Personal turntable/cartridge evolution

I would like to see this thread come to life, I have only owned a total of 2 or 3 tt, the only one worthy of mention is my present Vpi that has been heavily and I mean heavily modified. It weighs in at around 430 pounds.
the cartridges; started with a grado inexpensive one, then moved unto the sumikos, from the blue point to the blackbird, then to the denon 103 series, then the zu model which is a total killer. Nothing will beat my tt, serious!!!!!!!
The musicians practically enter my living room!

Pedrillo, love your response! Getting the most out of the equipment you own does take a lot of personal efforts to tweak or modify. My evolution starts with my parents zenith hifi from the early 60's. I remember that table because it had a cobra or snake armwand. I got the phono when i was older but could not get the thing to work right so i got a bsr. Dont even remember the model but it was my first real table. I kept it a couple of years and got a garrard then finally got my first "hilevel" table in a Dual 701. I kept that table for close to 20 years. I found a denon 47f after the dual and kept it for a few years. In 2002, i purchased a gyrodec and my first MC cartridge(vandenhul frog). The arm was the rb300. I tried a few other cartridges (mm and mc) and found the zxy line(airy3s). In 2006, I got my first Maplenoll. It was a modified reference araidne model with the lighter platter. I upgraded the airsystem and balanced the platter and finally installed my own tonearm and onthefly vta system. I also moved to a zyx universe silver coils. My latest project is a ariadne signature with the large platter. Not quite as heavy as pedrillo, but still a heavyweight near 150 lbs.

I would like to see this thread come to life...

I agree - I find the journey of what people with similar tastes have tried not only interesting but extremely helpful in developing my own tastes and finding my own direction. At least this is why I started this thread quite while ago ;)

There has been a very similar thread whcih was started a little later, but which contains many excellent responses: How Many Turntables Have You Owned

I started out with a "Longines Symphonette" all-in-one "suitcase-style" record player, back in the early 70's. I remeber taping a penny to the top end of the tonearm to allow for sufficient tracking force !! Then, when I was a freshman in college in late 1973, I bought a wonderful Panasonic stereo system......record player, radio, 8-track player/recorder, and bookshelf speakers.....all for $ 260.00. (I remember the price because I worked 3 months at a part time job to afford it !) On this great little system, I was able to discover my love of music, first listening to many of the great "classic rock" albums (CSNY, Beatles, LedZep, Allmans, Dead, James Taylor, Carole King, Springsteen, Simon and Garfunkle, Eagles, etc., etc.).

I purchased my first "audiophile system" in late 1981, and thoroughly enjoyed my Yamaha receiver, Mission 717 speakers, NAD casette deck, and Bang & Olefsun Beogram 3404 table (and MMC-20 cartridge) for many years.

Then, in 1998, I "moved up" to Vandersteen speakers, an Arcam Delta 90 integrated amp, and an NAD 533 turntable with a Goldring Elektra cartridge. This system has evolved over the years into what I now own, which includes my latest analog front end.....a Rega P3-24 table with a Rega Exact 2 cartridge. I am incredibly happy with my current system (please click on to see it), and I hope to enjoy it for many years to come.