Buying a used Oracle Delphi Mk_ ?

Genesis is absolutely correct on all points. Any Oracle set up properly will track incredibly well. And yes you can ceate an up and down motion from the center of the clamp where the platter will travel 1/2" up and down and not skip while playing a disc. This is a perfectly set up Oracle, and not very hard to do. Unlike a Linn that you can spend an afternoon fine tuning, and a month later do it again. I would use an old cart and a Foreigner album for the half inch test, and put it through the obsticle course (note; you are exercizing the springs, not crashing the bearing). Then mount your good cart and fine tune if necessary. Once set up right, I've rarely ever had to make an ajustment. You do need a good tone arm as well... Tom

I can't tell which model Oracle I have. What appears to be a serial number on the bottom of the platter draws a blank with the folks at Oracle.

If anyone has a photo of any of the Delphi series, please help.

I would like to know where to begin with upgrades.

If the suspension towers look different from the mk5, then it could be a mk1 or mk2. If yours does not have a 33/45 rpm switch, there is a huge possibility that it is a mk1. Hope it helps. Any questions, please email me.

I owned the original Oracle Delphi MK1 (upgraded to the MK2) for over 20 years and just recently sold the whole setup. In my honest opinion, I think you can do a whole lot better than a used Oracle. While this table was good, I cold never quite get over the notion that it was a prototype design that was hard to setup properly and hard to keep running right. And, I never had much luck dealing with the original Oracle company (you never knew if they were in or not in business). Their customer service left a lot to be desired. I replaced the Oracle with a VPI Aries/JMW10/SDS setup. This combination blows the Oracle setup away, hands down. You didn't mention your budget, but you should consider the new VPI Scout or, if you can swing it, the Aries setup. You will not be disappointed. VPI is a first-class company that makes great products that are constantly upgradeable and their customer service is second to none. Just my 2cents based on my past experience. Good Luck in your serach!

Many moons ago I owned a Delphi Mk3. It came with a SME Type V and Van den Hul One and was more musical than the Linn LP12 which it replaced. I also found the setup, once done right stayed set up unlike the Linn which seemed to play itself out of true. Eventually I replaced the Delphi with a VPI HW19Mk3 (kept the arm and cartridge) and found it had much better bottom end and more engaging mid but the Delphi was more detailed in the high end. The VPI was simple to set up and never went out of true. I would own either the Delphi or the VPI again without regret.