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Posted: 12 Sep 2006 9:11 am
by Eric Jaeger
In re Direct Drive:
It depends on what you're looking for in a turntable, and what your frame of reference is. The consensus in audiophile circles is that the "stepping" or "cogging" effect of direct drive is audible, and that speed fluctuations due to line voltage variations are audible. There are no "audiophile grade" direct drive tables.
One the other hand, reasonable belt drive tables are available at a reasonable price, and so are reasonable tonearms, an area where there have been some substantial improvements in the last twenty years. As there have been in cartridges, both moving magnet and moving coil.
All that being said, as I said it really depends on what your goal and standards are. You can pay $90,000 for the best turntable in the world, and several catalogs have Rega-class turntables with arms for @$200. Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm one of those who still thinks analog sounds better than digital.
Just my .02c, your mileage my vary... "-)
-eric
Posted: 12 Sep 2006 11:34 am
by Erv Niehaus
I have a Stanton turntable and the reason I bought it was because it has a USB outlet connection so I can plug it directly into my computer for duplicating some songs that are on vinyl.
Erv
Posted: 13 Sep 2006 8:50 am
by George Redmon
The best IMHO is the Pioneer PL990, it has the strobo speed window in front, so you can adjust the speed of the record to match any other device you are useing. NO! it's not a "Pitch" changer, it fine tunes the speed of your record, like you do when you tune your guitar with any other strobo device. I then run it through an ART ARTcessories phono preamp and filter. The trouble with the USB tables. Is you take that great vinyl sound, and make it digital YUK! you gotta use a good turn table preamp with RIAA eq settings. Run it through an all tube preamp then your mixer..then your puter. Don't try to record a turntable direct to a CD Recorder either, without a preamp before your recorder. ART is a great company, with tools for the working sound man or musician. I have many ART pieces in my studio. I sold forum member John Macy an ART tube compressor..he loves it.