What turntable floats ones boat?

[Floyddroid]

More to do with nostalgia than for it's out right sonic ability but the Thorens TD160B mkII with an SME 3009 tonearm, it was the 1st proper turntable and arm i owned.

Still a lovely turntable.

[Vrajbasi]

My end game deck is my Sony TTS-8000 in a custom plinth with an SME V-12.

Sounds great I have heard TTS 8000 nice deck never with SME V-12 sounds interesting I use a kondo Baged V-12 on my micro seiki good arm for some reason it sounds better than my Sme V-12 kondo wired I previously owned hifi is so weird

[Batty]

I have a 1986 Rock II that I have owned from new, I have had to swap out the sorbothane blobs underneath as they squash over time and I have serviced the bearing a couple of times. Other than that it has been a fantastic TT, it has a moth RB250 fitted that has the OL structural mod and has been fettled by Audio Origami (rewire, foam fill and earth mod).

2nd TT that I also like and use is a Luxman PD264 that I rescued from going to the skip, it had no arm or perspex lid and the base was warped, I replaced the base with 6mm MDF and fitted a Hadcock GH228 that has been rewired with VdH wire and now has a Shure V15/III with a jico Neo SAS/SS fitted.

I like both of these TTs although they sound very different.

I also have a stock Planar 3 from 1978.

[hermit]

I use a kondo Baged V-12 on my micro seiki

Which Micro Seiki deck? A picture would be good

How do you like the SME V-12?

[Vrajbasi]

Which Micro Seiki deck? A picture would be good

How do you like the SME V-12?

Micro Seiki 8000 mkii I have owned three V-12 arms the fisrt was purchased in 2009 with a sme 30/12 this sounded a bit flat and boring and could not align a cartridge using anything but a sme protractor I sold it and bought a thales, I bought another v-12 new and it sounded totally different much more open I had it kondo wired later, I then got the Seiki and put the arm on there it was great but came across the Kondo badged v-12 while in Japan which was double the price and this sounds way way better than my Sme v-12 kondo wired arm. In my opinion sme arms are a bit hit and miss like most things hand made to be honest as I know others who say the same. I once owned two graham phantom tonearms and they sounded so different. I am convinced with sme arms its down to the sample.

[hermit]

Micro Seiki 8000 mkii

Amazing deck. Very jealous. Thanks for your thoughts on the V-12 which I hope will be an upgrade to my current SME 310.

[Vrajbasi]

Amazing deck. Very jealous. Thanks for your thoughts on the V-12 which I hope will be an upgrade to my current SME 310.

Thanks I like the 8000 alot it proved to be a good buy very big and powerful sounding, I also have a EMT 927 a bit overated but still a nice bit of kit and my trusty sme 30/12 thales simplicity combo which is a good match the sme sme combo is a bit much in my opinion the V-12 it should be warmer and fuller sounding than a 310, the 310 will be a bit more dynamic. How old is your V-12? did you buy it new? again comes down to sample. You have a lovely turntable will certainly be a interesting combo with the V-12.

[Patrick Dixon]

I have an EMT927 too, although I don't use it a lot. I also have a grease bearing Garrard 301 serviced and rebuilt but still boxed up and waiting for me to get around to building it up again.

The deck I've been using for the last year or so is a Thorens TD124 Mk2 with a Mission tonearm modified to use a Decca Mk4 head. I like it very much although I think the 301 is slightly more dynamic. I'm wedded to Decca cartridges now but I'm still looking for the ultimate tonearm for them - was considering a Graham Phantom so would be interested to hear your thoughts on the two you owned.

Apart from a static issue which I need to get to the bottom of, the thing that bothers me most is the 'vinyl roar' I get with the Decca. But I wonder if reducing it would just mean getting less of the music too? I am convinced that the Deccas just get more out of the grooves than anything else, although they don't sugar-coat it.

[Barry]

I have an EMT927 too, although I don't use it a lot. I also have a grease bearing Garrard 301 serviced and rebuilt but still boxed up and waiting for me to get around to building it up again.

The deck I've been using for the last year or so is a Thorens TD124 Mk2 with a Mission tonearm modified to use a Decca Mk4 head. I like it very much although I think the 301 is slightly more dynamic. I'm wedded to Decca cartridges now but I'm still looking for the ultimate tonearm for them - was considering a Graham Phantom so would be interested to hear your thoughts on the two you owned.

Apart from a static issue which I need to get to the bottom of, the thing that bothers me most is the 'vinyl roar' I get with the Decca. But I wonder if reducing it would just mean getting less of the music too? I am convinced that the Deccas just get more out of the grooves than anything else, although they don't sugar-coat it.

EMT decks are in my opinion limited by the 929 arm, or in the case of the 927, the Ortofon RF arms supplied to EMT before they developed their own. I wouldn't describe them as 'agricultural' but they are unsophisticated and are certainly not versatile (I own and use an EMT 930 with 929 arm and various TSD cartridges).

Most of the time I use one of three Thorens TD124/II decks, variously fitted with Breuer, Brinkmann or 12" Ortofon and SME arms.

Decca cartridges must be the most cantankerous cartridges ever made. I have five of them, of various vintages, and they all have to be pampered. The most 'trouble free' arm to use is Decca's own, but others can be used if you take care and experiment with the arm wiring, as well as SRA (difficult because the Decca has virtually no cantilever to speak of).

[Patrick Dixon]

The most 'trouble free' arm to use is Decca's own

So have you used a Decca with a Phantom? Or even with a Mission 774?