Turntables...

Look, life is short, and I just don't trust shop demos -- I honestly think the whole thing is a waste of time unless you set up the deck yourself. It's easy to make a good TT sound bad.

So the alternative route, which I chose, is an extended home demo of a well-known (iconic) deck, which I've always fancied. So far, this seems to be going rather well. Whether you or anyone else thinks that such & such is better in some ill-defined way, is, frankly, totally irrelevant to me.

 

Indeed - but it doesnt put you in a position to put forward the multiple choice that you did.

 

Yes, but I don't mind. I'd rather have a rock solid opinion about a small number of items, than a profusion of half-baked opinions about nearly everything.

Life is too short to spend it auditioning lots & lots of things - when/where do you stop? I took an informed guess based on reviews, and the opinions of some people who I respect, and it seems to have paid off. I'm happy.

 

Rock solid opinions based on almost nothing. Given that your previous rock solid belief about the ninja has been trashed maybe you should stop being so certain about everything. Shops bad reviews good... hmm. A little auditioning is more valuable than faith.

 

Up until I'd heard the SME, the Ninja was the best I had heard. That's all I have ever said about it. It hasn't been "trashed" as you put it, it's still an excellent deck.

I bet I've heard more records on the SME in the last 48 hours than you ever have. Familiar records, too.

 

Out of two high end decks. If you are happy then great but dont posit such a multiple choice based on that experience. The SME will be the best deck until you hear a better one - and you had quite a bit to say about the ninja.

 

That's because the Ninja was (& is) very, very good. The SME is in a different bracket, both performance, and price-wise. I'm unlikely to hear anything better because I don't seek it out.

 

Very very good? compared with what other equivalently priced deck? Doubtless a caveman would think a bike was the fastest thing ever until he saw a jet. Anyway this is going in circles - I have made my point.

 

Yes, and I have made mine - your opinions are based mostly upon short, meaningless shop demos, which I think have little or no value.

Seriously, how many records have you heard in their entirety on an SME turntable?

 

Congratulations

Hey Bub,

Good to see that you got your SME, and that you are getting so much pleasure out of it.

Broadly speaking, in what way does the presentation differ from the Ninja

Dave

 

Difficult to describe. The dynamic range is far bigger, for a start. I put a good recording of the 1812 on (file under "heavy metal") at what I thought seemed a reasonable starting volume, and found that the crescendoes were far louder than with the LP12, and under complete control. The bass is deeper, more powerful, and differentiation between bass notes is improved. Record surface noise ("roar"), minimal with the LP12, now seems completely absent.

There's a lot more low-level detail coming through. On the Deep Purple, and with some Tom Waits, I heard a lot more background stuff. Everything seems more natural & believable. The deck seems to do away with noise, leaving just the music.

It's really rather good.

 

Enough sides to know it wasnt going to be taken home.

 

How many sides? Did you check the set-up yourself?

Anyway, you're happy, I'm happy, so where's the beef?

 

Great!

Don't let anyone else's opinions put you off. All that matters is that you enjoy it.

Dave

 

I have heard all of the sme decks - some on multiple occasions - using multiple LPs. I usually take a selection accross different genres. Lets say ten. I also test one deck I already know v the one to be tested in the dem system on every occasion to reduce the effect of the system and the room, i.e. the deck becomes the only variable. I could hear no misaligment.

While a shop dem does not confirm something will work at home it does let you weed out the ones that are not suitable.

My beef is with your multiple choice.

 

BBV,

Why don't you leave him alone. He is happy with the deck, and that is all that matters. So what, if he chose it without hearing it, or considering possible alternatives.

Dave

 

Bubs approach is up to him - though to me his approach seems dubious. The "so what" is that he posted a completely ludicrous multiple choice and thats the only thing I take issue with.

 

to be honest

i have played some of my own recordings and master tape pressings on the original sme and it came very close to the the originals so i think bub has got a cracking record player.
whats your problem bbv.

 

See above.

 

Nick, I really do not understand why you have been stalking Bub for days on the SME. A beef about multiple something, bullsh*t, this is nothing more than the other end of the cow.

Let's be honest here for a moment shall we. Bub has never set out to test a number of turntables, nor claim he was buying the best. Coming into an enviable position for a lot of people he has been able to make an aspirational purchase (or return) that an awful lot of audio enthusiasts dream of. On ZG and elsewhere a number of folk have posted their warm wishes to Bub, no agenda, no side issue, no personal preference, no caveat, no conditional approval etc. Just plain, simple, good wishes.

I have not seen you post a very simple congratulations Bub, may you truly enjoy the arrival of the SME and simply lose yourself in the music, it's a very fine deck or words to that effect. For once, try answering without raising your real agenda of fuelling debate. Just wish him well or leave it alone, you do no-one a service, particularly yourself. I'm sure interesting debate can emerge in coming months if Bub can be bothered having simply enjoyed the huge contribution he is now finding and perhaps others to follow, who knows.