Audio Grail 301, Bob Cusworth plinth & Graham Phantom Elite ...a glimpse

[Clive]

My feeling is that a 301 with a modern bearing...I mean a totally new higher precision bearing... manages to remove some of the bass bloom and add some HF but still has power and drive. Maybe such a 301 gets closer to perfection.

[Vrajbasi]

My feeling is that a 301 with a modern bearing...I mean a totally new higher precision bearing... manages to remove some of the bass bloom and add some HF but still has power and drive. Maybe such a 301 gets closer to perfection.

My feeling is that a garrard 301 and thorens td124 being both lovely turntables are a long way from perfection, however they can still provide a great deal of pleasure and pride of ownership especially with the likes of Audio Grail, rjc and in the thorens case schopper. Luckily such companies exist

[Barry]

All current audio gear is a long way from perfection. This is especially so for electromechanical transducers. Spending vast amounts of money on gear will not buy you a big improvement in performance. A visit to any audio show will demonstrate how poor the value for money most audio gear is, and an attendance of any unamplified acoustic performance will reveal how far we are from reproducing a convincing illusion of this in our own home.

[Patrick Dixon]

I'm sure all my turntables are a long way from perfection, but I really enjoy my TD124/2 both musically and because it's nice and compact and easy to use.

I also have a grease bearing 301 that has been restored by CTC but it's still in its box waiting for me to get around to sorting out a plinth. I did think about a Cusworth plinth at one point, but I'm not sure it's the look I'm after and I'm not sure I want anything quite that big. A 301 plinth is never going to be as neat as a TD124's, and if you allow for a 12" arm it's going to be fairly huge; if I want fairly huge I always have my EMT 927 to fall back on. I would quite like to hear something like a TW Acustic or SME turntable in my system just for reference though - just to hear how quiet a turntable really could be.

[thingfish]

No amount of money can by you perfection.......

Now this little lot (above) must have cost a fortune in the pursuit.

My System Micro Seiki 8000mk2 Kondo special V12 Tiger Eye, Fidelity Research FR 66 Shindo spu, Kronos Pro Axiom 12" tonearm Etsuro Bordeaux, EMT 927, Sme Model 30/12 gold, Graham Phantom Elite Top wing Dalby stabiliser or Thales Simplicity 2, Shindo Garrard 301 complete system. sme 3012r shindo spu. Morsiani tonearm, Fidelity research fr66, Sme 3012 mk1, Sme V, Ikeda 407 IT Sme Model 30/2/Dynavector 507 Kodo Beat Turntable Airtangent 10B modified Fidelity fr66s Etsuro Cartridge . Kondo Gakuoh Mk1 powers G70 Pre,Audio Tekne TFA-8695PCS pre Audio Tekne TEA 8695 Phono. Lfd Battery Phono Stage heavily custom rebuilt by Dr Richard Bews, Tharx Phono Stage. Lfd Master Dual Biamp power amp, Lfd Anniversary master preamp. Shindo Latour Field Coil. Rockport Cygnus Biamped, Voigt Domestic Corner Horns/ Feastex Fildcoils. LFD Custom silver Ribbons. LFD Diamond Vipor Mk2 interconnects, Lfd Golden Cobra interconnect. Koetsu blue lace mono special order, Koetsu burma jade mono special order.

Seriously is it any closer perfection than my reasonably humble....

Marantz CD-73, Rothwell Indus Preamp, STA-25 Poweramp, Falcon Acoustic LS3/5As Speakers.

?

[Barry]

I'm sure all my turntables are a long way from perfection, but I really enjoy my TD124/2 both musically and because it's nice and compact and easy to use.

I also have a grease bearing 301 that has been restored by CTC but it's still in its box waiting for me to get around to sorting out a plinth. I did think about a Cusworth plinth at one point, but I'm not sure it's the look I'm after and I'm not sure I want anything quite that big. A 301 plinth is never going to be as neat as a TD124's, and if you allow for a 12" arm it's going to be fairly huge; if I want fairly huge I always have my EMT 927 to fall back on. I would quite like to hear something like a TW Acustic or SME turntable in my system just for reference though - just to hear how quiet a turntable really could be.

I'm in agreement with you here. I have three TD124/IIs - not because they are perfect, they are not, but then no TT is. IMO the whole of vinyl playback is hopelessly flawed. I have the TTs because they are very good at what they do, and I have a big investment in vinyl, as well as an interest in vinyl playback; amusing myself trying out various arm/cartridge combinations One deck is fitted with a 9" arm (either an SME, a Breuer or an Infinity 'Black Widow', depending on cartridge used), the other two are fitted with longer arms (Brinkmann 10.5, SME 12"s or an Ortofon 309i, again depending on cartridge used).

I do have a EMT 930, but that is little used these days owing to the unsophisticated arm it is fitted with (the EMT 929), and I have yet to get around to replacing it. It does however show a failing many DDs display: that of low torque - which to my mind is essential to impart a true sense of 'drive' and timing to the music. Curiously, this concept of "PRaT" was a big aspect of the Linn mantra of the bad old days in the '80s, yet their belt drive TTs displayed the worse aspects of inconsistent timing. I had the long term use of one in the '80s, and was able to compare it (fitted with the sane arm and cartridge) with my 124/II over a period of time. I heard nothing to persuade me to change from the Thorens.

[montesquieu]

No amount of money can by you perfection.......

Now this little lot (above) must have cost a fortune in the pursuit.

My System Micro Seiki 8000mk2 Kondo special V12 Tiger Eye, Fidelity Research FR 66 Shindo spu, Kronos Pro Axiom 12" tonearm Etsuro Bordeaux, EMT 927, Sme Model 30/12 gold, Graham Phantom Elite Top wing Dalby stabiliser or Thales Simplicity 2, Shindo Garrard 301 complete system. sme 3012r shindo spu. Morsiani tonearm, Fidelity research fr66, Sme 3012 mk1, Sme V, Ikeda 407 IT Sme Model 30/2/Dynavector 507 Kodo Beat Turntable Airtangent 10B modified Fidelity fr66s Etsuro Cartridge . Kondo Gakuoh Mk1 powers G70 Pre,Audio Tekne TFA-8695PCS pre Audio Tekne TEA 8695 Phono. Lfd Battery Phono Stage heavily custom rebuilt by Dr Richard Bews, Tharx Phono Stage. Lfd Master Dual Biamp power amp, Lfd Anniversary master preamp. Shindo Latour Field Coil. Rockport Cygnus Biamped, Voigt Domestic Corner Horns/ Feastex Fildcoils. LFD Custom silver Ribbons. LFD Diamond Vipor Mk2 interconnects, Lfd Golden Cobra interconnect. Koetsu blue lace mono special order, Koetsu burma jade mono special order.

Seriously is it any closer perfection than my reasonably humble....

Marantz CD-73, Rothwell Indus Preamp, STA-25 Poweramp, Falcon Acoustic LS3/5As Speakers.

?

I’m afraid, having heard some of the above (not all, unfortunately) the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. The true high end if integrated sympathetically and successfully can give absolutely transcendent results.

Perfection though is the wrong goal. We have all enjoyed music on much humbler systems, as indeed I’m sure we have also heard expensive ones that failed to communicate. Enjoyment is the key.

But if someone has gone the extra mile to put a high end system together then the response should at least be one of curiosity, not a knee jerk response to to diss it.

[Barry]

I’m afraid, having heard some of the above (not all, unfortunately) the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. The true high end if integrated sympathetically and successfully can give absolutely transcendent results.

Perfection though is the wrong goal. We have all enjoyed music on much humbler systems, as indeed I’m sure we have also heard expensive ones that failed to communicate. Enjoyment is the key.

But if someone has gone the extra mile to put a high end system together then the response should at least be one of curiosity, not a knee jerk response to to diss it.

True - we have all heard something on a simple transistor radio that has caused us to stop in our tracks and marvel. Likewise we have equally heard something played through a "humble" system that does the same; yet I too have heard systems that have cost astronomical amounts to buy that have left me cold and unimpressed.

There is nothing wrong with spending a lot of money on audio gear (I have done the same with camera equipment, wine and with travel), the question is with those who simply wish to impress by "willy waving" and yet are incapable of articulating exactly how their expensive purchases are an improvement over the usual.

[WESTLOWER]

Monty, one can put together a megabuck system, whatever yanks their crank, hell even list it all in they're signature, if they feel the need to wave the willy.

But my response will remain one of laughter.

That sort of insulting response is probably one reason why knowledgable, experienced helpful members on AoS stop posting!

So someone who lists his well put together system is willy waving?
I for one enjoy seeing equipment lists and interesting equipment at that.
The members who put these systems together are generally very helpful with their experiences.

I just don’t understand the willy waving dig!

[User211]

I personally think Artisan Fidelity do a much better job at matching plinth aesthetics to the actual decks.

Bob's efforts always look like a huge visual mismatch to me. Just my eyes and opinion.

Bob's stuff is obviously great quality from the remarks and beauty is in the eye of the beholder etc.

Generally I think most turntables look very awkward and there are very few designs that appeal to me visually.