My 20 year old Linn Axis is neither lightweight nor the heaviest table, but it's the heaviest I've ever owned, plus it sits on a big, 60 pound, big honking solid oak coffee table that I picked up back then for $30 in a used furniture store down south.
I put a $10 Thorens arm lift on it when I bought it that still always lifts the arm when done without fail.
It sits about 4 feet forward and to the left of my left full range speaker. My system also sits in the basement of my home on a thin padded carpet on top of the solid concrete foundation of the house.
I can play at any SPL with no feedback or other nasty noises in play. It's been a real keeper with only those two tweaks (oak table and lift) at $40 total.
Personally, I think there are many very excellent sounding table rigs available out there without going off the deep end in regards to cost.
The turntable is one device in my system though where I would admit to looks as being a factor for me. If I have to chose a replacement someday from among many good tables, I might well go for the one that just looks coolest to me, as long as I know it is technically sound, much like buying a new car. Convenience and low maintenance is also a big factor for me.
The other thing would be to make sure it has a tonearm that can work well with the low compliance Denon DL103R cartridge, which I have zero interest in switching from.
I guess my philosophy summarized is once you find the right cartridge, build the rest of the phono rig in accordance around it....and make sure it is easy to use and will last and look nice along the way.
I put a $10 Thorens arm lift on it when I bought it that still always lifts the arm when done without fail.
It sits about 4 feet forward and to the left of my left full range speaker. My system also sits in the basement of my home on a thin padded carpet on top of the solid concrete foundation of the house.
I can play at any SPL with no feedback or other nasty noises in play. It's been a real keeper with only those two tweaks (oak table and lift) at $40 total.
Personally, I think there are many very excellent sounding table rigs available out there without going off the deep end in regards to cost.
The turntable is one device in my system though where I would admit to looks as being a factor for me. If I have to chose a replacement someday from among many good tables, I might well go for the one that just looks coolest to me, as long as I know it is technically sound, much like buying a new car. Convenience and low maintenance is also a big factor for me.
The other thing would be to make sure it has a tonearm that can work well with the low compliance Denon DL103R cartridge, which I have zero interest in switching from.
I guess my philosophy summarized is once you find the right cartridge, build the rest of the phono rig in accordance around it....and make sure it is easy to use and will last and look nice along the way.