9 A diminutive little box, in which is a simple but objectively and subjectively top-class circuit typology. The Spartan series should be underlined at the top of your shortlist. They represent high-end objective performance and save you a boatload of cash.
A basic primer on cassette capstan and turntable DC motors and how to repair them if they become noisy. With due care and a steady hand many can be repaired with success.
1 a genuinely clever bit of engineering turned out as a fine product, that in a good system is well worth the money.
3 A thoroughly enjoyable listen and a worthwhile upgrade for Audio-Technica VM95 cartridges.
2 a fun, enthralling experience in much the same vein as the M6, but with improvements in every area.
2 It may have its foibles but so does every audiophile-inspired manual belt drive turntable regardless of cost. A solid turntable capable of great performance.
3 A simple yet effective turntable design of perfectly acceptable quality and very well executed given the asking price.
12 Analogue Innovation's elastomer isolator kit brings considerable sonic advantages while removing most of the frustration inherent with the ownership of a suspended turntable.
Switchable inputs, plenty of adjustment, accurate RIAA equalisation and a neutral sound.
21 For those looking to play records to a high standard with minimal fuss and an easy upgrade path, the LP5X is hard to fault. It's not the be-all and end-all direct drive deck. But it looks perfectly respectable, sounds great out of the box and has a lot of modding potential.
6 The Audio Appraisal reference system. This post will be updated to reflect future changes and kept as a historic reference to log the equipment used to create these reviews.
11 cracking carts for the money, continuing a logical reshuffle and welcome refresh of AT's cartridge line.
2 The Audio-Technica AT-LP60 is without doubt one of the best-selling budget turntables to date, and the newly released AT-LP60X is sure to follow. But will either turntable cause undue damage to your records?
6 A couple of years ago I tested a GPO Stylo which was at the time one of the cheapest turntables available on the market. It was suggested that I repeat the test with an Audio-Technica AT-Lp60, arguably one of the best-selling budget turntables.
A tale of two turntables continues. In part 4 we’ll wrap up the series with some final observations, build notes and listening tests.
25 Like the SP10 in the late ‘60s, the SL-1200G has raised the bar and set new performance standards that should redefine expectations for what high-end vinyl playback should be. The SL-1200G is a masterpiece. You owe it to yourself to hear one.
1 Herein we continue the tale of two turntables with the build of the AAP12, a turntable based on a Thorens TD-150 but with extensive modifications.
4 a stock Thorens TD-150 transformed but with its original charm intact.
It’s been a while since I owned a suspended belt drive turntable. I decided to build two decks; one based on a stock TD-150 MK2 in a Maple plinth and the other, using the inner workings of the TD-150 (sub-chassis, bearing, platter and motor) but with a new top plate and extensive modification and in a Cherry plinth.
With a great deal of research and a bit of trial and error I have managed to assemble a list of dimensions that work to build a Linn plinth. They are published here in the hope that they will help future DIYers.
14 Succeeding the AT95 was a tough ask, but Audio-Technica have risen to the challenge. May the ‘green king’ rest in peace, the successor has arrived to steal the throne.