial and error unfortunately, but once balanced would never shift until the end of time. Could have done with a finger lift, but I will excuse NA on this occasion. |
review by satanfriendly |
Audio Technica AT 1005 mk II |
8/10 |
Under valued, under rated and under stated. A great solidly made arm which will rival many modern offerings. Looked after it will give many years of great service and will look as new as the day it was made. Easy as pie to adjust and set up. Make sure if purchasing it comes complete with all the counterweights and bias weights. |
review by satanfriendly |
SME Series 3 |
8/10 |
Beautifully constructed and a pleasure to use. Cartridge compatability issues though and a little on the 'gentle side' sonically, but makes up with wonderful detail. |
review by satanfriendly |
SAEC WE 308 SX |
9/10 |
A giant of an arm. Easily adjustable. Great for low compliance colis and for not much money. |
review by clarkie23 |
Technics EPA-100 |
10/10 |
I agree wholeheartedly with yeoldestereo's review. I have tried many arms with my SP-10MK2A. Stax UA-9, UA-7cf and UA-70. Also an SAEC WE-308N and an SME 309. And by far the Technics EPA-100 is the best. Infinitely adjustable and easy to use. Just a great arm that was and still is ahead of it's time. I'm giving it a ten as I have used a lot of arms and because this one has variable dampening, true VTA on the fly and ruby bearings makes the perfect arm IMHO.
BeEvil |
review by BeEvil |
Jelco SA-750D |
9/10 |
If you would choose Bentley over Rolls this one is for you. The only thing that could be better is VTA adjustment. |
review by BobP |
Rega P3 |
9/10 |
Straight out of the box the Rega P3 is a great table and at its price/performnce ratio there is little in the market place that can touch it. In recent years the RB 300 tone arm has become somewhat of an icon in its own right,with many high end tables employing this arm or a derivative of the RB 300 in higher priced turntables.
However there is on the market today several counter weights for the RB 300. I have used the Expressimo and the Clear Audio offset counter weight with excellent results and this has moved the overall sonics of the RB 300 to loftier performance levels and has improved tracking to another level.
Although this time sought to use the J.A. Michell counter weight, which is the new buzz in Rega counter weights today. This is a well thought out design and the machining is top class all the way. This is a four piece system, which consists of new end stub,slider,2 counter weights and adjuster for stylus pressure. One counter weight for 3 to 6 grams the other counter weight for 6 to 13 grams, so virtually any modern phono cartridge is usable with the RB 300 arm. It does take a little more finesse to get this counter weight right than with the other two menetioned,but once properly set up, brings the overall sonics of the RB 300 several levels up from the other contenders. Vinyl Engine on the net has covered this counter weight and while I thought their claims were somewhat over embellished, I now have to admit that for the most part their analysis of the Michell Rega Counter Weight was right on. One just has to hear the RB 300 arm with this counter weight. It is a major leaque improvement of the stock Rega Counter Weight and easily surpasses the Expressimo and Clear Audio Rega counter weights. The Michell is far more precise in its overall execution and allows the RB 300 arm to far excell its performance bar. I highly recommend this J.A. Michell Counter Weight for the Rega RB 300 tone arm. A very worthwhile upgrade, that far belies its modest cost.
Next upgrade was the Rega sub platter, to the Deep Groove sub platter with ruby ball bearing. Not a lot has been written about this. However the stock sub platter on the P 3 is slighly off speed on the fast side and the general trick has been to add to electrical tape to the perimeter of the stock sub platter to get spot on speed. However the sub platter does not have much weight to it and is made of some plastic fiber material. Therefore the flywheel effect if any is quite minimal and the start time to speed is about 2 1/2 to 3 revolutions to 33.3 rpm.
The Deep Groove sub platter for the Rega P 3 solves a multitude of those inherent problems with the stock sub platter. The Deep Groove sub platter is precisioned machined from aluminium stock and is ever so slightly larger to avoid speed problems. The ruby ball bearing along with its lubricant allows the platter to reach full rotational speed in one revolution and appears to put less stress on the belt and motor pulley assembly and due to its slightly heavier weight adds the much needed flywheel effect to the P 3. This is a very easy install and can be
handled by anyone with basic turntable skills. The directions are clear concise and step by step and with 20 minutes at most the job is done. Using the VPI strobe disc confirm the one revolution to speed and was rock steady at 33.3 rpm. A great upgrade that is more than offset by the price and brings up the level of the P 3. I do recommend this upgrade as the Rega greatly benefits from the lower noise floor,flywheel effect and the reduced stress on the motor,belt and pulley.
The platter on the Rega P3 and other Regas has been the glass platter with felt mat. Although it was considered a revolution in its day, time and technology has pushed forward and the word today is acrylic platters. the one used here is the Iron Audio pure acrylic platter as replacement for the glass platter. This is a very nicely machined acrylic platter with frosted top and polished clear side. It is well balanced,flat without visible warpage and fits precisely of the Rega and Deep Groove sub platter. It is somewhat thicker than the glass platter and is slightly recessed underneath so that the stock height is retained. Nice side benefit to this is that the sub platter becomes less visible with the recess. The Iron Audio Acrylic Platter makes a tremendous difference in the sonics of the Rega. Sound stage is vastly opened,depth front to back is seamless and well defined and detail one thought that was not there, comes to life. This is one of the most dramatic upgrades with immediate benefits I can think of. Can be used with the stock Rega Felt Mat, or in this case the Herbie turntable mat.
These upgrades are more than cost effective,greatly enchance the overall performance of the venerable P3 to loftier heights and if your really into analog, these are a must have for the Rega Planar 3 or P3.
So if you have been looking at some of the higher priced tables, but budget dictates else, here is a solution that delivers perfomance one can get easily spolied to and one does not have to make excuses for. One of analogs great turntables with updates that bring it to higher levels of resolution with cost effectiveness a priority. |
review by yeoldestereo |
Rega Planar 3 (RB300) |
9/10 |
Not much more can be said of this venerable performer. It has been an icon of analog playback since day one, when it was equipped with the Lustre arm. For about 20 years Rega has had their own tone arm. Mostly used with the 3 has been the RB 300 tone arm. Another icon performer that has withstood the test of time.
Simple design with way above average parts and a rock solid build quality are the hallmarks of the Rega Planar 3 with RB 300 tonearm. Few have done it better and even less are in business today such as Revolver.
Found this piece in a high end store that carries a vast prior owned inventory. Came with the Sumiko BP MC cartridge. Most of the staff here are into vinyl in a big way. Was totally gone through and set up to specifications.
Once home placed it into the Forte system. Used the Sumiko Fluxbuster FB-1 to demagnetize the Blue Point. Had to reset the gain on the Forte pre amp for high output MC and loaded the Sumiko to 100 ohms. Leveled out the turntable with a circular level.
In years gone by have had several of the Sumiko Blue Points, so I knew what to expect there. If this becomes a keeper it will get a Dynavector. This Rega Planar 3 is bone stock without any mods whatsoever. Now to the music.
First up was Dave Grusin Live at Budokhan on the JVC Label. Have heard this many times on the Oracle with Dynavector Ruby. Performance was on par with the Oracle,which was somewhat a shock, considering the vast differences between the two tables. However the Oracle gets the edge there,though not by much!
Next up was the debut album from Ricki Lee Jones. Now this was a fabulous presentation. Ricki,s vocal just came to life in a very unexpected way. Depth, and clarity were astounding. Now this was getting interesting to say the least.
So now on to direct to disc on the Telarc Label. Album was Frederick Fennel and the Cleveland Symphonic Winds. The Holst Suite No.1 in E-flat and Suite No.2 in F. The Rega Planar 3 was very adept at this demanding recording. The anvil strikes were with complete authority and the sonics in the bass region were right on tight and defined without any bloom at all.
There were a few caveats. Such as fixed power cord,fixed tone arm leads,the RCA jacks are quite pedestrian for a table of this caliber.
This table may very well become a keeper. There are just tons of mods for the model 3. Know I will have to get a VTA adjuster in order to use a Dynavector cartridge.
Okay all you Rega tweakers out there. Let's have your input on the mods. Which are snake oil and which are substance, biggest bang for the buck mod,and so on.
Make no mistake the Rega Planar 3 with RB 300 arm is an Icon in its own right. Has withstood the test of time and continues to do so this day.Here is one high end product that came out in 1974 and continues to impress to this day. Damn few products can lay claim to that statement. |
review by yeoldestereo |
Goldring Lenco GR 1.2 |
9/10 |
The latest version of the Goldring GR series of tunrtables,this being the GR 1.2 that replaced the GR 1 of 2004.
Lets be candid here the Goldring tables are nothing more or less than Rega clones. The 1.2 is same as the Rega P 2, which is now discontinued,replaced by the Rega P 1.
The GR 1.2 comes with the Rega RB 250 tone arm with an installed Goldring Electra MM phono cartridge.
Features:
Belt drive turntable
Functionally identical to Rega 2 turntable
Super-rigid, one-piece cast aluminum, RB-250-based tone arm
Factory-installed Goldring Electra quality cartridge
Handmade British product
Simple, stylish design
Easy to set up and operate
Precision 12-pole synchronous motor
Manual speed change 45 rpm / 33 rpm
Adjustable counterweight
Anti Skate setting
Low resonance MDF platter
Clear, hinged dust cover included
Phono cables installed on arm
Finished in grey and black
Countless reviews and lavish praise has been written on the Rega P 2 and its predecessor the Planar 2. Much the same can be said of the Goldring GR 1.2 .
This table lends itself to all the Rega aftermarket upgrades in the market place today. For instance the tone arm can accept the latest counterweights, the sub platter can be replaced with the Deep Groove Ruby Bearing sub platter and one can add the Rega Glass Platter or an acrylic platter. Tone arm can be re-wired with a number of aftermarket wiring sets. This is one of the great things about Rega tables and their spun off clones. A clear and concise upgrade path is available, when time and dollars present themselves.
The Goldring GR 1.2 was evaluated with the following LP's.
Bob James - Hands Down (Columbia FC 38067)
Hiroshima - Self Titled - (Arista MFSL1-525)
John Coltrane - Blue Train - (Blue Note BST 81577)
Wes Montgomery - Bumpin' - (Verve V6-8625)
Rickie Lee Jones - Self Titled - (Warner BSK 3296)
Wynton Marsalis - Live Blues Alley - (Columbia PC2-40675)
Eric Gale - Forecast - (KUDU Records KU 11)(CTI Records)
Kenny Burrell & Grover Washington Jr - (Blue Note BT 85106)
Earl Klugh - Finger Painting - (Blue Note MFSL 1-025)
Larry Carlton - Friends - (Warner 23834-1)
Sadao Watanabe - Autumn Blow - (Inner City IC 6064)
Doobie Brothers - Minute by Minute - (Warner BSK 3193)
Santana - Zebop - (Columbia FC37158)
Pat Metheny Group - American Garage - (ECM 1-1155)
Frederick Fennel - Cleveland Symphonic Winds - (Telarc 5038)
Paul Desmond/Jim Hall - Complete Recordings - Mosaic(MR6-120)
Time Out - Dave Brubeck Quartet (Columbia CS 8192)
Paul Desmond - Self Titled (Artist House AH - 2)
Used a Herbie Platter Mat as opposed to the standard included felt platter mat. That was just a preference of mine and used it as it was here. In my opinion the only weak point of the GR 1.2.
All selections were played with a verve and authority that would belie it's price. Just could not find fault in any playback selection. It is embarrasing to call this unit a budget or entry level turntable, so I won't go there with that assessment. It overall performance clearly puts the GR 1.2 as an audiophile table at a giveaway price.
Over the years countless turntables have gone through here,some very good and some that should have never been produced. For the price/performance ratio of the Goldring GR 1.2 I know of no other turntable currently available that can match the GR 1.2. And that includes the likes of Music Hall,Project,Acoustic Research,and a host of others. This is not to disparage those makes as they have their niche. But with in the parameters of price/performance ratio and the ability to upgrade for additional performance, puts this Rega clone, the Goldring GR 1.2 at the head of the list.
The Rega RB 250 tone arm that comes with this table,is worth the price of admission alone. This tone arm in its on right has adorned some very lofty high end tables over the years. And with good reason, as to do better than the RB 250 will cost dearly,with only a modest improvement. Plus the RB 250 can be used with a very wide variety of phono cartridges, from budget to esoteric and do justice to both.
One of my associates was here the day the Goldring GR 1.2 arrived. His set up is an Oracle Premiere with a Hadcock arm. Roughly five times the price of the GR 1.2 if not more. I was busy setting up another system and he wanted to know if he could set up the Goldring GR 1.2. Sure why not? and let him have a go at it as he is very knowledgeable about analog. A couple of hours later I came back and we was having a blast with the Goldring GR 1.2, going through my vinyl library. You know he said, while the Oracle is decidedly better, this GR 1.2 is not that far off the pace. I may get one of these for everyday playing. How can you go wrong with the GR 1.2? You can't, it just goes about its business and reproduces one glorious presentation after another. Plus it is not near as finicky as the Oracle. I can see the Goldring GR 1.2 satisfying a lot of analog mavens among us. From the casual vinyl user to the most jaded analog users among us. Here is an analog product, you just don't have to make an excuse for. It will be equally at home in any serious audiophile set up. From someone that just wants a plug and play unit,to someone that wants to add tweaks and upgrades,one will be hard pressed to do better than the Goldring GR 1.2.
The included Goldring Electra MM phono cartridge that is included is a gift. Retails for $99.00 by itself. Elliptical stylus with 5.0 mV output and weighs 4.2 grams. This was my first experience with this cartridge and I am impressed. Far better than some of the other cartridges that come factory installed on competing turntables. Tracked at 1.75 grams and was very quiet in the grooves,surface noise was all but absent,separation was very wide and the soundstage was quite deep. Overall presentation was more than impressive. I wasn't expecting much with the Electra and ended up being more than impressed.
Now here is the good part. Price wise it was delivered here for $299.00,that was freight included, some $126.00 less than suggested retail!! This is without doubt one of the over the top values in analog playback I have seen. Even at suggested retail of $425.00 it is an outright bargain. This is a superior value not often found and has surpassed the Music Hall and Project tables that have come through here and in my opinion a much better build quality than those tables. Certainly has a sonic signature that is difficult to exceed.
This unit has been set up and running for about six weeks now. The Goldring GR 1.2 just keeps impressing each day of use. To this point has about 300 hours of use time and the performance has been rock solid, no glitches encountered or outright problems. Nor is any expected.
No this is not a VPI Scout in sheeps clothing. With that being said add the upgrades and tweaks and you can approach and equal the VPI Scout, at less cost than the VPI Scout. I firmly believe in a blind fold test the GR 1.2 vs VPI Scout it would be very difficult to hear the difference,with all else being equal.
Upgrades would include the following.
Rewire Tone Arm Orgin Wire - $219.00
Iron Audio Acrylic Platter - $120.00
Tecno Counter Weight - $125.00
Deep Groove Sub Platter - $175.00
Total - $639.00
So add the price of the table at $299.00 you come to $938.00. The VPI Scout is $1,595.00. You save yourself $657.00 and approach if not equal the VPI Scout,which in itself is one of audios great tables.
Or leave the GR 1.2 stock out of the box and let it rip and you still have one great turntable to spin that vinyl. The choices are clearly there with the GR 1.2.
If there is better out there at the price/performance level of the Goldring GR 1.2,plus the upgrade path it has, I have yet to see it. |
review by yeoldestereo |
Harmon Kardon T60 |
9/10 |
The Harman Kardon T 60 turntable,was one of the important turntables to come out in the early 80s. HK set out to build an affordable high end turntable that most audiophiles could afford. And to that end they accomplished their mission quite nicely. Belt drive turntable with a 3 point floating suspension,in a high mass chassis. Above average tonearm.Often referred to as the working mans Linn Sondek turntable. HK researched all the basic fundamentals,and produced an exemplary turntable that is ageless.Lets face it, basic engineering remains true.The HK T 60 is heavy at 18 pounds and needs a solid resting place. Grado cartridges work well with the tone arm. The platter is heavy at 3.3 pounds and has a high density mat,also the inside of the turntable platter is damped as well,to further reduce any ringing. Basically a manual turntable with auto lift at end of play,or you can defeat the auto lift by a switch. Has variable capicitance loading. But if you use a grado cartridge it is not needed.Grados are not sensitive to capictance loading. Comes with a heavy disc stablizer to insure proper contact of the record with the platter. As well has gold plated RCA jacks on the back of the unit,so you can use different interconnects cables of your choice.With the renewed interest in vinyl,this is one turntable to go after and acquire it just that good.From time to time they pop up on Auction sites and Classified sites. Usually sell for $250.00 to $325.00. They retailed for $449.95,when new. To sell for those prices in the used market,is sheer testament of their value some 20 years after they were new.I can speak with some authority on this product. I have owned one since new,and has never failed to deliver the music,crisp,clear,detailed,and with a transparency rivaled only by the finest high end tables. |
review by yeoldestereo |
Audioquest PT 7 |
8/10 |
Highly underated arm, made by Jelco for Audioquest. Though many carp on this tonearm, it remains as one of analogues finest entry level tonearms. It does so many things right that to disparage the minor quibbles is to loose sight of the achievement of this tonearm. Works very well with MM or MC cartridges up to the $1,200.00 level and perhaps a wee bit beyond that level.
Although not coveted in the lofty world of $2,0000.00 plus tonearms the PT 7 can more than hold it s own in a far wider variety of settings than some of the higher end brothers. One can do far worse by passing over this venerable performer. |
review by yeoldestereo |
Technics EPA-100 |
9/10 |
Have never been a fan of S or J shaped tone arms, but this EPA 100 has certainly changed my mind in this area. Usually the S or J shaped arms are usually found on Mid-Fi integrated tables relating to cosmetic or price point issues. However this arm is a wide exception in the role it plays on the Technics EPA 100 set up.
The fit,feel and precision of this arm is of a very high standard not often found today and if found the price is very high indeed.To build a tone arm of this caliber today would easily fall into the $2,000.00 range if not more. I know I have looked at todays offerings and to get this type of quality and precision will cost one dearly.
This arm came from a time when Technics was trying to break into the high end game. The produced three tone arms the EPA 100,EPA 250 and the EPA 500. All produced from about 1979 to 1984 or so. The Technics EPA 100 was produced from 1979 to 1981 and retailed for $380.00 in 1979 and later at $399.00 in 1981. Today very good examples that are fully functional will still bring their original retail value easily and most sell for well above original retail in the vintage audio market. Now thats value!!
To say that the Technics EPA 100 Tone Arm is well engineered is a major leaque understatement. Without question this is one of the most finely engineered and precision built tone arms I have seen at damn near any price. Total over kill in all the facets of tone arm construction. For instance this arm has ruby ball bearing in all four planes of movement,employing five ruby ball bearings in each of the planes, for a total of twenty ruby ball bearings being used. The Titanium Nitride process was chosen for the tone arm for a variety of reasons. Very expensive process and the Technics arms are the only ones I know of that used this process past or present. To this day this process is clearly superior to any aluminum or carbon fiber tone arm on the market today and remains as the bench mark of tone arm construction. This process allows the tone arm wall to be very thin, plus will have over a thousand times more ridgity than any convential tone arm of any other material. This reduces airborne and mechanical feed back to vanishly low levels, below any audible or subsonic level.
The EPA 100 tone arm will accomodate any half inch standard mount phono cartridge in an EIA head shell with cartridge weight from 5 to 10 grams nominal.
The dyanmic damping feature located on the end of the counter weight allows the use of any phono cartridge, by being able to dial in the compliance of the cartridge to the tone arm itself. This feature makes a dramatic difference in overall sonic signature to the cartridge. for once you get to hear what your phono cartridge sounds like as they manufacturer intended.
The counter weight itself is the helicoid variety and is extremely precise in its application to balance and applying tracking force to the phono cartridge. Same arrangement applies to the anti skating system as well. One of the most precise anti skating devices I have ever seen.
The VTA on the fly is a feature that was not found on most tone arms in the day and is not often found today. But this VTA on the fly is the most precise I have ever used and you know when the phono cartridge has hit its optimum VTA angle as the sonics of the cartridge literally come to life.
Precision settings for tone arm lift and the tone arm dampening is one of the finest I have ever used. Tone arm has the precise amount of dampening to record. The stylus sets down precisely into the groove. And is one of a handfull of tone arms that have zero drift in cueing. Lift the tone arm, then lower it and it will go to the exact groove from where it left. Damn few can make that statement today.
The Technics EPA 100 Tone Arm clearly exceeds the well regarded Rega RB 300 arm in total sonics,engineering and build quality by a wide margin. As far as the Sumiko Premier FT 3 Tone Arm goes, the Technics EPA 100 is a hands down winner over the Premier FT 3. In fact exceeds the widely regarded RB 600 easily as well as most of the SME arms with the exception of the upper end of SME.
In the day the competition was the Infinity Black Widow,SME 3009,Grace 707 and 714, and Sumiko MMT, FT3 and FT 4. These are the ones that got all the press reviews and were highly regarded at the time. I know because I installed a lot of those arms and maybe only installed one or two of the Technics arms. So while I knew about these Technic arms, never really had the opportunity to use one long enough to appreciate. Thankfully this time I do and this may very well be my last tone arm.
At this point in time the Technics EPA 100 Tone Arm is equipped with a Sumiko head shell with a Denon DL 110 high ouput phono cartridge. This is the best I have ever heard the Denon DL 110 phono cartridge. Also use a Denon DL 160 phono cartridge in another Sumiko headshell for premium and audiophile LP recordings. Use the DL 110 for everyday listening though and have found this to be a stellar combination. I am pleased beyond my wildest expectations and certainly glad I did not go the additional expense of a newer tone arm.
I listen to a lot of jazz and classical and the overall musical presentation is clearly on par if not exceeds most I have heard with the current analog gear of today.
This has bested my Oracle setup with the Sumiko tone arm by a considerable margin and competes quite nicely with the VPI Scout and above. I know I came very close to buying the VPI Scout. To my jaded ears the VPI with the EPA 100 arm is every bit the measure of the VPI Scout and the VPI Scout is considered to be a bench mark of the current analog market.
Without question the Technics EPA series of tone arms were some of the very best made by anyone at anytime and were over engineered and constructed to a fit,feel, and precison that is seldom seen today at any price.
Would I have seeked out this tone arm. Most likely no.Was looking for a really nice Grace 714 in teak wood or at least the aluminum version. And like I said was bout to order a Bluenote or Graham that is current inventory. But thankfully I decided to give the Technics EPA 100 a try and to say I am impressed is to say the absolute least.
If you can find one of these and it is in good condition and fully operational, then you have indeed found a pure gem in high end tone arms. With 47 years of expereince in this hobby, I can totally recommend this fine tone arm. For a wide variety turntable applications, both current and vintage. |
review by yeoldestereo |
Pro-Ject 6.9 |
8/10 |
IMHO, competes with all but the very best 3-point spring-suspended turntables at a fraction of the price. Very robust and straightforward - same bearing as in some Thorens models. |
review by v1nn1e |
Dual CS 5000 |
7/10 |
The CS5000 has a surprisingly nice arm with good range of adjustment. Stick to MM cartridges and it produces a sweet, well balanced sound. |
review by JaS |
Jelco SA-750D |
9/10 |
Jelco again proving many other tonearm brands are over priced!! |
review by safin |
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Tonearm Reviews 