[RapidRonnie]

I have a Well-Tempered arm and table. They aren't cheap, but their design is
both brilliant and simple. My gut feeling is that it would be difficult to
significantly improve LP playback much beyond what these provide. Of course,
I might be wrong -- there might be "decks" that cost 1/5 as much, but sound
comparably good, or $100K 'tables that are noticeably superior. Who knows?

Consider that some people consider the $11K/pair QUADs to be _the best_
speaker you can buy, overall. Consider that Parasound makes moderately
priced amplifiers that are considered truly fine amplifiers, without regard
for their price. Spending lots of money doesn't guarantee quality -- so why
would anyone in their right mind consider buying a $300,000 turntable -- or
a $30,000 one, for that matter? Look at all the recordings you could buy for
that money! Isn't that what it's all about -- enjoying music at home?

The best 'table I've ever heard was a Wilson-Benesch Act ONE with a
Breuer tonearm. And I've heard the Continuum Caliburn and Criterion,
Clearaudio Statement and Rockport Sirius. Then again, every 'table I
hear with a Breuer arm is the best 'table I've ever heard.
Regardless, I'm talking about a $6000 tonearm on a 'table that cost
$5000 new when it was discontinued almost a decade ago. So you may be
right about the Law of Diminishing Returns there.


The BEST turntable you can buy is a Neumann record cutting lathe. You
can get them for a few thousand dollars if they do not come with the
desireable stereo cutting heads and mastering chains. Anyone who says
any audiophile table yet made is any better is full of **** and knows
it. Other pro lathes are okay and less money.

There is no reason for a new table to cost more than a few thousand
dollars and that should include a heavy damped stand. The most
expensive bearing on a TT is about two hundred bucks, most-including
what Linn uses-are in the $20 range.

Any really serious table needs a heavy platter, but not necessarily
more than ten pounds. You need a fairly heavy platter, a smooth motor,
a transmission system of some sort-rubber belts, O-rings, and
recording tape seem to work well, I bet 16mm double sprocketed cinema
film would too-and a suspension, and you need a way to put all
resonances either under or over the audio band.

Everything else is secondary.

As far as the Quads-the old ones were nice for listening to music of
wide bandwidth but limited peak levels, i.e., chamber music. Better
electrostats exist today certainly.