turntable recommendations please

I really need to to replace my ageing std and not being in a position to do comparisons am relying on some unbiased advice. I really want an unsprung, 'plug and play' machine as I'm tired of messing about with springs, although I don't mind setting up arms.
My dilemma is I'm using an original hadcock gh228 super arm, should I keep the hadcock and opt for something like a spacedeck or funk vector or forget the hadcock and go for a radius 5/nima or (pushing the budget) vpi scout/jmw9. I'm not looking for a particular sound, more long term reliability and consistency.

 

shameless plug for my nottingham analogue interspace with space arm, grado prestige gold MM cart, and a living voice mystic mat. currently on ebay BIN or best offers
see http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=9734170291

 

Wish I had the funds, would love that Nottingham setup. One question though; looked at the pictures on ebay and to me it appears as though the arm is angled upwards slightly,...maybe indication that any spacers used under the tonearm base are not high enough?

 

although i have an avid acutus + sme 309, i also run an project x-pack, over all i recomend the project range as being great sounding turntables, i used to have the hadcock arm many years ago, pain to set up, never been a fan of unipivot's, sorry if i dislike certain arms but for all is worth try project, if you want to be a bit more in the money than avid diva is super, nottingham analogue are also super, it more or less depends on your budget,regards. nando

 

They don't use spacers ... its a "loosen a bolt, move it up and down and then tighten" sort of arrangement on a Spacearm.

Damned good deck for the money tbh ... fugly as sin tho (apologies robert).

 

I used a Radius 5 / Nima (acrylic) with a Grado prestige gold cart with fantastic results. It is really great also in that once set up it does not need to be messed about with again...

I miss that deck...

 

If you are serious about the Funk then read the review and comparison with the marantz tt-15s1 michell technodec and roksan radius 5 in Hi-fiWorld March 2006 and the Hi-fi News review at www.thefunkfirm.co.uk and avreview. You will either love it or hate it it is more like a work of art. I ended up buying the Funk Vector and even the wife loves it (that's a first). Also save up to buy the eyelid cover for it when it is available later in 2006 at £49 to keep the dust off.

 

its gone already! (the TT on ebay).

I would have said to go for that. Interspace's are unbeatable for that sort of money IMO.

 

For All Is Worth There Is One To Concider Before It Takes A Big Price Chage Is The Avid Diva And The Projeck X- Pack With A Speed Box And Ortofon Rhondo Red At £625.00 All In,regards.

 

For All Is Worth There Is One To Concider Before It Takes A Big Price Chage Is The Avid Diva And The Projeck X- Pack With A Speed Box And Ortofon Rhondo Red At £625.00 All In,regards.

 

Concensus on the Audiogon analogue forum seems to be for massive unsprung decks. I've got one and as long as the deck is well isolated (thanks T ) sounds fantastic.

I've read on a couple of articles (iirc Geoff Husband) that all things being equal then the arm contributes 80% to the overall sound. I take that as meaning if your deck is half decent the arm is the limiting factor. I had the Hadcocok 228 on a TD160, pain in the arse to setup and keep ok, YMMV, my $0.02 etc.., and was never really satisfied with the bass, but it could've been the carttridge.

If you're considering spending in excess of £1200 (Vpi scout and arm) look at Kuzma Stogi/Stabi s in Midland audio exchange, if you can afford another mortgage look at Walrus they have a second hand Verdier Nouvelle Platine and MoerchDP6 , that should be the biz !!!!

Kev

 

this looks like outstanding VFM

and, I'm sure your hadcock would be a good match.

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/diyhs_bix.htm

 

From what I've heard the Bix are awful decks, I think it was a guy on WAD bought one, had loads of problems with the parts tollerance and then after a lot of messing about was really dissapointed with the sound. It was an early model but they don't look hugely different. Might be worth looking around tinternet to see what others think of them

 

Long term reliability & consistency....... 'plug and play' functionality....

In that case, I couldn't recommend pro-ject deck. IMO they simply aren't solidly built enough to last twenty years of regular use. I had an RPM9 for a year, I whilst in sound quality terms it was absolutely beguiling, I wouldn't recommend it as a long-term investment. Same goes for the budget RPM4 which currently graces my second system.

Acrylic is a high-maintainence material and scratches/stains easily. IMO this rules out Clearaudio even though they're pretty well engineered & screwed together.

What about the Rega P7/P9? Avid Diva's are great too. Something tells me you'll end up with a Scout though

 

Really?

wow, suprised to hear that.

I was going by diyhifisupplys reccomendation, and past products bought from the site.

It looks great VFM too, on the surface.

 

Yeah I think he got one of the first ones, looked slightly different but same basic design. He sold it on really quickly.

 

I'll declare my bias openly here as I sell the things, but wouldn't agree with that at all (IMO of course ) - the build quality part that is. I can't see which part of an RPM9 wouldn't last for donkeys years - there's practically nothing on it that could break or wear out in donkeys years of use unless you abused it (full spare parts availability for everything they've ever made as well).

The RPM4 was never my fave Pro-Ject, but on its looks rather than build (bit of a minger to be frank).

Its always surprised me how good the build quality is on Pro-Ject decks at their price points. The current Debut and Xpression models easily match the old Rega P2 and P3 in terms of well put togetherness, so to speak - and I've had all of them (Pro_jects and Regas) apart often enough to know - and the Rega's are nothing if not robust for the same reasons - little or nothing much to go wrong.

and again ... before I get accused of being biased and having an interest ... I'm biased and have an interest

 

They've definitely made some changes - the platters different and I'm pretty sure the plinth(s) were shiny black acrylic - it was a slick looking deck kit has to be said.

I seem to remember bearing problems and speed stability issues (whih may have been bearing or motor related). They could have ironed em out by now though.

Might be worth asking over on Vinyl Asylum as I think there a few folks over there with these.

 

My Clearaudio hasn't scratched or stained in 4 years - maybe if you wipe it with sandpaper, or wash it with battery acid you might get problems!
It's aircraft grade acrylic, which presumably means it's quite hardwearing...
And most certainly plug and play...

 

With rgds to the RPM9:

The motor pulley & cap is plastic and could break easily.

The wall-wart is just that - a $2 jobby that has failed once already!

Acrylic platter could scratch easily.

The feet are made from very flimsy plastic

The 9c tonearm has a plastic counterbalance stub that is easily broken. (It is also difficult to set this accurately using the markers provided.)

Spare parts are availbale for a reason!!

At the end of the day though, if you look after it well, it is a very nice sounding TT.

Leonard, IME the clear acrylic on CA decks scratches easily, and the cloudy acrylic also picks up scratches & marks more easily than I'd like it to.

DT