The Creature (Technics SL-1200MKII thru V) is definitely not entry level. Its beef to price ratio is high because it trickles down technology (and the R&D money) used to produce a state of the art quartz locked record cutting lathe--a lathe that is still used in the majority of current vinyl productions. With some readily available modifications from http://www.kabusa.com the deck is up there in the multi thousand dollar ($4-5K) performance for around $900.
The Lenco idler wheel deck project uses a classic deck with some modern plinth refinements/tonearm changes which take it to high end performance.
Belt drive units simply cannot compete because of sheer volume. Still in the $2,000 range it's impossible to get a decent combination of speed stability, good tonearm and plinth. Just read the Vinyl Asylum archives and read the complaints. The last one I read was a Gyrodec owner complaining of speed instability!
Speaking of salaries, it is pitiful to watch job postings for $5-6/hr for skilled jobs here in the US Caribbean. Should be illegal. Oops, that sounded socialist!
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The Lenco idler wheel deck project uses a classic deck with some modern plinth refinements/tonearm changes which take it to high end performance.
Belt drive units simply cannot compete because of sheer volume. Still in the $2,000 range it's impossible to get a decent combination of speed stability, good tonearm and plinth. Just read the Vinyl Asylum archives and read the complaints. The last one I read was a Gyrodec owner complaining of speed instability!
Speaking of salaries, it is pitiful to watch job postings for $5-6/hr for skilled jobs here in the US Caribbean. Should be illegal. Oops, that sounded socialist!
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