Recommendations For New Table/Arm Under $4k

$4600 or $4050 the Galibier Serac rig is hard to pass up.

If you want to set your budget dollars a little lower A Scheu Analog with battery power supply could be an option.

Dcstep, what about the Artisan Audio tonearm do you not consider decent, as stated in your earlier post. I'm trying to learn here, so specifics help.

I have not compared the tables.

I once owned a MMF-7 table with a Pro-ject arm of similar design to that found on the RM-10 table, but made of a different material.

I never mentioned the Artisan Audio. As I said in my earlier response, I thought that the lowest price for a Serac with one of their offered tonearms was $4600. Apparently that was incorrect.

Right, that MMF (Pro-ject really) tone arm wasn't 10", wasn't carbon fiber and had different gimble and bearings; otherwise it was similar to the RM10's arm.

Dave

Dave

Dcstep, you wrote:

07-25-08: Dcstep
...the Serac is over his price range for one, costing more like $4600 currently
with a decent arm.

Is the Artisan Audio tonearm (the arm included in the $4045 package) the one
you were referring to when you mentioned "a decent arm"? If it
wasn't, which arm was?

I haven't heard the Artisan arm, but I'll still cast another Serac vote. The bearing and motor alone are head and shoulders beyond any other table in this price range, as were the Teres offerings before they dropped out of the sub $5K market. Pro-Ject and VPI offerings don't come close in either of these key components.

The fact that Galibier uses a mylar belt, instead of rubber, thread or some other non-linear material, is of enormous importance - and this factor is not appreciated as widely as it should be. A Galibier maintains rock steady speed through transients that puts most belt drive tables to shame, while its high mass provides a solid base and black backgrounds that DD and idler wheel tables can only dream about.

If the arm turns out to need an upgrade at some point, the Serac will still provide that rock solid base, and Thom can make an armboard for any tonearm.

You won't get all this from any other rig in this price range AFAIK. (Note: no affiliation, ownership interest or any interest beyond calling Thom a friend, just reporting what I've seen/heard).