Looking to buy a new turntable / any suggestions (12k budget incl. Tonarm and Cartridge)

[DLS]

For well under your budget a Luxman PD-151 mk2 will startle for value. It is dead silent belt drive. I replaced a fully blown-out VPI TNT with PD-151 Mk2 in June and couldn't be happier. It is simple, beautiful, no fuss. With left over funds you can go crazy with the cartridge selection.

 

[JeromeFrancis]

For well under your budget a Luxman PD-151 mk2 will startle for value. It is dead silent belt drive. I replaced a fully blown-out VPI TNT with PD-151 Mk2 in June and couldn't be happier. It is simple, beautiful, no fuss. With left over funds you can go crazy with the cartridge selection.

Thanks, will check it out.

 

[JeromeFrancis]

Spend the money on the cart

That's the plan.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

I would buy a Kuzma TT and Kuzma Tonearm and buy a cartridge to match with your phono stage !

 

[JeromeFrancis]

I would buy a Kuzma TT and Kuzma Tonearm and buy a cartridge to match with your phono stage !

Thank you. Kuzma is in my shortlist. Do you have experience with the TT, would you mind sharing a bit about it?

 

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Rega Naia Turntable — Audiophilia

This is the Rega Naia’s first review (Oct 31, 2023). Of course, the hype was (is) strong. Vaunted Rega Research, English purveyors of one of the most famous lines of turntables, from budget to professional, was releasing a turntable based on its no-holds-barred, sky-high budget Naiad Turntable. Th

www.audiophilia.com

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Thank you. Kuzma is in my shortlist. Do you have experience with the TT, would you mind sharing a bit about it?

I have a 2019 manufactured Kuzma XL DC fitted with a 2019 manufactured Kuzma 4Point 11". Love my TT set-up !

I have heard a Kuzma Stabi R fitted with a 4Point 14" and a Kuzma CAR50 TT set-up at a Hifi Show last year connected to a £100+k system.
I don't know how much the TT contributed to the overall sonic performance of this system. The overall system sounded fantastic !

 

[JeromeFrancis]

After some more research and feedback and taking into account the availability in the Swiss distributor network, I am going into the direction of either Clear Audio Ovation with Tracer arm or the Acoustic Signature Double X Neo with TA 2000 Neo arm. As a cartridge my dealer recommended the Hana Umami Red that should go well with my Nagra VPS. If you have any experience with either of those TTs, arms or cartridge or alternatives, i would appreciate your feedback as well.

 

[AudioHR]

Recently I was looking for an upgrade to my VPI Classic, MemorialArm and Hana ML. I was looking in the same price range as you. So for what it's worth.

i first auditioned an Acoustic Signature Typhoon outfitted with a TA 1000 and an Audio Technica moving coil cartridge . My dealer also had an Acoustic Signature Montana with the same arm and cartridge. My take away after listening to my vinyl in their showroom was that the Typhoon would not be an upgrade from my VPI in that configuration. The Montana sounded much better and I definitely wanted to hear it with a better cartridge and tonearm combination although that would take me over budget.

The same dealer also had a Transrotor table with a Reed 1h and the Hana Umami. In switching back and forth between the Acoustic Signatures and the Transrotor combination it became apparent that the Typhoon as configured was out. The Montana in some ways held its own but the Transrotor combo was better. My feeling was that the Audio Technica and possibly the tonearm was holding both AS tables back. There was something very right with the sound of the Montana though that I would attribute to the table.

As I already had a Hana ML which I think is an excellent performer in its price range it was interesting to hear the Umani red. The Hana ML is a very solid performer the Unami is better, I eventually purchased it.

The Reed arm impressed me and my feeling was that I would like to listen to it with the Umami on the AS Montana. So the biggest takeaway was that I was going to have to spend quite a bit more than I had originally budgeted.

As fate would have it I ended up going sideways. A dealer/friend in a different province out of the blue offered me a new in the box BrinkMann Bardot for an outrageousLy low price. I wasn't looking for direct drive and I hadn't auditioned it but I couldn't say no.

So the BrinkMann with 10 arm and Umami cartridge sounds better than the VPI Classic I had. My plan is to upgrade the Brinkmann arm to one of the Reed arms. I am also considering purchasing a second table like an Artisan Fidelity rim drive.

 

[JeromeFrancis]

Recently I was looking for an upgrade to my VPI Classic, MemorialArm and Hana ML. I was looking in the same price range as you. So for what it's worth.

i first auditioned an Acoustic Signature Typhoon outfitted with a TA 1000 and an Audio Technica moving coil cartridge . My dealer also had an Acoustic Signature Montana with the same arm and cartridge. My take away after listening to my vinyl in their showroom was that the Typhoon would not be an upgrade from my VPI in that configuration. The Montana sounded much better and I definitely wanted to hear it with a better cartridge and tonearm combination although that would take me over budget.

The same dealer also had a Transrotor table with a Reed 1h and the Hana Umami. In switching back and forth between the Acoustic Signatures and the Transrotor combination it became apparent that the Typhoon as configured was out. The Montana in some ways held its own but the Transrotor combo was better. My feeling was that the Audio Technica and possibly the tonearm was holding both AS tables back. There was something very right with the sound of the Montana though that I would attribute to the table.

As I already had a Hana ML which I think is an excellent performer in its price range it was interesting to hear the Umani red. The Hana ML is a very solid performer the Unami is better, I eventually purchased it.

The Reed arm impressed me and my feeling was that I would like to listen to it with the Umami on the AS Montana. So the biggest takeaway was that I was going to have to spend quite a bit more than I had originally budgeted.

As fate would have it I ended up going sideways. A dealer/friend in a different province out of the blue offered me a new in the box BrinkMann Bardot for an outrageousLy low price. I wasn't looking for direct drive and I hadn't auditioned it but I couldn't say no.

So the BrinkMann with 10 arm and Umami cartridge sounds better than the VPI Classic I had. My plan is to upgrade the Brinkmann arm to one of the Reed arms. I am also considering purchasing a second table like an Artisan Fidelity rim drive.

Quite a bold move to go for the Brinkmann. It's reassuring that the Umami cartridge sounds great. Thanks for sharing, appreciated.

 

[AudioHR]

Quite a bold move to go for the Brinkmann. It's reassuring that the Umami cartridge sounds great. Thanks for sharing, appreciated.

Well I have a few friends that have their Balance table so its not an unknown brand. The price of the Bardo was the deciding factor.

I don't know that I am sold on direct drive. When they first came out in the 70s I tried a few like the Dual and even the well regarded Technics, they just weren't my cup of tea at the time. The popular cartridges of the day may have played a factor in that as I went the Thorens TD 125 and Oracle route trying many tonearms. Today's moving coil cartridges seem to perform better with the high mass tables.

For now I am seeing what the Bardot can do. A granite platform seemed to improve its performance. Others have suggested slate would be even better. I just have the basic BrinkMann 10 arm it's OK better than I would have predicted but I would think that the Reed which I heard with the Umami would be better.

 

[JeromeFrancis]

Well I have a few friends that have their Balance table so its not an unknown brand. The price of the Bardo was the deciding factor.

I don't know that I am sold on direct drive. When they first came out in the 70s I tried a few like the Dual and even the well regarded Technics, they just weren't my cup of tea at the time. The popular cartridges of the day may have played a factor in that as I went the Thorens TD 125 and Oracle route trying many tonearms. Today's moving coil cartridges seem to perform better with the high mass tables.

For now I am seeing what the Bardot can do. A granite platform seemed to improve its performance. Others have suggested slate would be even better. I just have the basic BrinkMann 10 arm it's OK better than I would have predicted but I would think that the Reed which I heard with the Umami would be better.

There was actually a Bardo on sale at a local dealer here but now it's gone. I am not in a hurry though, will take my time. Are you currently using the Umami Red or still considering. My dealer said in his system with an SME table, the difference was quite large compared to his previous similarly priced cartridge.

 

[AudioHR]

There was actually a Bardo on sale at a local dealer here but now it's gone. I am not in a hurry though, will take my time. Are you currently using the Umami Red or still considering. My dealer said in his system with an SME table, the difference was quite large compared to his previous similarly priced cartridge.

I have been using the Umami for a while. It is definitely a quality cartridge, likely like all cartridges it is system and user preference dependent but it is one of the best I have owned. The only cartridge I think definitely exceeded its performance was a Decca London I had many year ago. That cartridge was incredibly dramatic and real sounding but as my system at that time was evolving I am not quite sure where to rank it.

I wouldn't be in a hurry. You I see are in Zurich, I am close to Calgary in Canada. Your access to appropriately priced hi end turntables should I would think be far greater than mine.

I attended the Munich Hi End show in 2022. There were quite a few turntables I found of interest. A few might fit into your budget? The Thorens TD 124 DD was used by a few like Octave. One of a handful of best sounding rooms in my opinion was the Wolf Von Langa, Air Tight and Precision Control turntable room. I am not sure what the pricing on the Precision Control deck would be in your area but I would check into it.

 

[JeromeFrancis]

Good idea on the fuses, so far everything is with Nagra stock. What fuses would you recommend for those? In terms of tubes, I am a bit hesitant to tinker with that as I am not familiar at all yet. If so, i would let my dealer here in Zurich do it and maybe also speak to Matthieu from Nagra about it before when he is around at the dealer about what he thinks. I actually thought the Nagra tubes are already pretty decent as the tube replacement kid is priced similarly.

Did you upgrade the fuse inside the VPS and on the MPS's AC inlet?

If the VPS is connected to the MPS, the 12v power from the MPS is directly flowing in and not through the fuse, right? Is there another fuse inside the VPS? I ordered 2 fuses for the Classic AMP and MPS to try if it leads to sonic benefits in my system and will report my findings afterwards.

I might get a Nagra VFS for your preamp too.

That’s certainly on my list.
Thanks, J

 

[JeromeFrancis]

If the VPS is connected to the MPS, the 12v power from the MPS is directly flowing in and not through the fuse, right? Is there another fuse inside the VPS? I ordered 2 fuses for the Classic AMP and MPS to try if it leads to sonic benefits in my system and will report my findings afterwards.

That’s certainly on my list.
Thanks, J

On that topic, got this in the mail today. Will check what it does and report my findings: