Hermit's stereo

[hermit]

i should point out that the reason im glad is i have going back and forth between the 2 for the last month and its been doing my head in lol

Jamie, it probably won't help with regard to the comparison doing your head in but, for what its worth, I'll expand a little on where I'm at.

First a little history. I bought the SP10, fully rebuilt, from Angus (Phonomac) when my Sony started playing up as I needed a decent deck to tide me over while Angus was fettling the Sony. So I went from listening to the Sony with my SME V-12 and Phasemation PP-500 to listening to the Technics with the same arm and cartridge.

The Sony was away for around a year so I spent plenty of time with the Technics and found I was really happy with it. It's a very capable deck, powerful, detailed and a solidly neutral platform for the arm and cartridge. No question it's a deck I can live with and enjoy.

The Sony has long been a dream deck for me and I don't know how much that colours my thoughts but on its return I immediately preferred it to the Technics even though I would struggle to say exactly why. To me it's just more engaging. It lets the music flow and I found my listening sessions were considerably longer.

For the last year or so I have really stopped listening analytically. I'm not listening to the hifi any more. I've just been playing records and enjoying the music. I thinks it's because I've got the system to the point where I'm happy with it and I'm not really looking to change anything.

A couple of months ago I was talking to a friend and I was saying that I really couldn't be bothered transferring the V-12 to the Technics just to give it a spin for a month or two. The Technics had been languishing under the bed for about 15 months and I was feeling guilty about its lack of use. I think its important to keep these old decks in regular use. It's not good for them to sit idle from one year to the next. He suggested that I should buy an arm for the Technics and that is what prompted me to get the 3012 and resurrect the SP10.

This is the first time that I have been able to play both decks and I must say the performance of the SP10 / SME 3012 / Kiseki has really surprised me. I thought the TTS-8000 / SME V-12 / Phasemation would blow it away but the reality is that both decks are excellent in their own way.

It's been at least 15 months since I heard the V-12 on the Technics so my memory could be playing tricks but I think I actually prefer it with the 3012. It seems to suit the SP10 very well.

All of that said, I'm still not listening too analytically. I'm just finding that I'm really enjoying both decks and that's no bad thing.

[karma1967]

yes mate,you are in a happy place,all credit too you. i have just put the sony back in the system,i should mention it has torlon bearings fitted which raise its performance up a run so maybe its not a fair comparison.

[Jimbo]

Hi Jamie, what isolation are you using for your turntable now? I have been experimenting a fair bit recently and had some very good results, each step improving my TT performance considerably.

[hermit]

I'm currently enjoying an Ortofon SPU Mono GM MkII cartridge. I’ve never heard an SPU before. It's a lovely thing. I’ve been wanting to try one for years but I’ve not had a suitable arm until the SME 3012 arrived earlier this year.

Stuart, Slammed 56 of this parish, was kind enough to loan me his SPU Mono and I was so impressed with it that I bought one. I’m really enjoying it and happy to have the Sony TTS-8000 / SME V-12 for stereo and to keep the SP10 / SME 3012 for mono. It has been a real treat being able to listen to my mono records on a mono cartridge for the first time. Simple things make me happy.