Originally Posted by
Infinitely Baffled
I think that a lot of the time the reason we decide we prefer a particular turntable over another is because we are responding to the overall aesthetic of the chosen unit. By "aesthetic" I mean not just its looks, but the whole identity it projects: cool and space-agey, restrained and minimalist, slightly old-fashioned and nerdy etc, etc. Plus that usually comes with all sorts of differences in the appearance and feel of the controls and user interface (sorry, couldn't think of a better way of describing it). So, does it appeal to you to start your records playing by spinning the platter up from standstill by hand, or do you like a procedure more akin to starting a Sopwith Camel (energise booster coils, wave arm in air, chocks away etc). All these things feed strong signals back to the user which please the senses (or not), flatter our feeling of discernment and achievement and re-inforce our sense of personal identity (audio-wise, at least). That's why we tend to band together into "camps" that sing the extravagant praises of one piece of kit or another - we are really singing about ourselves!
Whether the respective turntables actually sound much different is another matter - they just turn a piece of vinyl round and round after all. OK yes, obviously there is a difference, but I think it is pretty small and probably no longer noticed after the first week of ownership. We're probably much more preoccupied with the notion that "Ooh, I'm listening to MY Platine Verdier" or "How cool is my heavily-modded Lenco" or whatever. Let me stress - there is nothing wrong with that, nothing at all. That's human nature and it's nice to be able to get pleasure from all that stuff. But I'm just saying, there is a lot more going-on in our heads when we use our hi-fi.s than just listening to music. Take a good example of any of these different sub-types of turntable and, depending on the record you are playing, you are going to enjoy it - lots. Put another way, for the turntable to be actually diminishing your enjoyment of the music, it would pretty much need to be in such poor condition it is in need of repair, or so badly designed in the first place that it should never have reached the market.
Sorry, long and rambling post, but the message is this: we all think we are chasing after sound quality, but in reality we are not. We are looking for an overall "music-related experience" that chimes with our sense of what we like and who we are.
IB
I very much agree with your post. It's not only about sound quality, it's a mind game.
Then again, it's always a quite rewarding feeling to make a small (or big) change and hear some clear improvement in sound. It's a small accomplishment, it's a small victory. And this can be exhilarating.
Let's keep on enjoying the music (and the journey)!
System1: Lenco L75 with custom plinth, SLAT, sph bearing, SG4 external power supply + Alfred Bokrand AB-309 tonearm + Denon DL103R (aluminum body) + Well Tempered 12" tonearm clone + Denon DL103R (wooden body), ASR Mini Basis Exclusive HV, Marantz CD6005, LAB12 DAC1 SE+, Hattor BIG passive + active pre, Lab12 Suono power amp, Falcon LS3/5a Gold Badge, LAB12 Gordian, Belden 8428, Black Cat Red Level Triode, LAB12 Knack MkII
System 2: Roksan Xerxes original (HiFi Inspire plinth) with Maxon ReMax motor + Audiomods Series6 + Ortofon Cadenza Black microridge retipped, ASR Mini Basis Exclusive, Marantz CD6003, Croft Micro25R + Series7R monoblocks (110W/ea), Harbeth SHL5 Plus 40th Anniv.
System 3: Marantz CD6003, Croft SuperMicroII ('R' spec by Croft, Tesla E83CC in phono)+ Series7, Snell Type EII (with bypass caps, new internal wiring, WBT nextgen 0703Cu), Mark Grant HDX1, Atlas Hyper 3.0