Either table will sound very good.
MoFi:
Wow & Flutter 0.017% – 0.025%
Rumble 74 dB
Belt Drive
Cartridges not easily changed.
Technics:
Wow & Flutter 0.025%
Rumble 78 dB
Direct Drive
Cartridges easily changed (this is part of the fun to me).
Specs are a toss up.
I have a 1200GR, love it. If you decide to get one, three cartridges I recommend, owning and enjoying all, are Ortofon Black, Grado Sonata and Nagaoka MP200 (or higher). |
If you’re new to analog and willing to get an amazing quality cartridge (which is the most important in reproduction of vinyl media) then you have to be very careful, because for the price of the new cartridges you can get much better transducer from the golder age of analog. When vinyl was the main media and records and turntables were in every home the cartridge manufacturers were much more serious about the quality, they could sell more cartridges than today and for this reason invested in developing some exceptional phono pickups to be the best over the others. It was during the 70s era, i think the best phono pickups were made in the early 80s, then Digital floaded the market and it was bad time for vinyl media. What we have today in our digital era is just a little bit of what it was before in agalog era. So if you want the best bang for the bucks then look for vintage MM cartridges such as Grace, Stanton, Victor, Audio-Technica, Sony, Pioneer ... All specific models have been mentioned many times on this forum. Some of them are hard to find, but well worth the effort if you’re looking for high fidelity that none of the modern MM will give you. |
+1 The Technics with the Grado Sonata. Set it and forget it! |
I'm willing to bet the 1200 will keep its resale value much longer too if what the vintage Technics tables seem to sell for these days |
heard them both, same dealer. walked out with the GR. if you like smooth, laid back and rounded off get the mofi. if you like steady, dynamic, detailed, smooth and neutral go technics. not even close IMHO. |
avanti1960, that is the perfect analogy. |
Vpi prime scout with ortofon quintet bronze |
Great feedback @avanti1960, that’s the sound I like that you described as the Technics.
soundwatts - I would like to hear more, have you compared? |
avanti1960
heard them both, same dealer. walked out with the GR. if you like smooth, laid back and rounded off get the mofi. if you like steady, dynamic, detailed, smooth and neutral go technics. not even close IMHO.
Same cartridge? (-: |
heard them both, same dealer. walked out with the GR. if you like smooth, laid back and rounded off get the mofi. if you like steady, dynamic, detailed, smooth and neutral go technics. not even close IMHO.
Same Cartridge ? (-: |
heard them both, same dealer. walked out with the GR. if you like smooth, laid back and rounded off get the mofi. if you like steady, dynamic, detailed, smooth and neutral go technics. not even close IMHO.
Same Cartridge? |
The technics every day of the week and weekends. |
@mr_bill
Yes I have. The technics is a dynamic table. But what the vpi has over it is rythm and pace as well as a huge Soundstage that I have not heard from a DD turntable. Don't know why but I have owned the sl1100 and 1200 in the day. Heard the new one and the VPI recently and AB. Same impression
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Soundwatts, With all due respect, your level of experience with DD turntables (old production SL1200 and 1100 and a listen under unknown conditions to a new SL1200GR) does not warrant your gross generalization regarding "huge soundstage". In my long experience, that quality has most to do with the plinth and all the downstream components, especially the speakers and room. Also, by saying the VPI has more "rhythm and pace", are you intimating that you felt it had better speed constancy? But if so, why is the Technics more "dynamic"? Thanks.
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@lewm
the 2 turntables auditioned were in the same system with all the same downstream components.
Again this is just my opinion of the way I heard it and wrote my notes.
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I wonder if the VPI Prime and the Prime Scout sound the same or have differences. The Prime is a lot more money.
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GR
I also have the Master Tracker cartridge which I like. I have vintage MM's too. A lot of carts out there. That's all I've got tonight, going to bed.... |
The Triple post above was unintentional, of course. My apologies... Cheers -Don |
I actually think that the original scout with acrylic platter sounds better than the prime. Maybe its the acrylic platter lending to a sound that I preferred on the VPI. They sound very similar in many ways. |
