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From: fritz@hpfclk.UUCP (fritz)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Turntable questions
Message-ID: <76200013@hpfclk.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Aug-84 14:22:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpfclk.76200013
Posted: Mon Aug 27 14:22:00 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 3-Sep-84 08:42:06 EDT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 55
Nf-ID: #N:hpfclk:76200013:000:2997
Nf-From: hpfclk!fritz    Aug 27 10:22:00 1984

Well, I finally purchased a new cassette deck (Nak BX-150!), and am now
in the throes of looking for a new turntable.

But I have a dilemma.  I would *really* like to have a first-rate, high-
quality, excellent sounding turntable.  I'm not going to go so far as a
Linn or something equally outrageous (I'd like to keep it under $500 or so),
but, as an example, the Rega Planar 2 seems to be a very cleanly-designed, 
well-constructed, and good-sounding table.  (With Rega R-100 cartridge,
it comes to about $450.)

However, I have to face reality.  I have "only" Sn-ears.  I was able to
hear the difference between the Rega and a Denon B-300 II (?), but only
*very* slightly and only by A-B'ing the two tables with good recordings.
(The cartridges, amps, speakers, cables, etc. were identical for both
tables.  They just unplugged one table from the Naim preamp and plugged in
the other.)  The difference was enough to justify the ~$75 difference, but...
In addition, I seldom sit down in front of my speakers and concentrate
on the crystal clarity and realism of the sound.  More typically I am
reading or something while the music is playing, and a 0.01% difference
in sound is not going to kill me.

The other facet of reality is:  I am lazy.  My very first turntable was
fully manual (Kenwood KD-500, Black Widow, Shure V-15 Type IV  --  not
great, but not bad for a first table!).  After owning it for several years,
I came to the conclusion that I did not particularly enjoy cueing the
stylus manually and jumping up at the end of the album to pick it up again.
I am aware of the various pick-up devices that are available to lift the
arm at the end of the album.  This helps a lot, but I'd still prefer not
to have to cue the arm at the start of the album, either.  My table for 
the last few years has been a B&O 2400; much more convenient, but not a 
very terrific table.

I don't believe in the linear-tracking gospel.  Basically the idea is good;
after all, that's how the cutter cut the groove, right?  But having the
cartridge/groove angle changing grossly and continuously across the album
(as the motors move the arm ahead of the groove, and the groove catches up
& passes the arm, etc.), and the vibrations associated with the motors,
would not seem to augur good sound.  Seems to me like a very gradual change
in angle across the entire album, with no little motors cranking the arm
around, would do a much better job.

So it comes down to this:  are there any *good* automatic tables out there?
So far, the automatic tables I've seen seem to fit into two categories:

	1.  Pioneer, Kenwood, Sony, etc.	(basically junk)
	2.  Technics & other linear-trackers	(high-tech junk)

Does anyone know of any automatic tables that fit into a third category,
that of high-quality sounding automatics for under $5-600?  Is there a
table that will satisfy my sterling ears AND my love of convenience, or 
should I just go with a manual?

Thanks,
Gary Fritz
{ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!hpfclk!fritz