Gold Sound has many new & used turntables, cartridges, phono preamps & accessories. We have eight new tuntables on display, eleven new turntables in stock, plus about twenty used guaranteed turntables. While many stores have forgotten or never discovered the joys of records, we've always sold more turntables than CD & DVD players combined.
Denver's record stores, including Wax Trax & Jerry's Records, highly recommend Gold Sound. We know turntables. When you buy a turntable here, we set it up, including mounting, aligning & balancing the cartridge. Other stores & internet sellers usually can't, won't or don't know how to do this. If the cartridge is not properly set up, the turntable will not sound right, plus the cartridge & your records can be damaged.
We have Colorado's best selection of turntables, cartridges & needles. These models are on display:
AUDIO-TECHNICA Turntables:
ATPL60 & 120USB
ATPEQ3 phono preamp
BELLARI Tube Phono preamp
CREEK 9SE Moving Coil phono preamp
ORTOFON Cartridges: OM5, OM10P, 2M Red,
2M Blue, 2M Bronze and 2M Black
PARASOUND Z Phono preamp
PRO-JECT TURNTABLES:
Debut III
Debut IIIUSB with built-in phono
preamp & Analog-Digital Converter
RM1.3
REGA TURNTABLES:
P1
P3/24 with TTPSU power supply
VIBRAPODS
VPI 16.5 VACUUM RECORD CLEANER
SCOUT JMW9 w/Dynavector cart.
VPI CLASSIC with stainless steel tonearm,
record clamp & SDS motor drive power
supply.
We also have available:
PHONO CARTRIDGES: Audio-Technica, Grado, Ortofon, Rega, Sumiko
PHONO PREAMPS: Audio-Technica, Creek,
Grado, Parasound, Pro-ject, PS
Audio, Rega, Vincent
RECORD BRUSHES: Audio-Technica, Hunt, SpinClean
RECORD CLEANING MACHINES: VPI
SOLID-STATE RECORDER: Marantz Pro
TONEARMS: Ortofon, Rega, VPI
TURNTABLES: Audio-Technica, Marantz, Music Hall, Pro-Ject, Rega, VPI
TURNTABLES with USB output: Audio-Technica, Music Hall, Pro-Ject
3,000+ LPs; plus many CDs, DVDs,
pre-recorded cassette & reel tapes, plus new LPs, CDs & tapes for sale: Rock, Jazz, Classical, Opera, Big Band, Country & Folk. Local sales only.
WHY LPs are so POPULAR
CD sales have dropped for the past decade. Turntable sales have strongly increased. Each year, more turntables are displayed at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show & Denver Rocky Mountain Audio Fest .
People of all ages & backgrounds buy turntables. Some are in their teens or twenties & buying their first sound system. Some are much older & have had records records & turntables for many years.
1] LPs SOUND BETTER
An LP can sound better than the same recording on CD & always sounds better than an MP3. Neil Young & many other musicians greatly prefer the sound of an LP over a CD. A musician who has made many analog & digital recordings said that analog sounds better for strings, voices & piano.
"The Rega P3 turntable immediately explained why the current crop of new, young vinyl devotees are so immediately captivated. The Rega produced big solid images on a soundstage of exhuberant size. Tonal balance tended toward the rich, warm side. MP3s have a thin, smeary,constricted
sound. Hearing the musical riches delivered by a Rega - or any decent budget rig - must be akin to seeing HDTV for the first time." STEREOPHILE 8/08
"The most dramatic revelations [of turntables' superior sound are in] 3 areas. DYNAMIC changes much closer to the real instrumentation than digital sound.
STAGING LP dimensionality highlights a sense of space better than digital. LPs staged dramatically better than CDs. It's not even close.
INSTRUMENT TONE The LP sounded much more like the genuine article.
SOUND & VISION 6/08
"The same music on a good condition LP sounds better than a CD & far better than an MP3 or i-Pod. The LP has better imaging, soundstage, plus a warmer, more natural sound. A violin or piano sounds more like the real instrument, instead of an electric violin or piano." TIME, 1/21/08
"I turned to the VPI Scout to see if a table could truly outperform digital counterparts costing many times more - a statement I'd often heard. There was never a question of telling the CD/SACD from the LP; the record being fuller, more organic & 3 dimensional. Individual instruments embodied more reality & distinguished themselves from one another more clearly. Trumpets & other brass had all the "blare," but none of the "glare" I was used to hearing. A more defined & solid sound stage emerged time after time, due to the LP's higher information density. I was pleasantly surprised by the
lack of "clicks" or "pops" & the very quiet background." HOME ENTERTAINMENT
"Switching between LP & CD, there's no
comparison! The CD sounds like a good hi-fi, but the LP breathes life into the sound, a far-from-subtle difference. Vinyl communicates the music's emotional pull better than any digital format.
You enjoy the music more on LP. One of the great Audiophile Truths: The best way to enjoy digital is never listen to analog. If you want to know why vinyl is still going strong nearly three decades after the introduction of the CD, listen to a great turntable." HOME ENTERTAINMENT
"I put the Linn aside & hooked up the VPI. Wow, what a difference a turntable can make! One record led to the next & night after night I stayed up late, listening to LPs. That hadn't happened in years. I was smitten & thrilled to get into vinyl again. The real clincher for the VPI was this: It's a lot more fun to listen to."
"You'll be in for a shock when you start listening to a first-class turntable. You'll hear oodles of texture, body, bloom & harmonic complexity that CDs - & even SACD & DVD Audio never fully convey. The best analog is more transparent & its dynamics seem livelier & more life-like." STEREOPHILE 3/10
"The vinyl record [is] the only widely available, truly high definition home format & acknowledged to be sonically & emotionally superior. CD's 20khz bandwidth limitations, 44khz sample rate & 16 bit word length is not enough to satisfactorily resolve the complexity, delicacy & emotion alive in the notes." HOME ENTERTAINMENT 9/08
2] VINTAGE RECORDINGS Most music on LP's has never been released on CD's. Whether you enjoy rock, jazz, classical or country, lots of music is on LP that you won't find on CD. There's many new LP's made. Record printing plants are working around the clock to meet demand.
3] NEW MUSIC CHOICES DJ's, audiophiles & collectors love vinyl. While CD sales dropped in 2007, 2008 & 2009, new record sales increased in 2007, 2008 & 2009. Almost two million records were sold in 2008, an 89% increase from 2008 & over double 2006. In 1994, record sales were only 600,000. Last year's record sales were over four times greater.
"More & more labels are pressing vinyl & not just reissuing old stuff. Young bands are releasing LPs. Jack White, of White Stripes fame, loves analog, so sure his new band Dead Weather's new record, Horehound, is on LP." HOME ENTERTAINMENT
4] BONUS FEATURES LP's larger size permits many bonuses, including better cover art & liner notes. Some LPs include posters & song lyrics. There are books devoted to LP album art. Reading a record's liner notes written by Leonard Bernstein, Nat Hentoff or the performer is a real treat.
Classical & opera albums often include attractive booklets with the story of the composer & his country, as well as the complete opera libretto in the original language & English, printed large enough so that it can easlily be read.
GROOVIN' ON VINYL, Turntables cool again with young, is in Washington Times, 7/28/2008. "A new generation of music lovers grooves to the sweet sound of vinyl. Turntable sales topped 32,000, [60% above the] 19,000 sold the same month last year. CD sales dropped 15%. Record sales increased 70%. A record's sound quality is superior to a compressed digital file. An analog source sounds much warmer & more natural than any digital source.
Madonna, U2, Led Zeppelin, Wilco, Amy Winehouse & others release vinyl albums. If you want a record collection that lasts a lifetime, you need a real turntable with a good needle that won't damage the record. It will bring so much more from the grooves that it will leave your jaw on the ground."
Turntables are on the covers of 7/08 STEREOPHILE, 7/07 ABSOLUTE SOUND, plus 8/07 & 6/08 SOUND & VISION. TIME magazine, 1/21/08, featured two pages on records' increasing popularity.
CHOOSING a TURNTABLE
At Gold Sound, we have over 34 years of turntable experience. In addition to the many turntables that we now stock, in the past we've had Denon, Gemini, Marantz, Music Hall, Numark, SOTA, Stanton, Technics, Thorens & more. The turntables we now stock are excellent values, durable & have earned praise from many reviewers.
As turntables increase in price, their many parts improve, including the motor, motor power supply, platter, base [or plinth], tone-arm & cartridge. Each part makes a definite difference. Just putting a better cartridge on a lesser turntable won't provide the performance of a better turntable. The turntables we stock have all withstood the test of time.
GRADO & ORTOFON have been in business over 50 years.
AUDIO-TECHNICA, over 40 years.
PRO-JECT, REGA & VPI, over 30 years.
LOADING LPs to CDs, MP3s & iPods
Gold Sound stocks three different turntables with a built-in phono preamp, analog to digital converter & USB output. The USB output lets you connect the turntable directly to your computer & easily transfer your LPs onto your computer hard drive or to record on to a CD.
Our $199 Audio-Technica automatic turntable has a built-in phono preamp & Analog-to-Digital converter with USB port, Pyro computer software & USB cable to connect to a computer.
We stock the $498 Pro-Ject Debut III USB, the acclaimed European-made Debut III turntable with a built-in phono preamp & Analog to Digital converter with USB port. Software is not included. Compared to the Audio-Technica, the Debut III has a:
1] Better cartridge, a European-made Ortofon OM-5E
2] Improved phono preamp
3] Better Analog to Digital Converter
4] Much nicer, more precise tonearm
5] One piece, solid mdf wood base [or
plinth] instead of plastic.
6] Three year parts & labor warranty
7] Handmade in Europe.
8] Optional, heavy lucite platter. This
$109 option further improves the sound
of the Debut III
With the Debut III, an LP can sound better than the same recording on CD. With lesser tables, CDs sound better than an LP. You can record vinyl directly onto a computer in any digital file format, which can import directly to popular programs like iTunes to enjoy music on a portable audio device. This is compatible with Windows, Mac OS & Linux systems.
We stock the $199 Pro-Ject Phono Box II/USB, a moving magnet & moving coil phono preamp & an Analog to Digital Converter with USB output. It has a brushed silver frontplate, gold RCA inputs & outputs & is only 4" wide x 1.5" high x 4.5" deep. Your present turntable can be used with your computer, as described above.
Cleaning Records
"A good record cleaner is a vital tool for any good record collection. ABSOLUTE SOUND 10/08
VPI record cleaning machines make old records sound new again & even improve the sound of new records. Most noise on new or old records aren't caused by scratches, but by dirt in the grooves.
We also stock two more affordable alternatives.
1] The $25 Audio-Technica record cleaning kit, includes a brush & fluid.
2] The Super Exstatic brush from Milty has a carbon fiber & velvet disc cleaning pad, which removes dust while reducing any static charges.
VPI Record cleaning machines U.S. MADE. All are machines the size of a turntable.
HW-16.5, $550, STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09; PRODUCT of the Year
"Built to last; withstands great amounts of strenuous work over much time; made to satisfy its owner. After you've revitalized your prized record with a good scrubbing, your finished album is reborn & ready to be played, enjoyed & admired."
"All vinyl lovers need a record cleaning machine & there's no greater bang for the buck than this. Simple to use & highly effective, the 16.5 produces quieter surfaces from even heavily soiled LPs."
ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
"Essential for serious vinyl playback. Pays for itself: extends LP life; protects cartridge from damage from dirty records & marked improvement in sound quality. Extremely user friendly & takes all the awkwardness out of wet cleaning. Surface noise reduced to negligible level. Biggest gains are tangible sonic improvements: tonal qualities, soundstage, prescence & subtle background details. Images far more precise & transparent,
playing more cohesive, creating a far more credible illusion of realism." HI-FI+
"Outstanding performer. The record surfaces are so microscopically clean & so pristine they look new." AUDIO
HW-17, $1300, "Industrial-quality, reassuring quality; fast, convenient, beautifully constructed, best record-cleaning machine; true work-horse." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
HW-27 Typhoon, $2200, "Smaller, quieter & more attractive than earlier VPI cleaners. Clean, efficient. STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
"A good record cleaner is a vital tool for any good collection. The best combination of price, convenience & effective cleaning. Reduced noise, excellent fluid control, quick & reliable operation & pleasure to use." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
"The capable & efficient 16.5 remains the benchmark for affordable performance. The 16.5 trumps the competition. The Typhoon's vacuum pump is twice as powerful. Is the 27 quicker & easier to use? Absolutely. Am I cleaning more
records more often? Definitely. Is it going to last longer? No question. The 27 is one serious machine." HI-FI+ #69
Cartridge Reviews
GRADO ALL MADE IN N.Y.
BLACK, $60, "Admirable detail & treble
extension with good bass & ambience." HI-FI CHOICE RECOMMENDED 5/06
GREEN, $80, "Thoroughly enjoyable for nearly all kinds of music." BEST BUY, HI-FI CHOICE 5/06
"Warm, pleasant balance, sweet treble; Lively
overall presentation." ABSOLUTE SOUND, 10/07
"Produces rich, open & expansive music. At it's price it simply can't be beaten!" SENSIBLE SOUND, 10/07
PRESTIGE MC+, mono, $90, "Sledge-hammer bass & excellent imaging; a joy to listen to." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
GOLD, $220, "Rich, open & expansive." BEST BUY, HI-FI CHOICE RECOMMENDED 5/06
"Warm, pleasant balance; lively; dynamically expressive midrange; engaging openness. Cost-conscious buyers will appreciate the user-replaceable stylus mechanism." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
REFERENCE PLATINUM 1, $350, "Nice midrange, lively; cartridge of choice for the most cost restrained." EXCEPTIONAL VALUE, STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 4/03
"Markedly more refined sound than the Gold. Increased resolution; competes nearly equally with m.c. cartridges 3 times its price. Compared to the Gold, tighter bass, more neutrally voiced & much more authoritative; significantly better tracking. More top-tier performance attributes & delivers greater musical enjoyment per dollar than any other $300 cartridge." ABSOLUTE SOUND 3/09
REFERENCE SONATA 1, $600, "Improved detail, transient speed, more seductive mids & improved hall sound very noticeable."
STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/08
"Far exceeded Clearaudio Aurum Beta in bass & high level dynamics." STEREOPHILE 4/00
"Wonderful; naturally sweet treble, refined tone colors & very good detail, particularly in the midband." ABSOLUTE SOUND, EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
REFERENCE 1, $1500, "Beautiful sounding; enormously musical." ABSOLUTE SOUND, EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
ORTOFON Cartridges - Made in Denmark
"Ortofon, founded in 1918, is relatively large for a 21st century company specializing in making phono cartridges, employing 65 people. The firm's heart & soul remain rooted in hi-fi. Even the least expensive cartridge is assembled from many tiny parts & requires much handwork. Making moving coil cartridges includes the hand-winding of coils over tiny armatures & under microscopes by highly skilled workers. My visit to Ortofon was impressive. Having the infrastructure for machining & crafting rubber parts [for cartridge suspensions] puts them in an enviable position in both quality & pricing. Ortofon seems to have perfected its current & long-standing MC technology. I bought an Ortofon cartridge as a reference." STEREOPHILE 3/10
2M RED, $99, THE GREATEST BARGAIN in a HIGH END CARTRIDGE; BEST CARTRIDGE under $220 "One sophisticated cartridge for the money." ABSOLUTE SOUND 11/09
PRODUCT of YEAR, ABSOLUTE SOUND 1/09 "Screaming deal - entry level cartridge at its finest. It's like the Shure V15 with stronger mids." ABSOLUTE SOUND 7/08
"Sophisticated, musical" ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
2M BLACK, $669, PRODUCT of YEAR, ABSOLUTE SOUND 1/09 "Superb performer & value; compared to Shure V15 V, Ortofon is in its own world, plumbing complexities of orchestral depth & dimension with a more resolved character & better soundstage precision & dimension.
Ortofon's Shibata stylus has a wider groove contact area & better stability, which extends frequency response & reduces record wear." ABSOLUTE SOUND 7/08; EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
"Transparent; unravels the complexities of orchestral music; velvety finesse & harmonic finish." ABSOLUTE SOUND 11/09
SALSA, $375, BEST BUY, "Really involves listener with clean, agile sound." HI-FI CHOICE 2/08
RONDO RED, $550, CARTRIDGE of the YEAR; only cartridge rated BEST BUY "Brings high-end detail & resolution; we loved it; delivers detail, power & resolution & is very well priced." HI-FI CHOICE, awards 2008
RONDO BLUE, $800, "Offers many of the advantages of higher-priced moving coils without breaking the bank - natural midrange, extended but not aggressive treble & strong bottom end. Dynamic presentation powerful, but can be delicate & nuanced, too. Particularly wonderful with voices. A great cartridge & a great value."
ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
RONDO BRONZE, $1050, "lmpressive freedom from surface noise & excellent detail; very strongly recommended." Rated in same class as $3500 models. EXCEPTIONAL VALUE, The real clincher for the VPI was this: It's a lot more fun to listen to."
KONTRAPUNKT A, $950, "Well-defined, powerful sound. Excellent tonal balance; sets a standard at this price level." HIFI NEWS 11/06
"Rich extended bass, very well controIled; even at twice the price, a superbly musical perfomer & genuine bargain." EXCEPTIONAL VALUE, STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/04
KONTRAPUNKT B, $1499, "Astonished by how much musical information it retrieved from records; I could hear better what individual instruments were doing." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 4/05
KONTRAPUNKT C, $1899, "Images more precisely than any other cartridge;
unsurpassed grip & control. Background almost unbelieveably black, music emerging in bas-relief. Neutrality absolute, resolution breathtaking. Outstanding." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE, 3/10
"Excels in detail, resolution & transparency. The most precise imaging & soundstaging I've heard from any cartridge." GOLDEN EAR AWARD, ABSOLUTE SOUND 7/08
"Sledgehammer bass & excellent imaging; a joy to listen to." ABSOLUTE SOUND 10/08
SPU Meister Silver, $1499,
"Thunderous dynamic peaks; one heck of a fine pickup." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/07
SPU Synergy A, $1850, "A bargain." A Rated, in same class as $15,000 models.
STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
SPU 90th Anniversary, $1899,
"Exceptionally good value; a winner." A Rated,
in same class as $15,000 models. STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
MC WINFIELD, $3749, "One of the finest."
A Rated, in same class as $15,000 models. STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
"If you value high neutrality, high resolution, low coloration, low distortion & tracking ability to rival the best, this outstanding new moving coil - the pinnacle design from the longest established & largest cartridge maker in the world - is for you. Our new reference." ABSOLUTE SOUND
EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
OUTSTANDING PRODUCT "My desert island cartridge." HIFI NEWS 2008 YEARBOOK
REGA Cartridges made in England
EXACT 2 $595, "Good transient speed & openness. Doesn't have the "zippy" top end of many comparatively priced moving coils, yet rivals their detail & bass. Compatible with just about any preamp, including tube types. Strikingly low-level of groove noise." ABSOLUTE SOUND 9/05
ELYS 2 $295, STEREOPHILE, EXCEPTIONAL VALUE 10/09
SUMIKO Cartridges
BLUE POINT SPECIAL II $299,
"Improved resolution, superior 3-dimensionality, richer & more potent bass & smoother highs."
ABSOLUTE SOUND RECOMMENDED 11/09
PHONO CARTRIDGE of YEAR "Affordable, easy-to live with, high-output moving coil cartridge. Compared to others, it offers 3 compelling advantages: superior resolution of low-level sonic details, faster & more precise transient response & ability to produce broad, spacious, 3-dimensional soundstages. Significant improvements over
Bluepoint Oyster, richer & more powerful bass & markedly smoother highs." ABSOLUTE SOUND
RECOMMENDED 10/07; EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
BLUE POINT SPECIAL EVOIII, $399, EXCEPTIONAL VALUE, "Tight clarity, rhythmic certainty, excellent tracking,"
STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 4/07
"One of the best entry level, high output, moving cartridges." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
BEST BUY "High frequency refinement & nimble, artculate & revealing sound." HI-FI CHOICE
BLACKBIRD $899, "This high-output moving coil is smooth yet detailed, with a wide soundstage & fine low-end authority. Midrange instruments are particularly seductive." ABSOLUTE SOUND
EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
"Strong bass power, extension & focus. Wide-open soundstage, plenty of detail & shimmering, well-balanced top end without brightness or edge." In same class as $1600 cartridges.
STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 4/09
Phono Preamp Reviews
AUDIO-TECHNICA
ATPEQ3, list $120; now $79; "Sweet sounding, quiet, sounds clean & surprisingly dynamic; orchestral sound open & a tad bright, but with surprising heft & slam." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED, 12/09
GRADO MADE IN NEW YORK
PH1, $500, "Works equally well with high & low output cartridges. Open & easy sound with
expansive soundstage, natural highs & bass with texture, tonal refinement & power."
ABSOLUTE SOUND EPITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
ORTOFON
VERTO, $949, Moving Coil transformer, EXCEPTIONAL VALUE, STEREOPHILE 10/09
PARASOUND
Z PHONO, $199, EXCEPTIONAL VALUE,
favorably compares to $600 model,
STEREOPHILE 10/07
"Excellently built & makes very nice sounds: large sound stage, excellent layering & bloom with remarkably good balance, dynamic range & detail." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
ONLY RECOMMENDED PHONO STAGE UNDER $500. ABSOLUTE SOUND BUYERS GUIDE, SPRING 2009
RECOMMENDED, SENSIBLE SOUND 12/07
PRO-JECT
Pro-ject Phono Box II, $159, BEST BUY; 5 STARS "works wonderfully; brings out the best in under $600 tables" rated above Linn, Musical Fidelity, etc. WHAT HI-FI, 12/05
"Clarity, focus & pacing impressive for phono preamp costing so little." EXCEPTIONAL
VALUE, STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
Pro-ject Phono Box USB, $198, GREATEST BARGAIN, ABSOLUTE SOUND 5/08
"Surprised by the image focus & colorful harmonic presentation; a no-brainer." EXCEPTIONAL
VALUE, STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
Pro-ject Tube Box II, $449, "Sturdily built, attractive & compact; a relaxing, graceful sound; rich tubey sound, surprisingly quiet." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/07
PS AUDIO
GCPH, $995 "For moving-coil & moving magnet cartridges; has Mono & Phase buttons, RCA input, RCA & XLR outputs & offers variable gain. Easy to recommend." EXCEPTIONAL VALUE, in same class as $5500 preamps. STEREOPHILE 4/09
TOP VALUE "Several things make this special: fully balanced; variable outputs; it can drive power amps directly, which few other phono stages can do. Features abound: external gain & loading selector knobs & a remote with volume, muting, stereo/mono & phase controls. Absolutely killer bass, a rich & colorful [but not colored] midrange with the right touch of natural warmth, smooth & sweet highs, effortless 3-dimensionality & high
resolution. The most versatile & best sounding $1k phono stage I've heard. It's as quiet as [if not quieter] than Sutherland's $3000 Ph3D." ABSOLUTE SOUND 3/09
ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
REGA MADE IN ENGLAND
IOS. Moving Coil Phono preamp, $3195 "A worthy contender as one of the TOP PHONO STAGES EVER. Comparing it to the $10k Conrad-Johnson TEA-1 & Nagra VPS, it definitely held its own. Fantastic listening." TONEAUDIO 2008
ROGUE AUDIO - U.S. MADE
STEALTH. Phono preamp, $795
"Impressively quiet, well-chosen gain & loading values. Easy to optimize performance of any matching cartridge. Greater depth, transparency & separation; better focus & increased dynamic range. A convincing & beguiling musical heart to a two channel system." HI-FI+, #58
Turntable Reviews
MARANTZ MADE IN GERMANY TT15S1, now $1699 "Attractive, quiet & well damped. Startlingly full, coherent, dynamic sound; a goodwill ambassador for analog." Rated in same class as $2200 turntables. STEREOPHILE 4/09
PRO-JECT- ALL MADE IN EUROPE & INCLUDE TONEARM & CARTRIDGE
The Pro-Ject Debut III is the least expensive turntable recommended by any hi-fi magazines. Five U.S. & European magazines all recommend it highly. The Debut III is the least expensive European-made turntable, least expensive with a European-made cartridge [the Ortofon OM5], plus it includes a wood base.
The newest Pro-Ject turntable is the RM1.3, which in many ways upgrades the Debut III. The RM1.3 features a $100 Sumiko Oyster cartridge, a 1.25" thick resonance-optimized wood platter, a three-point wood plinth, plus an isolated motor assembly, optimized for low noise & speed stability. Three nylon cone feet further reduce noise & vibration. The RCA cables are detachable, permitting easy upgrades. [Many turntables over $1000 don't have detachable cables.] It looks like a modern sculpture & is further enhanced by your choice of a high gloss red, black or white finish.
DEBUT III, $369-$399, depending on finish; EXCEPTIONAL VALUE, lowest priced
recommended table, includes Ortofon cartridge
"impressive imaging & dynamics; the ideal beginner's table," STEREOPHILE 10/09
Nominated Analog Component of the Year, STEREOPHILE, 12/06
BEST UNDER $500; INCREDIBLE VALUE. "compact, nicely finished; ideal beginner's table."
above Goldring, Sota, Technics & more. WHAT HI-FI, 12/05
"A revelation. Excellent value; I don't know of a turntable that sounds better for less." ABSOLUTE SOUND, 7/07
"Offers music lovers a lot of analog virtues, like warmth & naturalness at a bargain price."
ABSOLUTE SOUND, 9/09
"Dynamic & open sound. Impressive overall look, fit & finish. Everything carefully thought out. Tremendous bargain. Great-sounding, affordable, easy-to-live-with turntable that brings your LP's back to life." SOUND & VISION, 7/07
"Easy set up; great maturity in size & presentation of sound. Excellent value for money in both build quality & performance. Good tonearm offers potential for better cartridges." HiFi NEWS 11/06
Debut III USB, $498, "Sound quality excellent; exhibited the relaxed warmth that makes analog addictive. Musically reliable yet affordable. I loved turntable." HOME THEATER, 5/08
RECOMMENDED, STEREOPHILE 5/08
Xpression III, $699, "Wide, deep sound-stage, clarity & smoothness." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 9/09
BEST BUY "Well designed; revealing sound" HI-FI CHOICE, 12/05 RECOMMENDED
BEST BUY; "great value, remarkable" above
Sota, Technics & more. WHAT HI-FI, 3/07
REGA Turntables
ALL MADE IN ENGLAND & INCLUDE TONEARM
P1, $395, TURNTABLE of YEAR, with Ortofon cartridge "The pace, rhythm & musicality Rega is famous for are here, but without the frequency extension or wide dynamics of more costly models. Terrific sound, highly involving & highly affordable."
ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 9/09
THE GREATEST BARGAIN in a HIGH END TURNTABLE "You get the pace, musical interplay & involvement that make analog special."
ABSOLUTE SOUND RECOMMENDED 11/09
"The best value in vinyl playback. Excellent focus & 3 dimensionality." ABSOLUTE SOUND 7/07
"Highly recommended. This marks the first time that a designer whose work ranks with the very best has created an audio component this affordable. High quality & value." STEREOPHILE 10/09
24
P3 & Elys 2 cartridge, $1095, ANALOG COMPONENT & BUDGET COMPONENT of the YEAR, STEREOPHILE 12/08 "It immediately explained why the current crop of new, young vinyl devotees are so immediately captivated. The Rega produced big solid images on a soundstage of exhuberant size. Tonal balance tended toward rich, warm side. MP3s [have] a thin, smeary, constricted sound. Hearing Rega's musical riches is akin to seeing HDTV for the first time. Well-balanced musicality, inviting warmth, snappy rhythm'n'pace, relaxing musical flow & elegant appearance." STEREOPHILE, on cover 8/08
EXCEPTIONAL VALUE "Rich, warm tonal balance, it produced big solid images on a soundstage of exhuberant size; an evolutionary step forward, physically, sonically & ergonomically. The classic no-fuss, no-frills turntable. Three thumbs up!"
STEREOPHILE, 10/09
PRODUCT of the YEAR, ABSOLUTE SOUND
"It improves upon Music Hall & Pro-ject Xpression in all areas; big & bold, with a lot of warmth & color. The soundstage is wide. Bass is ample with more definition. Transparency, clarity of line & texture & vividness of tonal color & timbre are an easily audible step above others." ABSOLUTE SOUND
RECOMMENDED 3/09
"A standard for 20 years, the latest Rega P3 sports an improved plinth, motor & tonearm. Known for its rhythmic incisiveness, the P3-24 delivers greater dynamic range, a more convincing sense of air & space, a lower noise floor, richer tonality & improved bass over earlier versions." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE /09
2007+2008 PRODUCT of the YEAR; rated above Clearaudio other $3000 turntables. "No 'table's a better value than Rega P3-24. Excellent build quality; sonic superstar. Rega's timing, dynamics & overall transparencyare class leading. We think you'll love it. A pleasure to use & a joy to listen to." WHAT HI-FI AWARDS 2008
BEST BUY, HI-FI CHOICE 2/08
"The finesse of decks that cost twice as much." WHAT HI-FI 3/07
"Great performance for the price; solid build quality; quick, easy setup. Sense of definition, focus & space it brought to instruments & voices. Rega's realistic & coherent presentation was a revelation."
SOUND & VISION 6/08
"Reveals microscopic sonic details, definition, focus & space. Smart step-up for vinyl addicts
looking to enter the big leagues." ONLY
RECOMMENDED TURNTABLE, SOUND & VISION 8/08
P5, $1395, "Highly musical; preferred to most CDs regardless of price. Low vibration & coloration design; as close to set & forget it as you're likely to find. Astonishing absence of groove noise" ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 9/09
"One of the most musical tables anywhere near its price. I prefer its musicality to almost any digital system & several more expensive analog rigs. Compared to Rega P3, it's quieter, had tighter & deeper bass, more three-dimensional soundstage & better highs. [While] the P3 is quite the bargain, the P5 is noticeably superior & worth the extra cost. If you believe your audio system should help eliminate stress rather than increase it, the P5 will prove highly rewarding. Its engaging musicality, easy setup & ease of use should delight music lovers." ABSOLUTE SOUND 9/05
"Offers the emotional & intellectual involvement that comes only when a component gets the musical essentials down right. Compared with the Planar 3, the 5 is more explicitly detailed & significantly better at soundfield depth & image placement."
Rated in same class as $8250 tables. STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 4/09
BEST BUY, "Great sense of timing, market leading resolution & phenomenal tonearm - hard act to beat." HI-FI CHOICE 2/08
P7, $2695, "Greater measure of musical insight" rated in same class as $7500 tables. STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/07
BEST BUY, "Highly capable, holds its own in the most exalted company - vivid & natural performer."
HI-FI CHOICE 2/08
"Performs well out of its class. Easy set-up with
trouble-free build; rumble, speed accuracy & stability, wow & flutter essentially state of the art.
Rega's expertise & thoughtful engineering showed immediately with a finely crafted & very well balanced sound quality. Stable & well-focused
stereo soundstage." HI-FI CRITIC 6/08
P9, $4995, EDITOR'S CHOICE, "Exceptionately elegant, hi-tech with ceramic platter & wonderful arm." HI-FI CHOICE 2/08
EDITOR'S CHOICE "Spectacularly good value." HI-FI CHOICE 2/08
VPI TURNTABLES
U.S. MADE; Models below include tonearm & base; cartridge & dust cover are optional
SCOUT, $1800, "I turned to the Scout to see if a 'table could truly outperform digital counterparts costing many times more - a statement I'd often heard. There's never a question of being able to differentiate the CD/SACD from the record, the record being fuller, more organic & 3 dimensional. Individual instruments embodied more reality & distinguished themselves from one another more clearly. Trumpets & other brass had all the "blare," but none of the "glare" I was used to hearing. A more defined & solid soundstage emerged time after time, due to the higher information density on the LP. I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of "clicks" or "pops" & the very quiet background. The VPI's less complicated design (basic black plinth, hidden motor, translucent acrylic platter & unobtrusive silver tonearm) was my wife's aesthetic favorite." HOME ENTERTAINMENT
GOLDEN EAR AWARD, 2008 "If you want to experience a huge taste of analog heaven without the formidable price, this deserves your attention. This simple, affordable table has an exceptionally quiet background & high signal-to-noise ratio, so music leaps out of silence into the room."
ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 9/09
"My first turntable, a Linn LP12, had a somewhat congested sound that bogged down when passages became extremely complex. The Scout did nothing of the kind. It zipped through crescendos with depth & authority. Nuances & inflections were captured with eerie precision. I was impressed by its clarity. The Dynavector is one of the best cartridges available. The Scout is a frighteningly good performer." ABSOLUTE SOUND 6-7/07
"The VPI Scout proved to be embarassingly good. It performed very well in bass detail, power & extension down to the lowest frequencies. The
Scout is noticeably better in these areas than many turntables in its price range. The Scout proves that affordable analog is a very good deaI without any expensive bells & whistles." Tony Cordesman, THE AUDIOPHILE VOICE 6-7/07
CLASSIC with JMW10.5i Tonearm, $2500,
GOLDEN EAR AWARD, 2010 "VPI's best work is now relatively simple & easy-to-set-up, combining an excellent chassis, built-in motor & tonearm. Out-performing many units at stratospheric prices, it puts a premium on reliability. Remarkably neutral with a wide range of cartridges & even better with the SDS speed control & Outer Ring Clamp. The latter makes a major difference in getting the best out of used, badly stored & lighter-weight LPs."
ABSOLUTE SOUND 6-7/10
GOLDEN EAR AWARD, 2009 "A steal at $2500, it does not suffer by direct comparison to the $150,000 Clearaudio Statement." The VPI Classic & Clearaudio Statement [costing 60 times more] are the only 'tables he awarded "Editor's Choice".
"The Classic, correctly named, has been made even better with a few quite small changes, which give it an even smoother sound. The motor is grounded with an aluminum heat sink, the platter was changed to one piece of aluminum rather than two pieces with a damping ring attached to its bottom [to make it quieter] & the arm increased by 6mm for lower tracking error & better tracking. The price stays the same. I recommend the $200 stainless-steel arm for cleaner sound & the $700 stainless-steel record clamp that fits over the LP's outside edge." Harry Pierson, editor of ABSOLUTE SOUND, EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
GOLDEN EAR AWARD, 2009 " In direct comparison to the $150,000 Clearaudio Statement, it holds its own.If ever there were a best buy in "tables, this is it.", ABSOLUTE SOUND
RECOMMENDED 6-7/09
2009 TURNTABLE of the YEAR, "Vinyl's retro master-piece; the turntable to take on even the top of the high end; a true audio bargain, a rare & wonderful thing; stability of pitch that is almost impossible to find else-where; excellent conveyor of musical flow; warm, rich & dynamic performer." HI-FI+, #68
"A very real part of the Classic's appeal lies in its inherent upgradability. Even a fully loaded Classic is remarkably affordable, as it plays in a league with five figure decks."
"The $1200 SDS power supply is a double whammy that attacks speed variation & motor noise. [It works with every VPI.] As well as electronically switching between 33 & 45rpm, it offers incredibly fine control of speed, a poise & focus, from a lower noise floor & a far more positive sense of exactly where each note is placed (& spaced.) It brings a level of refinement & precision that makes a mockery of its cost. Vocals are held more separate, with enunciation & inflexion much, much clearer, their meaning more direct. Musical phrases are more coherent & the "sentences" fit together better into a more comprehensible & effective overall shape."
"The $700 peripheral clamp, a precision machined ring of stainless steel that has a narrow lip running around its inner edge that adds a real sense of stable solidity & clarity, anchoring images & helping define the space between & around them. Delicate instrumental detail really shines, with the texture & shape of notes much more apparent."
"As good as the basic Classic is, the add-ons are much more than just icing on the cake. Record lovers & collectors alike owe it to themselves to hear just how much performance their money can buy." HI-FI+, #69
TOP TURNTABLE & one of the top 10 Products of 2010. "With the Classic I explored the deepest recesses of my vinyl collection & found a new appreciation for my oldies but goodies. There's something about the way the Classic does bass that gives the music a vitality that CDs never have. The rhythmic pulse is better, groovier & has more get-up-and-go. It's an eerily quiet turntable so records have signficantly lower surface noise, even compared to exotic tables that sell for double or even triple the Classic's price. If you never heard a high-end table before, you'll be amazed by the difference. I'm listening to records I bought as a teenager & they're damned quiet. No, not CD quiet, but background clicks & pops don't intrude the way they do on lesser turntables."
"Switching between LP & CD, there's no
comparison! The CD sounds like a good hi-fi, but the LP breathes life into the sound, a far-from-subtle difference. Vinyl communicates the music's emotional pull better than any digital format. You enjoy the music more on LP. One of the great Audiophile Truths: The best way to enjoy digital is never listen to analog. Thing is, you need a great turntable, tonearm & cartridge to fully decode the magic in the grooves. If you want to know why vinyl is still going strong nearly three decades after the introduction of the CD, listen to a great turntable. The Classic would be the best place to start."
HOME ENTERTAINMENT
"I put the Linn aside & hooked up the VPI. Wow, what a difference a turntable can make! One record led to the next & night after night I stayed up late, listening to LPs. That hadn't happened in years. I was smitten & thrilled to get into vinyl again; a great turntable." STEREOPHILE 3/10
ARIES SCOUTMASTER, $2500, EXCEPTIONAL VALUE; RATED IN SAME CLASS AS $8,250 TURNTABLES "Impressive transient clarity & speed, low level resolution & rhythmic authority; a genuine bargain." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 4/09
SUPER SCOUTMASTER REFERENCE RIM DRIVE, $8,000,
RATED IN SAME CLASS AS $58,000 TURNTABLES; "The sound was fantastic with impressive bottom-octave heft; one of the best values of the true high end turntables."
STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
HRX, $12,000, RATED IN SAME CLASS AS $58,000 TURNTABLES; STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
Tonearm & Accessory Reviews
REGA Tonearms & Accessories
RB301 arm, $495, Least Expensive Recommended; others are $1200+.
"Terrific sounding & affordable; musically compelling; excellent balance." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE, 9/09
"Uses the secure 3-point mount found in the RB700 & flagship RB1000 arms & RB700's improved vertical bearing housing & magnetic antiskating. Produced big solid images on a soundstage of exhuberant size. Tonal balance rich & warm.
Hearing Rega's musical riches - or any decent budget rig - must be akin to seeing HDTV for the first time. Well-balanced musicality, inviting warmth, snappy rhythm'n'pace, relaxing musical flow & elegant appearance." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED, Exceptional Value, in same class as $1600 tonearms, 10/09
Cartridge Torque Wrench, $245,
"A must for serious analog addicts & professional installers." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 4/09
VPI TONEARMS U.S. MADE
JMW-9, $900, in same class as $1600 tonearms, STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 4/09
JMW-9 SIGNATURE, $1400 "Musical authenticity" ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 9/09
JMW-10.5i, $2300, "Beautifully made, highly revealing with some of the deepest, most powerful bass. Exceptional fine-tuning" ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 9/09
JMW-12.5i, $2600, "Beautifully made, highly revealing with some of the deepest, most powerful bass. Exceptional fine-tuning" ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
VPI ACCESORIES
VTA adjuster for Rega tonearm, $150, "Maintains desired rigidity while allowing a full inch of vertical adjustability. Nicely machined from aluminum & has a sturdy mounting collar."
STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/09
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