Who will survive? One last table til I die.

Thanks for the responses to my post. To refine the discussion, perhaps I should comment on some of the suggestions.

For example, I agree that the Linn will probably be around in one incarnation or another forever. The company has also been very stable over the years and seems likely to stay that way. There must be more LP12s out there than any other table, and the availability of parts, mods, repair persons and such is likely to be strong for many years, which is exactly what I want. Unfortunately, I have owned this table, and it is not sonically competitive with today’s better efforts.

I have had a couple of SOTAs, culminating in the Cosmos (very early version), and have been pleased with their performance. I have talked with the present personnel and am seriously considering their available modifications and upgrades. However, SOTA has had a spotty history of financial stability, folding and resurrecting itself with new ownership several times. The present operation seems to be very small and vulnerable to extinction if they had a one car crash. I’m not convinced they will be around in five years much less twenty-five. Continuity is important.

I do like the idea of the VPI HR-X. The company is stable. Even if the top guys retire, it seems they have adequate backup to keep things rolling for years. There is a good product base out there, which insures enough demand for parts and such to make it worth someone’s time to provide them over the decades. Their tables are very good sounding, of course, and I assume the HR-X will be their best effort to date. I have never owned a VPI so I don’t have first hand knowledge of their reliability and longevity. The pictures of the HR-X are interesting. Is the machining and parts quality and design good enough to last twenty years? Is it finicky to set up and does it maintain its setup or need constant tweaking?

My comments about VPI would probably apply to Basis also.

I believe the Technics table is not belt driven, which seems to me to be essential to smooth out speed variations and obtain top sound. Wasn’t it a favorite of DJs because of its quick startup?

I’ve always been intrigued by the laser turntable. The reports I have read, though, echoed Henry10023’s: perfectly clean records are a must. The sound was also said to be okay, but not the very best. There is also the problem of company stability and longevity, if there is a company.

I like the idea of stocking up on parts for whatever table I get, whether it be armboards, pulleys or whatever. I recall a review of the Walker which pointed out the maker’s contention that some of the major components were easily available from mass market sources. That idea appeals to me. I’d like to be able to gut my sewing machine to keep my table running.

A better phono section is always a good idea, but that is a different discussion.

Steve

Steve- being on an identical quest some time ago, I came up with the following criteria (for what they're worth):
* simple design meaning user-friendly servicing (which ruled out Goldmund, for example)
* if possible, easy to replace parts subjected to wear
* very simple set-up
* a manufacturer that provides "life" guarantee & parts, &/OR freely gives specs for user replacement of parts (bearings, suspension, belt...)
* Of course good sound is a must...
I believe that you'll narrow down the manufacturers using these criteria. I doubt you'll need to spend $10k for the TT (cartridge not included).

The ONLY issue I could NOT address was (and is) the arm: how can I service the arm if heavy damage occurs? 15 yrs down the line, I still haven't cracked that one (other than taking care not to break the arm!!!) I do have replacements for all other wearable items for the arm.

BTW, my choice was a Simon Yorke TT. There's virtually no set-up (ok, you have to plug it into the mains, affix a cartridge to the arm & set overhang & vta; levelling the TT is also recommended:) That's it). All the metal parts are rugged, the belt is replaceable (by S Yorke -- but other belts can also apply), the three springs (suspension) are replaced for free -- BUT you can also get the specs for these & buy industrial grade replacements... & so on.

We think alike, Gregm. I like the concept of a lifetime guarantee, providing, of course, that the company life surpasses that of the turntable.

The tonearm is problematic, although one could conceivably just buy a spare or two, given the cost relative to the table itself. BTW, I think much the same criteria should apply in picking the tonearm as the table, which means no linear tracking arms.

Easily the worst longevity problem in the vinyl playback chain lies with the cartridge(s), of course. I've broken too many too easily, and they don't seem to be getting cheaper. Their other big difficulty, mentioned earlier in the thread, is that cartridges have parts that deteriorate (even when just sitting on the shelf) and that are not easily replaced by the consumer. Thus stockpiling them is not a good option, and I accept that I shall have to budget pension money for new cartridges over the years.

I don't know much about the Simon Yorke table, but since it fits your criteria, I shall certainly look at it. What other tables did you consider and how close was your choice? What finally made the Simon Yorke the winner?

Steve

How about a turntable which has all of its design criteria in the public domain? The Teres turntables were developed by an international consortium of audiophiles on the internet. All the engineering data and parts specs are available on the web. Also, the participants and designers names and email addresses are on the web. No matter what may happen to the company(which I believe is growing and will be around), all parts, dimensions and materials are available from the vendor companies, and even suitable alternative parts may be substituted, when you have the specs. The platter, bearing, and plinth are virtually bulletproof, and the motor is in a separate housing. I doubt Maxon swiss motors is going out of business anytime soon, but even if they did, you could even substitute any outboard drive system alongside the turntable and just swap pulleys. The main parts of the table(platter, bearing, plinth) are stand-alone, and will never wear out. The only thing that might wear out is the motor/controller. Since they are outboard, you could even buy a few of them, and keep them as spares. The whole motor/controller/pulley/housing system is only about $400 and you could keep a couple of them in a shoebox.

The Teres tables are robust and very good sounding. They are overbuilt and simple. All parts and specs are available to you, no matter what would happen to the company. No secrets. This is about as safe as you could get. And the only part that is subject to failure is sourced from a very major industrial motor company which is much more likely to be here than any turntable company 25 years from now. And even if there was a problem with that, many outboard motor units from people like Walker, VPI, Verdier, or any standalone motor/controller unit can be substituted easily, with no disassembly. Or you could get a cache of spare motor units. I think that having access to all parts easily is better than depending upon the solvency of any audio company.

They will accept any arm. They have no springs to sag or go bad. No air bladder suspensions to leak. No mats to deteriorate or degrade. The belt is made of silk cord that is available from any sewing or beading store, so you don't have to stockpile rubber belts that may deteriorate with age either.

Basically, you have a turntable that has just about no breakable/wearable parts, and a separate motor housing that has all of the breakable/wearable items inside it, by itself. You can stockpile these or source the contents yourself any time you want. I'm sure Chris will give you a complete parts list of every single component in the system, along with their vendors, if you want a compiled list, so you don't have to make it yourself off the internet. He can also sell you separate replacement motors, control boards, or whatever you want.

I think it is best to be in control of your own destiny, instead of relying on any company being in business.

The Teres turntables are very reasonably priced and factory-direct. The performance is as good or better than most tables priced far higher. I'd pick my Teres over any table that has been mentioned in this thread so far.

So, there's a different angle for you to consider.

Give a look to this. Not much famous in USA (yet)
http://www.avidhifi.co.uk/