Is the Townshend Rock 7 "the" giant killer?


The reviews I have seen of the Townshend Rock 7 (and many of the comments from owners) not only say that it's a great TT, but suggest it's a giant killer. Stated differently: it's hard to find anything in the $5K to $20K range that beats the Rock 7. Some reviewers say vinyl through the Rock 7 sounds more like master tapes than vinyl. I find this pretty hard to believe. Has anyone had direct experiences with the Rock 7, especially as it compares to other more expensive turntables? Thank you.
ggavetti
well, thanks to you alon, roscoe and the others for the insightful comments. in the end i did not go for the rock 7 because while this thread was going i fell in love with the sound of the nottingham hyperspace with anna arm. used, it cost me $3K, which was a good deal and decidedly below what i would have paid for the rock 7 and a reasonable arm. still i very much have the rock 7 in my mind for either my other system or a future move.
Ggavetti,
That's what this entire crazy hobby is all about (for me, anyway)... Falling in love with gear that makes the sound that moves your spirit. Congratulations! It doesn't get better than that... until it does!

Cheers and happy listening.
Alón
Nottingham makes a good table. I have owned two versions of the Spacedeck and was very happy with them. That said, the WTA made the spacedeck sound "broken".

Shakey
I am not sure what versions of the Nott you listened to, but the hyperspace with a top-of-the-line nott tonearm is darn good...I'd be surprised if there was such a big difference as you imply, but they certainly appear to be different tables on many dimensions.