The scout is a great table as I stated. I have been looking at tables for a long time and still have it. The secret with the scout is learning how to set it up. It can offer a lot if you can set it up. so much so that I do not believe you get that much more with the prime. I know many will not agree and the prime does certain things differently, not necessarily better. The RP8 did a lot better than the prime to my ears (it had tremendous immediacy) but had a bit of an edge that just does not have me totally convinced. It could have been cartridge loading or the cartridge which was a Rega cartridge. There has been so much good said about the Technics, and what I am seeing is it looks like it would cost a smaller company a lot of money to pay for the engineering that has gone into it. Maybe its really a 10K table for 4k i guess is what I am saying.
Technics 1200g vs Rega rp8, VPI aries, avenger, Basis 2000, Linn LP12 etc. Can it compete?
I am thinking of upgrading my Turntable in the next few months. It has been a long journey as believe it or not, the VPI scout really is a great table and has kept me satisfied for a long time. However, I am looking for my last table. Has anyone had experience with the new Technics 1200g? is it really as good as the best from VPI, Basis, SME, Feikert, etc. It has intrigued my interest and from what I see it looks like it can easily hold its own against some of the best. What headshells, mats, record clamps work best? Can you use a clamp with this table? Looking forward to your replies.
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I own the 1200 G with a Hana SL and a Rega P9 with a Dynavector 17-D3. I also have a P-7 with a Dynavector 17-D-2. The P-9 exceeds the P-7 across the board as you would expect. What I did not expect was the 1200G exceeded them both by a good margin. Quieter background, increased dynamics, better imaging, both front to back and a bit in height. I am enjoying my music more with the new table. When I purchased it, I bought it for my theater room, and mostly from a nostalgic view. Then I had a shoot out to see which was best the winner going to the listening room. The 1200G is the best and I am not certain it has the best cartridge on it. I really like VPI tables and get to listen to one frequently. I will say I really enjoy the quick starts and stops for changing records and the high torque when using a brush or Gruve Glide. They are also great tables. You can not go wrong. Good luck! |
Do you have to have a new table as you will get more for your money buying used. also look at some of the older tables like Thoerns (td 125) and Garrards (301-401). they offer some outstanding sound and so much upgrades to take you to the $30k sound dollar range with upgrades over time. defiantly a last or forever table. nice example for the money: or out side the norm: or maybe a Sota and many VPI tables on the used market as well. of course the tables you mentioned are all great tables too. tables don't really wear out ( if taken care of and serviced) and good ones last decades. My Garrard 301 is 50+ and works wonderfully. |
Tzh, we are a Rega dealer, and we would also like to carry the Technics. When you said immediacy you got the Rega sound vs the VPI sound. Rega's design philosophy is the exact oppostie of the VPI which have used mass ie weighty acrylic or greater mass in their platters and plinths. Rega's concept is to make a light weight low mass design, with the philisophy of less mass means less material to resonate, higher mass turntables and platters do ring, just tap one and you will see, and to provide flexture to dissapate energy. Light and stiff has many advantages. The real question is how far do you want to go in terms of an end game turntable? If I was going to go end game I would look at a Merril Wiliams Real 101.2 which is a $7k table plus arm, pretty much beats any table under $25k. We tested one vs a $40k reference table that is the talk of the industry, and couldn't really hear an appreicable difference with the much more expensive table on a $100k reference rig. The Merrill Williams Real Table is designed to absorb all energy being fed into the table. The plinth is made out of compressed sheets of rubber composites, the clamp uses a ball of rubber and sits on a rubber ring, even the outer clamping ring uses a rubber internal damping ring. It doesn't look ultra cool but think of how a turntable is supposed to work, you have to isolate the groove and cartidge from the noisy world of the bearing, and the outside world's vibrational energy which is being fed back into the table, if you can use a material known to absorb mechanical energy and turn it into heat you can wick away all the noise which masks the delicate signal being picked up from the cartridge. Over the years we have setup Linns, Sotas, Vpi, Well tempereds and many other very expensive turntables the Merrrill sounds better because it is designed systematically to absorb all energy being fed into the table, the result you can hear the cartridge for the first time. http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/merrill-williams-real-101-turntable/ http://realturntable.com/ Hope this helps. Dave and Troy Audio Doctor NJ |
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