Turntable advice

This started as a group diy project where a bunch of guys ordered bearings, shared dimensions and made their own platters. I think there were at least two business entities that Went to market with it, before vinyl died, pre Lazarus.

http://www.stereomojo.com/Teres 255 265 turntable review/TeresTurntableReview.htm

 

I'm thinking of selling my Classic 1. Need to recoup funds so I can put myself on the EC Studio waiting list or something like that.

It's one of the ones with the mini SDS built in (motor in back) and comes with both metal and new 2016 production 3D arm as well as the ring and HRX weight. It has a bit of a noisy motor (common issue for Classic series) which can be fixed as described here but I haven't had time to do it myself because it doesn't affect speed stability and the noise is really low level (-72dB) when you see it on a recording. Other then that it's faultless and has served my great for the 3 years I've owned it.

 

@Chris F I am sure one of us would jump at it if you decide to sell. Keep us informed!

 

I think the classics evolved from the Hw lines in design, the Prime and Avenger from his son Matt. Vpi tables share parts all over, so you can get an Aries and swap out the bearings, platter, etc. in no small way VPI is like Schiit. I did read somewhere that VPI is fighting back on the Phoenix stuff. pretty interesting.

Definitely get the SDS If you listen to a lot of piano stuff, as this really reveals line issues. One of the worst things to listen to is Bill Evans on unstable power or a warped record.

http://vpiindustries.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7461

 

Oh, and if you really want to learn about VPIs, they have an awesome forum. Http://vpiindustries.com/forum.

 

I ask them VPI questions cause I have one. I know they transitioned to Mat after Sheila passed away, and that's changing stuff. On the upside, they don't sound so thick and dark anymore. I can understand why the Kuzma would sound good to you. Probably the Lyras versus the Koetsus as well?

 

When it comes to VPI right now, I'd say the SDS, the Periphery Ring and Center weight are not options....they are must haves. They improve the performance of every single VPI table I have EVER heard them being used on

I've been a little out of action as I've not been well lately. Some virus my daughter brought home and everyone in my family is currently down and out...though on the recovery phase.

If you guys have specific questions, post up, tag me so that I can see when I sign on and I'll do my best to help...

 

Well I've got distortion down a bit by playing with the counterweight, I still haven't set up the antiskate, but I need to get rid of that grumbly distortion. It's mostly in the right channel which is a bit confusing, cause I thought it'd be on the outside due to no antiskate.
Also, @purrin I managed to break one of the four leaves on the outside of the included left RCA cable because it wasn't fitting into the Mani. OOPS, but at least it fits now.

Also, the tonearm cant decide if it should slide off the the right or the left even after getting the dude leveled.

Also, the motor has gotten progressively louder over the last ten minutes or so, it's screaming at 60 Hz. I know you said the motor was pretty loud somewhere, but this thing is ridiculous. It's probably twice as loud as my power conditioner, maybe even a little more. Any fixes for this one?

 

Are you sure Azimuth is roughly ok? The cart is not leaning significantly to one side while playing? If Azimuth is way off you can have a multi dB channel imbalance due to crosstalk.

 

So there are a few good deals available to me at the moment and I'd like some help choosing which to go for..

Pro-Ject Xtension 9 with 2M Black cart. Used for only 5 hours! Buyer wants $3k
Rega RP10. No cart. As new. RRP $6500 buyer wants $4200.
Kuzma Stabi S and Stogi S with updated Kuzma PSU and record weight. Buyer wants $4k or $4.5k with ZYX R100 Yatra cart.

I'm in Australia so while these prices may seem high to most of you they are quite reasonable here. The Kuzma seems a bit overpriced to me though. I can get a brand new Stabi S/Stogi S for $3300 (without PSU though).

 

When I was getting back into vinyl the Pro-Ject Xtension 9 was going to be my turntable. But an amazing pre-christmas miracle act of God/black magic event happened and a Sota turntable showed up on Craigslist. I still believe the Pro-Ject Xtension 9 is one of the best bang for your buck turn tables out there right now. The only change I would personally make is to change the cart. The black is amazing but something with it does not click with me.

 

I see you used to have the flywheel prior to rim drive. Could you describe the changes? Just wondering where to go next with my table. Hopefully their new drive system in the works moves closer to the pricey direct drive they use on the Direct, but i doubt it.

 

The changes to the rim drive were mostly positive:

ADVANTAGES:
1) Better timing 2) Better transient response 3) More effortless energy in sound 4) Cleaner bass response and top end clarity 5) Better separation 6) Cleaner soundstage

DISADVANTAGES:
1) Much more sensitive to amount of pressure of the rim drive against the platter
2) If not setup properly, the vibrations can transfer from motor to table and u can hear it. But careful setup and it all works properly.

 

That reads like it becomes a quicker sounding table, that's a good direction I should take with the TNT. While I like its weight, I tend to want to move it towards more prat. Hopefully the rumble doesnt become too noticeable.

 

When setup correctly, there is no rumble I can hear. This was the the most worrisome part for me when I upgraded to the rim drive, but it was a non-issue in the end.

Also, I balanced out my TNT with very specific upgrades along the way. I did an "A B C" test between acrylic, super platter and the classic platter. The Classic platter was the right complementary sound to the slightly warm TNT sound. Kept the table sound in tact, but with better PRaT and cleanliness of sound. It really is a balance of sound you develop as you listen to the heart of the table and it's personality.

 

Looking to try out Vinyl for the first time. Went over to my parents and dug this out of storage. My fathers old turntable.



Needs a new needle for sure. Other than that, I got it cleaned up and working quite nicely going into his vintage Pioneer receiver and speakers.

Would I be better served buying a new entry level turntable like an Orbit or should I stick with this? It seems like the records are wobbly on it, probably the rubber mat.