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What would you do?

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Posted on March 23, 2017 at 11:52:18
EdAInWestOC
Audiophile

Posts: 6828
Location: Glen Burnie, MD USA
Joined: December 18, 2003
 I'm asking a question that many of us have faced and I am looking for your reasons for choosing whatever you chose. What I'm talking about is the choice you make when you have too many good turntables and you face limited space.

Now that I bought the VPI Prime I own the Prime plus my trusty upgraded Denon DP-62L and a NOS Thorens TD-126II w/SME III tonearm. For the record the tables have the following:

1) VPI Prime - stock
2) Thorens TD-126IIB w/SME III tonearm
    a) Recapped 4 years ago when first acquired
3) Denon DP-62L with the following:
    a) Applied Fidelity ceramic/jewel main bearing
    b) OEM RB-300 tonearm w/Incognito wiring,
        Michell Technoweight and Riggle VTAF
    c) Herbies Way Excellent II mat
    d) Damped plinth
    e) Damped dustcover
    f) Recapped in 2010
    g) Gingko Cloud 11 platform

I currently have the Denon DP-62L sitting next to the VPI Prime and it is plugged into my Acoustech PH-1P phono preamp. The space being used was dedicated to my digital audio workstation and I would like that back.

The decision is to what to do with the 2 extra good tables. The way I figure it, I cannot listen to more than 1 turntable at a time, so more than one is almost a waste. My best phono preamp, a Liberty B2B-1, is hooked up to the VPI Prime.

At this point I am tempted to box up the Thorens TD-126II and the Denon DP-62L. I have all the original packaging and can put them in storage until I decide what I will do with the tables.

I am asking what your experience has been and why you chose the path that you chose. Also it would be helpful to get your impressions on your choice now that it is over and you've had time to live with it.

I really love all of the tables I have but there is no doubt that the VPI Prime is far and away the best of the pack. OK...what would you do and why?

Many thanks,
Ed
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof

 

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I have 3. I am really really sad i sold #4. I have room for two., posted on March 23, 2017 at 11:56:55
3+4=5
 When I had four, I just thought I should sell one. So I did.
Now I weep.
WTF did I sell it for? and basically gave away a near new Shure V15 along with it.
I tell myself never again.
And I mean it.
And yes I use one most all the time. My Kuzma.

 

I've gone from 7 to 3, posted on March 23, 2017 at 12:18:05
volunteer
Audiophile

Posts: 5666
Location: Louisville, KY
Joined: January 7, 2012
 and expect I will be down to 2 this time next week. Keeping the Prime and the Player.


-Wendell

 

RE: What would you do?, posted on March 23, 2017 at 12:18:19
SpotcheckBilly12345
 Boxing up the Thorens and the Denon and storing them until you decide what to do with them sounds like a plan. That will give you time to figure out which one to keep and which one to unload. Keep one of the two to use as a back up for the VPI - you never know what can happen to even the best TT in the future and you'll be glad that you have a spare.

Cheers,
SB

 

RE: I have 3. I am really really sad i sold #4. I have room for two., posted on March 23, 2017 at 12:50:29
raya
Industry Professional

Posts: 662
Joined: May 9, 2014
 If you must sell them, I would take the extra money and re-invest it in your system where you feel you would gain the most improvement. Also, extra cartridges don't take up much space and can be a lot of fun, too.

Of course, I have a soft spot for the 126 bu not so much for the Denon. Not that the Denon is not a very good table but rather the retro looks of the 126 with the SME is cool.

I just thought of this. Sell both and buy an extra VPI wand and cartridge for a different flavor.

 

I've got 5,..., posted on March 23, 2017 at 12:56:45
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 10911
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 as you and others may already know. I think there is a rationale for two turntables per system. This allows for two windows on the music that may reveal differences between cartridges and tonearms and between phono stages that are not otherwise readily apparent. (The same cartridge and tonearm can sound different on one tt vs the other, and this tells us what is responsible for what, if you play the game in earnest.) It also helps in evaluating tweaks to the rest of the gear. Not to mention the fact that you can choose between the two depending upon your mood or the music you want to hear, but one could argue that two tonearms on one turntable would also get you there. Or mono cartridge vs stereo, etc.

So, since I have two completely discrete systems, I can, in my mind, justify 4 turntables, but not 5.

 

RE: What would you do?, posted on March 23, 2017 at 14:38:05
SgreenP@MSN.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3537
Joined: April 23, 2007
 I agree with you that all you need is one turntable...and I agree that the Prime would be the better one....If it is on a Gingko get it off...it ruined the sound of my turntable....also I would get a better cartridge.

 

I would run 2 TT, posted on March 23, 2017 at 14:56:02
Ross
Audiophile

Posts: 1814
Joined: January 24, 2000
 The Prime as your primary, and either the Thorens or the Denon as a secondary table dedicated to mono, or run 1 tt with a MC and 1 tt with a MM cartridge. In fact I can find a use for 3. 2 used as above, and #3 inserted into my computer audio system for digital conversion of vinyl.

 

RE: What would you do?, posted on March 23, 2017 at 21:31:28
Sturgus
Audiophile

Posts: 170
Location: Midwest (St. Louis)
Joined: October 20, 1999
 I run 3 tables in my main system. I have the VPI HW19, Linn LP-12 and a Denon 755. I play all of them just about everyday. I am lucky that I have a dedicated room so I have space. I also have a Denon 59L in my living room system. It would be nice if you could incorporate at least 2 in a system. Maybe you could make one a Mono System.

 

RE: What would you do?, posted on March 23, 2017 at 21:46:56
flood2
Audiophile

Posts: 2558
Joined: January 11, 2011
 Hi Ed

You should keep at least one of the decks - set it up for something different like Mono playback. I have 2 decks and one is set up for MM cartridges and the other for MC. In each set I have different alignments set up to optimise for 7", DIN LPs or whatever. So at any one time, I can always enjoy whatever I want to play at its best!


Regards Anthony

"Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty.." Keats

 

Run two tables..., posted on March 24, 2017 at 04:53:37
tketcham
Audiophile

Posts: 6701
Location: East of the 100th meridian USofA
Joined: March 21, 2005
Contributor
  Since: October 1, 2005
 Hi, Ed,

I run two turntables in my main system so that I can play records that aren't in the best shape using a MM cartridge. That way I don't prematurely wear down the stylus of my good LOMC cartridge and replacing the stylus assembly of the MM cartridge doesn't cost so much.

I also like to have a second turntable and phono preamp to make comparisons and trouble-shoot.

That's a nice setup you ended up with.

Regards,
Tom

 

Down to 6..., posted on March 24, 2017 at 07:36:49
Cuernavaca
Audiophile

Posts: 878
Location: NW
Joined: December 23, 2011
 At one point I had 11 turntables, plus extra arms and a few dozen cartridges. I am down to 6 turntables and only 5 extra cartridges. I am retired, still fairly healthy, but don't want to leave an excess of stuff for my family to figure out what to deal with.

Then there are the few thousand mostly classical LP's...

Thomas
"I've never owned a firearm, but I do have an attack parrot!"

 

I'd listen with the Prime because ..., posted on March 24, 2017 at 08:18:03
reelsmith.
Audiophile

Posts: 13131
Location: CT
Joined: June 7, 2005
Contributor
  Since: January 19, 2010
 ...there is no doubt that the VPI Prime is far and away the best of the pack.

That's seems like a good reason to use it.

And if you have the luxury of not needing the money and can hang onto the other tables, you have nothing to lose. Having their boxes is a huge bonus for storage.

Its a good problem to have !

Have fun !

Dean.




reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.


 

I would us the SL for 78RPM Duty., posted on March 24, 2017 at 09:10:33
MannyE
Audiophile

Posts: 2088
Location: Miami Beach
Joined: March 4, 2001
 Unless you don't like 78RPM records... but I think the SL does 78 right? Get a dedicated 78rpm cart and start enjoying the smaller, more brittle father of the LP record.

 

What would you do?, posted on March 24, 2017 at 10:01:53
Steelhead
Audiophile

Posts: 863
Location: AK
Joined: December 11, 2003
 Well you had my JVC as I had given it as a gift to a friend who never used it. After sitting in his shed for a few years I said I will take it back if you do not want it, hence the visit to your place.

If you have room and you like the look you could always do "static display" and just have them for the cool or whatever factor.

I would never sell the Thorens/SME combo as that is stone cold classic. I wonder how many old timers who had a Garrard 301/401 or Thorens 124 wish they had them back.

I have the JVC setup with the Ort bronze next to my SOTA. I spin the SOTA all the time and rarely use the JVC although I really enjoy it and LOVE the convenience. It also is setup to compare mm's to mc's right now so instead of reading about supposed differences you can experience it for yourself. A couple of friends have done this and it is fun in an audio nerd kind of way.

If you have the space, don't need the coin, Hell Ed, keep em.

Happy Spinning!

 

RE: What would you do?, posted on March 24, 2017 at 14:07:41
Salectric
Audiophile

Posts: 1358
Location: East Coast
Joined: February 23, 2003
 What I did was sell my extra table, a mint restored TD-124, for the simple reason that it didn't sound as good as my Galibier Gavia. I liked the IDEA of having two tables but in practice it always came down to choosing the better sounding setup. And it just didn't make sense to have an extra table just taking up space. Of course, I am talking about a single system here. For those with separate systems in different rooms, I can perhaps see having an extra turntable or two. But then I would probably choose the better system each time I played a record, so I might be back to just one table anyway.

 

Thanks to everyone who responded...., posted on March 24, 2017 at 17:03:54
EdAInWestOC
Audiophile

Posts: 6828
Location: Glen Burnie, MD USA
Joined: December 18, 2003
 I am going to box up the Denon and Thorens tables and put them away for now.

Maybe one day I'll bring them back out...who knows?

I'll use the space to put my digital audio workstation back on the audio rack.

Ed
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof

 

Clearly, you don't play 78s.........., posted on March 25, 2017 at 16:29:35
viridian
 .....so my take will have very little relevance to your situation. I would box the other two and use the Thorens, otherwise I would lose access to part of my record collection. Maybe the best part.

To each his own. I'm sure you'll figure it out.

 

When I moved from Ocean CIty..., posted on March 25, 2017 at 18:31:59
EdAInWestOC
Audiophile

Posts: 6828
Location: Glen Burnie, MD USA
Joined: December 18, 2003
 I gave away all of my 78s to a neighbor. I no longer have any in my collection.

Ed
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof

 

Then enjoy the beautiful VPI, my friend. An excellent rig. Nt, posted on March 26, 2017 at 07:28:43
viridian
 Nt

 

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