Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site tekcad.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!tekcad!shauns From: shauns@tekcad.UUCP Newsgroups: net.audio Subject: Re: Life after the Sony PS-X600 Message-ID: <15@tekcad.UUCP> Date: Sat, 3-Sep-83 21:57:26 EDT Article-I.D.: tekcad.15 Posted: Sat Sep 3 21:57:26 1983 Date-Received: Sun, 4-Sep-83 04:16:44 EDT References: <1807@allegra.UUCP> Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR Lines: 54 I've been staring at several mid-range turntables to replace my old one and have come up against the wall of linear-tracking P-mounts, particularly in this fall's new crop of tables. It seems that one must make a choice between $200 gosh-whiz feature laden units with middling performance or the $900 and up audiophile fully manual tables - that there is no such thing as a mid-priced integrated TT in today's market. In direct answer to your question, Sony still does make a universal mount Biotracer, the 555ES, which is a restyled version of the PSX-800 linear tracker at only 1/2 the price (most purchasers won't buy a table over $400, it seems). In a recent store demo, the PSX-800 acted very sick. Although it worked well once we got it to auto-balance, I got the distinct impression that somewhere soon down the line it was going to stop working well. The pivot type Biotracers and the Denons (except the DP-11) seemed to work much better. Denon now is the only company with a full line of universal mount pivot-type servo arm tables, and has just released two cost effective versions of their (apparently excellent) DP-51F, the $390 DP-45F and the $280-$300 DP-35F. Unfortunately, none of these tables, Sony included, isolate their platter and arm from the base a la Thorens, Linn, Oracle, B&O, etc. and as a result they are rather microphonic. Absolute Sound (suprised? yes, I read it sometimes) is at least not totally bummed out by the H/K T60, which is a passive pivot arm, floating suspension type table at $400. It has an excellent, acoustically dead platter mat and comes with a record weight to nail the record to the platter. Apparently this works, as attested by Audio's review of the Oracle turntable a year or so ago. Monster Cable makes a clamp type of disc stabilizer which should work much better than H/K's weight. The T60 has also been reviewed by Audio in the past year, in case you want some hard numbers. The Sony and Denon turntables are the most cost-effective at mail order, with 25-35% discounts common. H/K is, from my source anyway, discounted around 15%. If I had my druthers, and about $1000, I'd get an Oracle Alexandria turntable+ arm. An Oracle in a cheaper package. However, since I expect to be playing mostly CDs within a couple of years, it makes a heck of a lot more sense to keep the costs down to about (list) $500-$600 for a semi-automatic TT+cartridge and put the rest towards a 2nd or 3rd generation (read less expensive than right now) CD player. I think that the performance of the average Japanese $300 turntable is more than adequate for most anybody's needs. Do I hear any comments or additions? Shaun Simpkins uucp: {ucbvax,decvax,chico,pur-ee,cbosg,ihnss}!teklabs!tekcad!shauns CSnet: shauns@tek ARPAnet:shauns.tek@rand-relay -- Shaun Simpkins uucp: {ucbvax,decvax,chico,pur-ee,cbosg,ihnss}!teklabs!tekcad!shauns CSnet: shauns@tek ARPAnet:shauns.tek@rand-relay