Turntable choices

I'm almost ready to spend some $$$ on the turntable thing. I have done some research and read the articles. The choice is down to two tables: The ClearAudio Emotion and the Rega P3-24. The idea here is to keep the purchase price with arm and cart around 1K. The ClearAudio is a little over and the Rega is little under.

Going much over 1K on the table alone is a sure-fire way to **** off the wife, so I'm stuck at this level of cost. Given that, does anyone have anything to help me make my choice? Past experience with either?

Until I do this, I am stuck with a Sony automatic turntable from the early 80's -- which is alright, but lacks the detail of nicer models.

Thanks !!

~VDR

Heading back to the Dark side of black vinyl ! (VAN I am your father ) :ROFL:

I just cant have that with my impatience and audio ADD. Kids dont make a great mix with LP either !
Good Luck !

I don't think you can go wrong with either one to be honest. Both offer great value for the money and have sterling reputations in the industry. I'm not personally familiar with the Clearaudio, but have heard they are ever so slightly laid back. Having once owned a Rega (P2), I can tell you that they are typically more lively and pride themselves on their PRAT. I would factor that into your perception of your current system and think about the overall synergy with your sonic goals and the overall sound you want to achieve.

C.A.P said:

I just cant have that with my impatience and audio ADD. Kids dont make a great mix with LP either!

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C.A.P, I'm not sure I understand what you mean by that. Can you explain?

Prat = ???

~vdr

C.A.P said:

I just cant have that with my impatience and audio ADD. Kids dont make a great mix with LP either !
Good Luck !

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ADD, PRAT? What is this? An encrypted forum?

Anyway, my brother once came home to find his kids playing My Little Pony on it - and his cartridge completely trashed. He never bought a replacement!

VanDaRo said:

Prat = ???

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Pace, Rhythm and Timing - just another audiophile term to cloud up the descriptions of performance.

Forget all the terms, just listen, calculate budget, make decision, and purchase.

User211 said:

ADD, What is this?

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attention deficet disorder, I think what Chris is trying to say is that it's much easier for him to "plop the little ole silver disc" into a CDP rather than mess around with "black pizza", as far as the ADD, maybe all the little things that go into vinyl playback ???

VDR Table Quest

Having owned several different tables in my time (Sony, Dual, AR, Rega, Well Tempered, and now Clearaudio) I thought I might chime in. Out of all the TTs I have had the Clearaudio has been by far the best. I really can't tell you how satisfied I have been with it. It is truly a great performer and pretty much a plug and play as well. Having said this I know of many tables out there that could bring you the same satisfaction.
Make sure you spend as much time in thought and effort as to the cartridge also. This is literally where the "needle meets the road" and this will also bring a sonic sig. to your rig.
Best of luck I think the search is where half the fun is. Check-out the "Gon" for some good used tables.

Doug - out

MiTT said:

C.A.P, I'm not sure I understand what you mean by that. Can you explain?

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I like A good vinyl set up ! Sound wise I have no issues. If done right. (key words) I am not patient enough to change the albums, if I want to hear one song then I'm up changing it again. (I might loose some weight). I like the simplicity of moving fast through a CD if need be. The easy storage and handling of CD's, and the lack of a real LP collection make it fairly simple for me! If I want new music its easy to get.

Exactly Dave Thank you !

DTB300 said:

Pace, Rhythm and Timing - just another audiophile term to cloud up the descriptions of performance.

Forget all the terms, just listen, calculate budget, make decision, and purchase.

Click to expand...

Dan has the description right. Justin, I'm suprised you're not familiar with PRAT, it's the term usually most associated with British tables. Linn coined the term I think, but Rega, Naim and even Mitchell worship at the same altar.

While Dan is right in all regards above, it's still a valid way to describe the typical British house sound wherein that sense of Pace, Rhythm and Timing are integral to a musical presentation that is lively and tends to propel the music along as opposed to being more laid back, mellow, perhaps lyrical. Therefore delineating my percieved differences between these two tables. My point was in thinking about your system as a whole right now. Are you running a tubed pre-amp? Could be that the Clearaudio might make your system sound a bit sluggish and the Rega might give it just the sort of bounce you want and sound a bit closer to your digital rig. If you think your system might be a bit bright already, maybe the Clearaudio will add a bit of lush analog warmth if that's the direction you want to go. My point was that you need to think of system integration and the synergistic whole.

The last sentence in Dan's reply says it all though - listen, calculate, decide, buy, and mostly ENJOY!

C.A.P said:

I like A good vinyl set up ! Sound wise I have no issues. If done right. (key words) I am not patient enough to change the albums, if I want to hear one song then I'm up changing it again. (I might loose some weight). I like the simplicity of moving fast through a CD if need be. The easy storage and handling of CD's, and the lack of a real LP collection make it fairly simple for me! If I want new music its easy to get.

Exactly Dave Thank you !

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No, I figured that out and I agree with the convenience aspect. I meant the part about analog and kids not going together. Not trying to pick a fight, just trying to understand the rationale.

Does a tube ( a couple 12AX7's ) phono stage count ?? This little darlin' sounds lively and smooth with the Sony/AudioTechnica rig right now...

~VDR

VanDaRo said:

Does a tube ( a couple 12AX7's ) phono stage count ?? This little darlin' sounds lively and smooth with the Sony/AudioTechnica rig right now...

~VDR

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Absolutely! and it sounds like you'll be keeping that portion of it in the mix right?

Here's mine: http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject-Tube-Box-II?sc=2&category=401
I'll post a pic of my sorry-a$$ Sony rig when I get home (hey, it was free. Mom had no use for it any more and the old Man wanted 1600 for his because of the Benz Glider on it). But...

Abso-friggin-lutely.

...for now....

~VDR

If you have to skimp on anything at the start, skimp on the cartridge rather than the turntable; you can upgrade the cartridge later.

Don't forget to also buy a Shure Stylus Force Gauge - $36 from Music Direct. Essential.

MiTT said:

I meant the part about analog and kids not going together. Not trying to pick a fight, just trying to understand the rationale.

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No problem. The kids part is mostly me ! I have heard to many stories (like User211 said). I know they can jam a peanut butter sandwich in my CD player but its the delicacy of a LP player.(At least the CD player is a bit enclosed). I have on occasion had a errant foul ball go heading to my gear with horror on my face. Hell I even watched my boy throw a touchdown pass that took out the wifes vase. ( Its actually me I'm worried about , THE BIG KID). Infants are gone in my house but kids are kids ! What can you do when a kid bumps your $3000 cartridge trying to show you his new toy that means just as much to him as your Turntable. For ME Digital done right has surpassed LP in performance, ease of use and ease of mind factor !

MITT, I would love to spend a afternoon with your system. I bet with the CLS and the Lp its as good or better than what I hear. As stated I like LP and everything about the sound. Im just a bit lazy and a realist with a 4 and 6 year old and a 40 year old BIG KID!

Sorry VAN for the slight derail. Back to the thred topic.

CAP,

You no-doubt have a nice digital rig (fixed now, right ?), but Vinyl has a magic to it the is not necessarily better, but more natural-sounding. It's a really cool thing to play an old record and find yourself swimming in the music of your teenage years.... I just played side 2 of Journey's Escape album and it rocked with authority !!!

I hope you reconsider someday when the kids are a little older.

Those CLS' would be un-phorking-believable with a decent turntable feeding them.

~VDR

Got it C.A.P, and I understand. I forget it's easier for me now because the system is off on it's own in a seperate room. Shea, (my step daughter),barely goes in there, so I don't ever worry about it, and I created a custom dust cover that pretty well protects the whole rig.

At our old house however I used to have the stylus uncovered when I first got it - naked to the world. Shea was always infatuated with it and sure enough, one morning I came down to discover that the stylus was bent at nearly a perfect 90 degree angle. That was wen I upgraded from a Sumiko Blue Point Special to a Grado Statement so there was an upside. That was also when I made the dust cover!

If you're ever in Colorado I'd be happy to have you over for a listen.

Kids will be kids... But mine are now teenagers and love music as much as the Dad. They know how to treat the audio gear. They use it, play anything they want, crank it to their heart's content... but never ABUSE it.

Anyway... The candidates for consideration. Please don't tell me the ClearAudio looks sexier, because I already know that. Just want your thoughts on the $300 difference in price. Is the C/A worth the extra coin (sound)???

C/A: