New Analog system. where to start?

Can you listen?

Of course not, but that was the Rega leaflet back in 1982-83. Green with a drawing of the arm. They claimed that specs didn't matter because when placed on paper you couldn't listen to them (hence the sarcasm).

It is very difficult to A/B several TTs. Sean just presented a miriad of parameters that have to be kept equal. Hence TT choice must be done with the help of other parameters. Jimbo, I cannot teach you how to evaluate a TT, nor common sense. If you search the posts in many forums like I did you'll come accross people who have modded their 1200s. You'll read what they've done, what they have compared it with and how they feel. That's what made me shift from belt drive to a modded 1200 in the under $1000 category. Some guy has Technics 1800 and compared it to his Oracle w/ SME arm--it's here in the archives and in Harmonic Discord. Yes he said the Oracle outperformed it. By how much? Find out for yourself.

If there's someone in this planet that loves analog and is committed to its preservation is Kevin Barrett of KAB electroacoustics (www.kabusa.com). He's so committed he developed and marketed the tonearm fluid damper for the 1200. Why? Because he thinks it's *the* best value in turntables, dollar for dollar, in the market today. Not for nightclub use, Jimbo---for transcribing recordigs. He's so convinced that he says that in order to make an upgrade worthwhile one would need to jump from a modded 1200 to a VPI with flywheel!

BTW, Kevin Varrett has also designed and marketed the most complete high end phono transription preamplifier in the market.

Jimbo, I am sorry to hear you had a 1200 and couldn't set it up properly. Perhaps you should give Kevin a call...I'm sure he can teach you a few tips. I can, too, but "you don't listen".

Psychic- Maybe you didn't understand the question. Allow me to repeat- What is it that YOU found better about the SOTA? Please compare and contrast the SOTA, P3 and the 1200. YOUR experience and thoughts, not someone else's.

If you have any experience at all with these tables (as you say you do), mentioning three or four things should be easy. People do it on this site all the time.

BTW-Why do you always refer us to someone else to explain your opinion?


Regards
Jim

What I like about the SOTAs:

1) Machined polymer platter (beats glass & aluminum)
2) Incredibly effective hanging suspension
3) Vacuum system works wonders...

What I don't like about the Rega:

1) Cheap & feeble construction
2) Lack of suspension
3) Sarcastic--and convenient--disregard for specifications

What I like about the 1200:

1) Built like a tank, precise like a Swiss watch
2) Great value for the money

"Why do you always refer us to someone else to explain your opinion?"

The word *always* means *always*. But anyway, have you ever read articles in scientific journals? Do you know where does a quality assurance audit starts? If you can answer correctly and see the pattern, you're on your way...

I quote the findings and opinions of respected and well known people--Thorsten, Rochlin, Kevin Barrett. I have other people whom I respect--but it wouldn't be 'politically' correct to use them. One of them is from Barbados. He has a modded 1200. But, what can he possibly know about high end, he's black and a DJ--right?

I mean, if Rochlin's opinions' are disregarded by some because he's a DJ (ever seen his website---www.enjoythemusic.com)---imagine adding the 'black islander' stigma on top of that!!!

Interesting ... no description of sonic differences.
I guess I lucked out that my 15 yr old Rega has never needed any work except for replacement cartridges and belts. Same for everyone else I know with Regas. I wish my cars were all built to Rega's "low standards". :-)

Be happy ... be individual, but please don't trash any more threads.

It all started with a box of Pop Tarts, Seandtaylor...I just responded with humor! You should have seen her passing out technical literature...I fell in love--true love!!!

Anyway, there's enough info in the archives--here and elsewhere--for someone to make an informed decision w/out having to publicly ask. That's what I did. It's called *research*.

As for sonic differences, I could not audition all the TTs I wanted, more so with the same cartridge. Before buying I heard Rega 3, Project 2.1, Project Perspective, Music Hall MMF-5. The perspective impressed me the most, but there was something not quite right, a blandness in the sound. This was auditioned w/ a cartridge model I used to own, so go figure...

What I can say about the modded 1200, sonically, is this: that it is a very *neutral* sounding deck with great speed and rotational stability (translate this into DARN good PRAT, like Rochlin also described). The tonearm is in need of control, so the frequency extremes are not quite right. The addition of the tonearm fluid damper corrected in great measure this weakness--it's an entirely different deck. And placing a Bob Regal foot next to the tonearm gimbal increased bass definition big time.

What do I get, then? With my Ortofon X5 MC and a Monolithic Sound phono stage and a Melos SHA-1 linestage and my Proton dual mono amp I get a *big* 3-D soundstage, with good depth and even more height. Instrument separation is well defined, with smooth, detailed yet fast high frequency response. Otherwise, my Swans' M1 ribbon tweeters would let me know. I get visceral sound not just on the bass, but on well recorded vocals *and* horns. I can play the innermost grooves of a Barbara Streitsand album and still WOW myself...

My DJ TT humiliates my DAC--big time.