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Best Direct Drive TT?

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Negotiableterms

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One of the things I'm still searching for is a TT. I'm interested in a DD, rather than a belt, because I collect for reasons other than purely for best sound. I know very little about TT, so...

Which are the major contenders for "Best Direct Drive TT"?
 
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Well, the top-of-the-line Denons and Pioneers immediately come to mind. Of course I am kind of biased, having owned a Denon DP-59L for the past 18 years and never feeling the need to replace it.

Glen
 
Glen,

Where in Old Mill Basin? Would that would be near the Key Food shopping Center [have you tried the Asian Fusion resturant?], or closer to Wilkins' Deli?
My G.F. lives on E.66th near Strickland.

Seth
Forever Analog
 
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I sure like my Denon DP-47f.
Technics has numerous excellent DD turntables. Probably the "best" DD is the Technics SP-10MkIII that sold for $2,665 from 1982-84. That's without the arm.
I have two SP-25 and one optional base ($$) that I would be willing to sell.
 
The cream of the crop included -

Technics SP10
Denon DP100
Pioneer PL-C590
Trio/Kenwood L-07D
Sony TTS-8000
Onkyo PX100M
Nakamichi TX1000/Dragon CT

Good luck finding any of them................ :D
 
NoTransistors said:
Glen,

Where in Old Mill Basin? Would that would be near the Key Food shopping Center [have you tried the Asian Fusion resturant?], or closer to Wilkins' Deli?
My G.F. lives on E.66th near Strickland.

Seth
Forever Analog
Click to expand...

Close. East 48th. If you mean Kar restaurant, I've been tempted to try them for years but never got around to it.

Glen
 
I would also consider the upper end of Micro Seika DD turntables as well. They made some excellent mid-fi tables. I have two and they have performed flawlessly.

Andrew
 
Glen,

There is a Key Food shopping center on Ave 'U', between E. 66th and E.67th.
In that center, there is a s**t Chinese resturant, a mostly-decent Italian resturant, then a resturant that serves Asian Fusion. The food is VERY fresh, although the same dish may be wonderful on Tues., and tasteless/overcooked on Fri.. Most soups are good, and all dishes with shrimp use fresh, not canned shrimp. They have an occasional dish on the slate-board that is wonderful.

Kar on Ave. 'U', near Ralph, is not too good.
There is a nice Maylasian resturant on 'U', this side of C.I.A., and their food is consistently wonderful. They have a two-lobster special for under $20, and some kick-ass soups. No disappointments, yet. They also have $5.00 lunch specials that are delicious and generous.

Seth
Forever Analog
 
Holst said:
Technics SP-10!!
Click to expand...

like this combo....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Technics-Turnta...ryZ64626QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

For reference only....with a 0 feedback seller that auction looks fishy....

You got a few hours to decide on this one...a very rare DD Denon TT.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Denon-DP-6000-T...8QQihZ001QQcategoryZ48649QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

A very expensive DD when new was the Goldmund Studio. Best? I don't know, I've never seen one. Revox also made a DD, with a linear tracking arm.

This web site has some info, but I've read elsewhere that some of it is not accurate.
http://de.geocities.com/bc1a69/index_eng.html
 
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For reference only....with a 0 feedback seller that auction looks fishy....
Click to expand...

I don'y know, everybody has to start somewhere. But yes, it has a motor that can spin you off if you stand on it. I have an idiot friend who tried.
 
It's pretty hard to definitively say what the best DD table is. Do you mean in current production, or are you buying vintage? Current production - Technics SL1200 MKII, without a doubt. That model even places in the Vintage as a top model.

For a brief period of time, circa 1976-1979, the Direct Drive tables from Japanese mfg's sat at the top of the lineup, and were their flagship models. Many tables from many manufacturers in this time period would serve you well.

Then 1980 came...and here's where you have to be careful...mixed in with well engineered flagship DD's were cheapened down models. With the advent of the P-mount cartridge, some of these are downright awful.

Look for a hefty plinth, a large, heavy platter and a lot of machined aluminum vs. plastic cast to look like machined aluminum. Offerings from Kenwood, Sony, Pioneer, Marantz, Sansui, Technics and others all fall into this category and, though there are subtle differences between all, their top 2 or 3 tables would all serve you very very well.

Personally, my faves are the Pioneer PL-550 (fully manual) and PL-570 (fully auto). I have one of each, I use the manual mostly for transcription to CD, and the auto in the main system. I'm also a fan of the PL-530, always thought that it was a damned sexy table.

I think 1978-79 was the pinnacle of direct drive turntable production...Quartz Lock, PLL, etc. were present but aluminum and heft hadn't been thrown out in favor of plastic **** and paperboard yet.
 
NoTransistors said:
Glen,

There is a Key Food shopping center on Ave 'U', between E. 66th and E.67th.
In that center, there is a s**t Chinese resturant, a mostly-decent Italian resturant, then a resturant that serves Asian Fusion. The food is VERY fresh, although the same dish may be wonderful on Tues., and tasteless/overcooked on Fri.. Most soups are good, and all dishes with shrimp use fresh, not canned shrimp. They have an occasional dish on the slate-board that is wonderful.

Kar on Ave. 'U', near Ralph, is not too good.
There is a nice Maylasian resturant on 'U', this side of C.I.A., and their food is consistently wonderful. They have a two-lobster special for under $20, and some kick-ass soups. No disappointments, yet. They also have $5.00 lunch specials that are delicious and generous.

Seth
Forever Analog
Click to expand...

Seth,
I am not big on restaurants but good information nevertheless. :thmbsp: The Malaysian place sounds good though. Maybe I will take the Mrs. there. Thanks.

Glen
 
Check out the modified Technics for sale from KAB (http://www.kabusa.com). With the fluid damping/outboard power supply and a few other lil' tweaks you'll have a giant killer. Makes a Rega sound like something from Ikea (to match the look...).
 
Holst said:
I don'y know, everybody has to start somewhere. But yes, it has a motor that can spin you off if you stand on it. I have an idiot friend who tried.
Click to expand...

Well, 'fishy' isn't the right word. It's very likely a legit auction, it's just that a little bit of feedback would really help. He should do what everyone else does - sell a dozen or so baseball cards to build up a rating and then go for the big stuff. :thmbsp:

BTW I am hard pressed to think of a better quality DD TT than the SP10II combined with the EPA-100 arm on the obsidian base. All for the price of an unmounted Garrard 301!
 
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