finally updated my system page......
- Thread starter Mike Lavigne
- Start date
Well, Mike acquiring the preeminent digital in MSB Select 2 has culminated in him doubling his tts ownership.
If the previous Saskia owner got rid of it to go fully digital, that's not a great advert for the Saskia.
If the previous Saskia owner got rid of it to go fully digital, that's not a great advert for the Saskia.
That was just me kidding the guy had enough of this after 7 arms plus the journey to a great rare table must be exhausting. Maybe he wants to unwind after he comes home in some other way
unlikely scenario based on the little i know about the situation. we should be careful not too speculate too much about why someone sells something without some idea about it. and i'm not picking on you when i say that. it's the nature of forums to do that. and that speculation can take on a life of it's own.
I find it more interesting that you're not acquiring a new Saskia. I don't think any of yr big ticket purchases have ever not been new. Allied to my never being able to nail contact when I was in a position myself to buy new.
not true.
my Rockport Sirius III was 4 years old when i purchased it in 2002. at that time that was very big ticket.
the Lamm ML3's were 10 years old when i purchased them. not cheap either.
both of those were still current build and at the top of the heap of performance for their product type. so is this Saskia. that is a big part of this.
the Dobbins Garrard 301, Technics SP-10 Mk2 and Mk3 were all obviously used and of course my Studers......although those were all at $20k or less so while big, not really big.
never regretted any of those purchases at all. in every case the gear performed at or above my expectations.
this used Saskia was a 'late' build from Win, new in 2016. so not too used. i was happy with the deal. a new one would have been $54k plus any extra arm boards. and upon investigation i was very comfortable with the condition and circumstances of this turntable. connecting with Win again to make sure i had support was a pre-condition of the sale. and happily that has all worked out now.
i respect that you could not connect with Win when this product was in your cross hairs and that is a sore subject. don't blame you for feeling that way.
i was not thinking of contacting Win to have him build me a new Saskia when i saw this one advertised. he was below my radar. but this one made sense to me to pursue and the more i thought about it the more i was at ease doing it. and here we are.
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Sure Mike. I'm sure any positive experiences on Saskia ownership will provoke serious interest in it from potential buyers. It would really be great, even if it's just thru your reports, that we properly get to know this fascinating tt. Is Win in a position at all to take any orders?
If not, I guess we can just vicariously enjoy it thru yr feedback.
If not, I guess we can just vicariously enjoy it thru yr feedback.
i think Win is back on his game and does intend to build more turntables. i think beyond that it's up to Win to reach out and make himself accessible. i expect him to do that.
I am not sure “culminated” is the correct characterization as it suggests more causality than may be the case, but an interesting and correct observation.
Ron, the guys on this forum w ways and means will always be adding to their collections. Who can honestly say that running a top class idler and DD isn't living the dream.
But if "culminate" isn't quite the appropriate phrase, certainly Mike's apogee of MSB 3 box/Taiko Extreme as the epitome of the best digital, hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for quality analog, indeed he's looking for more flavours than ever.
Now, he sold one DD, Rockport Sirius, for one that satisfies him more, NVS. And this tt was better than the idlers he did run, Dobbins 301. How the Saskia matches up to the NVS is gonna be of great interest. And whether both coexist, or the new pretender ousts the current king.
But if "culminate" isn't quite the appropriate phrase, certainly Mike's apogee of MSB 3 box/Taiko Extreme as the epitome of the best digital, hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for quality analog, indeed he's looking for more flavours than ever.
Now, he sold one DD, Rockport Sirius, for one that satisfies him more, NVS. And this tt was better than the idlers he did run, Dobbins 301. How the Saskia matches up to the NVS is gonna be of great interest. And whether both coexist, or the new pretender ousts the current king.
Marc, why do you think running a top class idler and DD would be "living the dream" any more than owning a top class belt drive and either an idler or DD? Having little experience with the various drive typologies, based on what I have read, I would have presumed that idler and DD are more similar in overall character than either is to a belt drive. I keep reading about the "sense of drive and propulsion" that idlers and DDs present and this as contrasted to the "nuance and flow" of the top belt drives.
On the other hand, once at the very top of what I assume to be these typologies, NVS, Monaco 2.0, AF Zero, AS2000, Saskia, and perhaps the new Genesis DD, I imagine that something other than drive type, like materials, isolation, execution/implementation, would have more to do with the overall sound of a turntable.
Peter, for me when I see guys w multiple belt drives in their collection, I remain immune to the reasons for that. There's a guy in Central London I believe running an AF1, Kronos Pro and Clearaudio Statement. I do not see the point of that at all.
But to run tts w very different takes on musical reproduction, DD and idler, as Mike will soon, now my interest is piqued. There's way more difference btwn an NVS and Saskia I contend than any comparison of Brinkmann Balance, Kuzma DC4, SME30, Kronos etc.
Tbh, Mike getting the Vyger as the epitome of belt drive at real world levels, would be living the dream on a Groundhog Day repeat loop.
But to run tts w very different takes on musical reproduction, DD and idler, as Mike will soon, now my interest is piqued. There's way more difference btwn an NVS and Saskia I contend than any comparison of Brinkmann Balance, Kuzma DC4, SME30, Kronos etc.
Tbh, Mike getting the Vyger as the epitome of belt drive at real world levels, would be living the dream on a Groundhog Day repeat loop.
i can tell you speaking to Win, that his viewpoint is that the Saskia II, along with the positive attributes of an idler, resembles how a string drive high mass tt sounds, and he specifically mentioned the top level Micro Seiki SX-8000.
next time i talk to him i will take some notes so i can better give details on what he did to get that result (he gave me details but i can't recall enough to relate coherently).
and agree with Peter that we should ultimately be agnostic on drive types. but i realize that is not as much fun to discuss. a little religion makes for more interesting drama.
next time i talk to him i will take some notes so i can better give details on what he did to get that result (he gave me details but i can't recall enough to relate coherently).
and agree with Peter that we should ultimately be agnostic on drive types. but i realize that is not as much fun to discuss. a little religion makes for more interesting drama.
String drive high mass?
Well, that could v well describe AS and Vyger, and the NKOTB ie CSPort that Mik rates so highly.
I guess where Saskia is gonna come up short on AS and Vyger especially is lack of air isolation, w the Vyger isolating the tt, platter AND arm.
No sound like the sound of silence.
Me? I absolutely swear by idler/rim drive topology, tricked out w Stacore I haven't found anything nr my tt/arm performance until I spend 3x as much.
Although there will never be a Saskia or Audiosilente Blackstone versus air suspended belt drive tt comparison, my guess that on listening to these in different systems, would one be more swung into buying the tt w greater insistency (idler) or greater neutrality (air isolated belt).
Well, that could v well describe AS and Vyger, and the NKOTB ie CSPort that Mik rates so highly.
I guess where Saskia is gonna come up short on AS and Vyger especially is lack of air isolation, w the Vyger isolating the tt, platter AND arm.
No sound like the sound of silence.
Me? I absolutely swear by idler/rim drive topology, tricked out w Stacore I haven't found anything nr my tt/arm performance until I spend 3x as much.
Although there will never be a Saskia or Audiosilente Blackstone versus air suspended belt drive tt comparison, my guess that on listening to these in different systems, would one be more swung into buying the tt w greater insistency (idler) or greater neutrality (air isolated belt).
Mike, you passed "fricken crazy" a long time ago. Please don't stop now!
well....er....Master Tang has the 'Fricken crazy' high ground for arms and carts. i pulled back from that years ago, but now stand over the precipice ready to jump in again (although i have in mind nothing close to Tang).
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