Turntable Survey

I have a 10? year old Planar 3. The only settup (sic) stuff I've done is put on a low output Orto MC15+ cartridge and DNC plugs on the lead (thanks Rico). Other than that it just sit on top of my stand and makes great music. Oh yes, occasionally I change the drive belt.

Guests often prefer the noise it makes to my CDSII. They're wrong, but not in bangs-to-the-buck terms. It is ridiculous how much you need to spend on a CDP to sound better than a P3.

Timo

Your LP12 laughs in the musical face of your CDS2 (which is fab in isolation) - are you just getting greedy

Give it a service and be happy.

Andy (LP12 / Tik-tok / Klyde / Prefix etc..)

Judd

Given how many do use LP12s I was also thinking how vinyl must be alive and well given how many decks are available, from Project Debuts to Platine Verdier's and the like.

If I upgrade anything in the system (which I won't do for a year at least I promise) it will be the arm and cart on the deck and thoughts about Cirkus; maybe another level of Mana.

How often should an LP12 be serviced in normal use?

The CDS2 is catching up. The black Burndy makes a dramatic difference (although I always suspected the biggest part of the CDPS > XPS upgrade to be the different lead).

Alex

My take on this has changed, the recommendations from days of yore were a clean and tickle at 6 months, full service every year.

The newer black springs and grommets though seem more stable with time, I 'tickled' mine once last year, and haven't replaced the springs or grommets for 18 months.

I think it depemds on how well set up it has been inthe first place, a service involves a strip down and new springs / grommets (+belt if you haven't had one for a while). Everything gets tightened, re-aligned and cleaned etc.

If yours hasn't been done for a few years I'd recommend it, but get some advice from the forum for a good dealer to do the job. They vary a lot, and I've had bad experiences with bodged jobs from genuine Linn dealers (since gone bust!).

You might, if you talk really nicely, be able to get a dealer to do it in-situ - worthwhile since it saves having to transport it and you won't suffer transport- induced shifts.

Andy.

1. Pink Triangle LPT/RB 300/Shure VST-V (MM)
2. LP12/Valhalla/Black Ittok LV11/K9
3. LP12/Lingo/Black Ittok LV11/Troika
4. LP12/Lingo/Aro/Troika
5. LP12/Armageddon/Aro/Troika
6. LP12/Armageddon/Aro/ArkivB
7. Phonospohie P3/Naim P3 Power Supply/Aro/ArkivB
8. Well Tempered Super/Ref Arm/ArkivB
Now: Back to no.6 again. Doh!

Gary

Worth 350 FEPs if you are the "seller"

regards,

dave

Maybe you've done this elsewhere, but please tell me more about the Well Tempered and why you got rid of it.

How does 2 Sats hence sound?

Stallion,

Is that Chateau Margaux or just any old Margaux?

Alex

Why not LP12? - well I had one before 1986 and it was fun but was a real pain to keep set up and I was moving around a lot at the time.

The upgrade to the Xerxes X last year has been a revelation and in view of the 'exchange' deal from Roksan it didn't make sense to look elsewhere - especially as the Xerxes had given us 15 year of untroubled very enjoyable listening.

So a combination of satisfaction, inertia and economics.

Ian

I auditioned the LP12 and bought the Xerxes in preference. It simply sounded more lively and less flabby in the bass.

Connoiseur BD1/SAU2 in homemade plinth. Ditto.

Rega Planar 3. This is 1982 now.

Linn LP12/LVX. I still this turntable, not the arm.

Added an RB300. Installed a Trak. Still have the arm, it's in the first 100 or so by serial no.

Saw the light and changed to Ittok.

Dropped the turntable..... Cosmetic damage to plinth and lid. Arm and cartridge OK. Bugger.

New LP12/Ekos. About 1988. Still have this as my regular turntable.

I have a knackered A&R C77, Supex SD900 and Linn Arkiv in a box somewhere. I expect I'll get the Arkiv rebuilt this year.

Paul

No complaints - this thing sounds great, is built like a brick s***house and is a doddle to set up (no fiddly tweaking like an LP12)

One day I'll get around to sending the turntable back to SME for a Mk II upgrade, but it costs over £1,000!

Peter

Unfortunately, in France, it seems the better the wine production, the worse the people. The Bordelais are unbelievebly snobby and spent all the time sniffing wine and talking about it instead of drinking it.

Since my friend was called Dominique, I bought a case of Chateau la Dominique '86. Highly rated but it leaves a nasty taste in my mouth (two timing little. . .).

Prieuré Lichine was a good, cheaper Margaux, Cos and Pez two favourites from St Estephe. I drank all the premier crus while I was there but haven't since. I was given a couple of Chateau Glorias when Mary was born and drank those at the weekend.

Sadly, I am no expert on Italian wines.

Alex

Also did you dealer compare the new interspace with a basic spacedeck or one loaded with the new platter upgrade? Ive just added the sintered graphite platter and the transformation is not a subtle one. I haven't quite come to terms with it but the detail retrieval is much greater, the pace and rhythmn seem even better controlled and generally groovier.The accuracy is amazing but can be disconcerting. The differences in pressings/recording quality are brutally exposed.

John

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Rest of system: Nait1, K din Stageline, HiCap, Meadowlark Shearwaters or Spendor 1/2E speakers

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Hi, do you fancy nipping over to the 'New speakers for me...' thread and letting us know how well your tiny Nait 1 drives your enormous Spendors?

Tony.

quote:

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Originally posted by Tony Lonorgan:
Quote: "I'm also (occasionally) using a Rega Planar 78"

Interesting, what music do you like that is on 78rpm? Early jazz fan perhaps?

Tony.

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I've happened on a number of 78s, first were my mother's entire collection of swing and what was considered to be "pop" 55 years ago. My fiance then happened upon an estate sale with some very intriguing lots, and so spent a few dollars for me. So I have a range from original Glenn Miller releases to some Toscannini.

quote:

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Quote: Does the SOTA Sapphire that I have on consignment also count?

Worth 350 FEPs if you are the "seller"

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Though I am, I guess that I'm unique on this forum that I don't absolutely hate it. I bought it used (for cheap!) out of necessity as I was in a living condition that, due to incredibly bouncy floor, precluded reasonable use of the LP12 - and wall supports were out of the question as I was renting at the time. The SOTA came very much in handy!

Cheers

Keith.

I did compare it to an LP12 but found the Gyro more neutral (I enjoyed both though)

Jonathan

I used to have an LP12 with Naim ARO and Armageddon but liked the TMS sound better. The TMS does not require any user intervention once it is set-up unlike the LP12 requiring tuning every year or so.

Watch-out for the TMS2 which was just recently launched by Roksan after many years of delays. The price a whopping 4500 UK pounds. Start saving.

I am using the WT Classic (early model with the white acrylic platter and the thin armtube silver Classic arm)with XX-1L/Prefix/Hi-cap for a few years now and I am very happy with it. Once set up it never goes out of tune.

I had an LP12 before and was thinking of going the Aro/Armagedon route (which I demoed and liked) but was always aware of how sensitive the LP12 was re internal set up - if not right it sounds "off". I listened to the baby WT the Record Player and I was very impressed. I made the switch once a new WT Classic came on the market at a very good price and have not looked back since.

I know Dev B moved back to the LP12 and having heard the late WTs (on a couple of occassions)I could see why: very authoritative/detail/ etc with very impressive sonics but not as "fun" as a Naimed LP12. I find my "old" WT version to be a good balnce between the LP12 "fun" factor and the late WT impressive sonics.

Regards

Lambros

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Originally posted by Commando:
Had a listen to a Xerxes once, but after chatting
to the roksan rep for half an hour I decided that I would never, ever give my money to a company that employed such arrogant a*holes.

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Shame. I quite understand your attitude. The problem with Roksan is that they are in many ways two companies, divided by product. Anything either analogue, or with high-quality aspirations seems to be the exclusive preserve of Touraj, as nobody else there appears either sufficiently knowledgable or interested. Touraj, however, is IME always interested, and will talk about the relative merits of his creations for ages in a quiet, reasonable, non-evangelistic manner. I would dearly love to hear a Xerxes, but since the Caspian release, Roksan never seem to bother to take them to shows, and our local Sevenoaks just shake their heads... I think it was Bristol 1996 when they had a TMS/Artemiz/Shiraz sounding absolutely stunning (kept going back to that room), but since then, nothing.

However, I can understand them not supporting the original Xerxes -- the changes in the design in many ways amount to the only logical "maintenance", particularly considering that this has always been a "fit & forget" unit which never required tweaking.

They also used to produce a high quality reange of electronics (preamp, separate PSU, stereo power amp and some monoblocs IIRC) as well as the Ojan speakers with modular, stackable subwoofers -- don't know what's happened to these.

A fine outfit in many ways -- shame they had to go all "HiFi Choice" on us.

Our turntable? Heybrook TT2 (mk 1) bought new in 1984 for 235 quid. Originally fitted with LVX/Supex SM100E (indefinite delay on Rega RB300 due to demand -- those were the days...) and subsequently upgraded a few years ago with RB300 and DV10X4 mkII. It lives on 2 levels of Mana, and while not being an LP12, plays consistently good music. It competes with a CD5, and always wins. An unbeatable used buy (parts are mostly Linn) usually at about 100 quid these days.

Best;

Mark

(an imperfect
forum environment is
better than none)