Most surprisingly good tt you have owned.

[Fishtails]

Hi people!

We've done bargains, lemons, first, best etc.

Now it is time to write about the most surprisingly good turntable you have owned. That one that you though would be terrible or just run of the mill but you thought to yourself "hey this actually sounds awesome" but were almost too afriad to admit it.

Well it is time to come clean and let yourself free. Tell us of that unexpected gem!

To get things started:

My garrard zero100sb. I bought this as a mere collectable expecting nothing but it really sounds wonderful. So many people,have had issues with theirs but mine is near mint and sounds like a dream with the auto functions working near perfect. It is also cosmetically almost mint with dust cover and all. I can see it would drive you mad if not working, but mine is top notch!

[keiko5]

It has to be my Sony PS-Q7 mini turntable. I bought it out of curiosity, and the desire for a small, self-contained unit for the living room area. Why it shouldn't sound wonderful: it has a very short 6.5" pivoted tonearm, a very small, very light DD motor (no flywheel effect), spherical stylus, full auto and a built-in preamp. But it sounds amazingly musical and is a pleasure to listen to. It may not be audiophile quality, but this little gem performs far beyond my expectations.

[fscl]

This is easy.......

Spied a Technics SL-7 in the consignment section of an audio store. Made sure it worked with an audition w/ cheap MM preamp --> MD ---> ear buds. Sounded fine so bought and took it home.

Up to that point, the only Technics tt I had experience with was an SL-B205 and belted pivot arm turntables in general. I was curious to hear / try a Technics DD and tangential tracking following some posts after joining here to learn about an STD-305 w/ Grace 707.

Wasn't expecting to hear a big improvement however, was surprised and quickly displaced a lowly PL-115d in the main system. Made me fall in love with my vinyl again.....

With constant use the SL-7's age and non-servicing caught up and I am thankful for VE member Triophile for service manual links and my obsession with Technics linears.......

2nd surprise, almost as big, QL Y55F.....

Fred

[paul401]

hi,
has to be my Audio Technica 'Soundburger', or AT 727 if you prefer. It was a present, from a friend who found it at a boot sale, back before they started fetching lots of pennies on a well known auction site.

Hooked up to my regular sytem, I've surprised quite a few people with how good this sounds.



You look at it and just think, it shouldn't sound as good as it does. Nice.

Paul

[satanfriendly]

This one:



From E-Bay at a low price considering how much there is of it and the quality of finish and materials. Bought as a nearly complete DIY project (didn't take that much to complete) from a Technics 3200 as donor deck. Amazingly open and detailed with great rhythm and tempo. I never quite expected this level of performance as I bought it because it was unusual and quirky.

In theory people have said it shouldn't work, but it does. Liked it that much I thought it worthy of a decent arm and cartridge. Worked equally as well with a Linn Basic Plus.

It surprised and surpassed my expectations.

[catama]

Scott PS-87A. Got it cheap on fleabay (under $100.00), put a Grado Black cartridge on it and it sings! Very, very surprised.

[steve195527]

one of the original AR turntables,years ago,was 1st to make me realise a TT had to do more than turn quietly at the correct speed,isolation was as or more important

[Hanuman]

It might sound strange but it would be my Technics SP10. I knew what I was buying, to be sure, but I only had plans to use it for digitizing. It was next to the computer for some months doing just that. When I eventually moved it to the system, and then only because a recently converted vinylphile friend had started lending me records to listen to, it turned out to be the best turntable I'd had to that point. With a humble Denon DL103 on board, the initial impression was so staggering and such an upgrade on what I'd gotten used to for years (analogue & digital) that I returned to almost exclusive vinyl listening again, rarely turning to the Mac Mini server that I'd spent months populating with EAC-ripped Apple-Lossless files. I didn't see that coming at all.

[abril]

ERA Mk6 ,came with an SME3009 which I almost instantly sold and then fitted a Helius Scorpio onto which I grafted a freebie Ortofon Q

Amazing

[Fishtails]

Love the soundburger!!!!

[JBonner]

Technics SL110 - very underated machine.

[jimboyep]

This may surprise, but I found a really clean Fisher MT-6250 for $20.00 some time ago. I refurbished it and mounted a Denon DL-103 and it played surprisingly well. After putting a new wood laminate on it... it looked great too. I sold it to a friend and he loves it.

[Brick]

Toss up between the Technics SL-B2/B5 series and the Pioneer 514. The Technics because of how light they are, and set up right they sound way better than they should. The Pioneer because I expected so little of it and found the build quality to be so good and dial in to be so easy. The Pioneer taught me that the extra time to really dial a table in could be worth every minute.

[matt.madden]

hi,
has to be my Audio Technica 'Soundburger', or AT 727 if you prefer. It was a present, from a friend who found it at a boot sale, back before they started fetching lots of pennies on a well known auction site.

Hooked up to my regular sytem, I've surprised quite a few people with how good this sounds.



You look at it and just think, it shouldn't sound as good as it does. Nice.

Paul

Is that the Violent Femmes on there?