Best turntable under 50k?
- Thread starter Frankie67
- Start date
Well this may be a tad controversial but how about:
Technics SP10R
Derrenville tonearm
Technics SP10R
Derrenville tonearm
There are certainly an incredible number of excellent options for TTs below $50k. Gosh, you can put together a very nice entire two source system with that budget. It might even be “what’s best” for you.
My thought would be “Why stop at $50k for the TT? Why not go all in? Or at least to that six figure range?” In my own case, it is because my head’s still spinning regarding the idea that a TT could be sold for the price of a car, or even for the price of a house. I’m still relishing the absurdity.
My thought would be “Why stop at $50k for the TT? Why not go all in? Or at least to that six figure range?” In my own case, it is because my head’s still spinning regarding the idea that a TT could be sold for the price of a car, or even for the price of a house. I’m still relishing the absurdity.
Hobby-money is no money… just figures? 
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I love vintage Sonys. In college, I owned a 2251 DD with an SME 3009. I would love to see a photo of your TTS-8000 once it's set up.
There's a detailed writeup of the Sony TTS-8000 here:
www.thevintageknob.org
Sony TTS-8000 on thevintageknob.org
vintage Sony 1976 professional turntable drive with BSL DD motor and X'Tal lock
I have been very busy of late - hence not got round to sorting out the plinth- in an ideal world I’d get the TB2000 plinth but I’ve never seen one for sale. My design was quite interesting as it has a Panzerholz aluminium sandwich top plate and a lower aerolam plate - the aerolam sandwich was easy - the Panzerholz went . I bought some lab jacks for on the fly vta adjustments. I need to get it done
I'm thinking of selling my TTS 8000 inc plinth and SAEC WE506/30, I seem to have too many turntables at the moment and working on a DP80 rebuild, do love this one though..!
It's one of around 60 240v versions imported into the UK.
It's one of around 60 240v versions imported into the UK.
By what criteria?
In case technical performance and quality would be the criteria the ranking imho would be
1. e.g. Pioneer/ Exclusive P-3a, Denon DP-100m or Neumann VMS 80, Technics SP-10r/ SL-1000r
2. e.g. Pioneer/ Exclusive P-10, Technics SP-10 MKIII/ SL-1000 MKIII, Onkyo PX-100m, Lo-D/ Hitachi TU-1000, Kenwood L-07
3. e.g. Pioneer/ Exclusive PL-70, PL-70L, PL-70LII, Denon DP-80, DP-7000, DP-7700, DP-6000, DP-6700, Technics SP-10 MKII/ SL-1000 MKII, Technics SP-15/ SL-1015, Neumann VMS 70
4. e.g SONY TTS-8000, TTS-6000, TEAC TN-400 Magnefloat, JVC/ Victor TT-81, TT-71, QL7, EMT 948, 950, the new Technics SL-1300G
20. e.g. EMT 930, 928, Schlummberger, Neumann VMS 66
25. Garrad 301, 401
50. and below - any belt driven turntable
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Do this guy a favor. Never let him hear a top end Micro Seiki or TechDAS turntable.
The Micro Seiki SX8000 II is superb if properly set up.
I had this misguided opinion in 1981 when I was buying a field tape recorder for my acoustics and vibrations laboratory at the university where I was a professor. I had grants and support funds from government and private sources, so the budget was pretty much open ended.
Having studied various drive and control strategies more than a decade earlier in EE coursework required of ME undergraduates, I knew that belts were inferior to direct drives. I’d also worked in industry designing proprietary equipment used in high speed manufacturing.
The lab already had a Nagra, and it had a belt drive … eeewww ….
Comparisons with the latest and greatest direct drive tape recorders did not go as I’d expected. The Nagra with its “inferior” belt drive proved to be the best of the lot.
I changed my opinion/belief structure on equipment generalizations at that point.
A lousy belt drive is lousy. A lousy direct drive is lousy too. Either can be quite good in a proper implementation.
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