Turntable Reviews

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Turntable Reviews
Music Hall Introduces its "Stealth" Direct Drive Turntable
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 25, 2021  |  25 comments
The late and great comedian Jackie Mason once quipped “You know who invented sushi? Not the Japanese! Jews invented sushi! Who else would figure out a way to open a restaurant without having to invest in a kitchen?

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Turntable Reviews
Music Hall's MMF-11.1 Top of the Line Turntable
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 03, 2014  |  11 comments
It’s no secret that Pro-Ject builds Music Hall turntables to Music Hall’s specifications and design parameters using mostly “off the Pro-Ject shelf” mechanical components. Before getting to the 11.1, perhaps you are wondering why Pro-Ject would want to compete with itself.

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Turntable Reviews
New Limited Edition Technics SL-1210GAE Looks and Sounds Great
Michael Fremer  |  Jun 08, 2020  |  25 comments
In the blink of a vinyl resurgence Technics went from retiring in 2010 the venerable SL-1200 turntable to resurrecting it six years later with two all new “Grand Class” 1200s aimed not at the DJ market as was the original 1200, but at audiophiles.

The limited to 1200 units SL-1200GAE quickly sold out. In 2017 we reviewed the SL-1200G, which other than having a different magnesium tone arm finish and minus a plaque was identical to the limited edition SL-1200GAE.

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FeaturesTurntable Reviews
Ode to This Thing I Found: Why I Love My Acoustic Solid Vintage Exclusive Turntable
Shanon McKellar  |  Jun 11, 2024  |  7 comments

It’s a rite of passage for vinyl enthusiasts and audiophiles alike to bring home a new turntable, isn’t it? Read on to see how new AP contributor Shanon McKellar feels about the many wonderful listening sessions she’s already experienced with her current, and clearly favorite, Acoustic Solid Vintage Exclusive turntable. . .

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Turntable Reviews
Onkyo's CP-1050 Direct Drive Turntable Offers Extraordinary Speed Stability, Attractive "Retro" Looks
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 21, 2015  |  21 comments
Even had the purchase by Onkyo of Pioneer Home Electronics not been made public, some kind of connection would have been obvious to anyone opening the boxes of this Onkyo CP-1050 turntable and the recently reviewed Pioneer PL-30-K turntable.

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Turntable Reviews
Oracle Delphi Mk.VI turntable
Michael Fremer  |  Dec 27, 2010  |  1 comments
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Turntable Reviews
Origin Live Resolution Mk3 Turntable and Illustrious Mk3C Tone Arm Still Captivates
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 05, 2013  |  14 comments
U.K. based Origin Live has been building its iconoclastic line of turntables and tone arms for decades now and though its American visibility remains relatively low, it has managed to attract a small but enthusiastic and growing consumer fan base .

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Turntable Reviews
Pioneer PL-30-K Automatic Single Play Turntable
Michael Fremer  |  Jun 09, 2015  |  28 comments
Spend some time with Pioneer’s PL-30-K automatic turntable ($349 MSRP/$300 “street price”) and you’ll quickly realize it’s not a “throwaway” turntable put together in haste by a company keen on “cashing in” on the vinyl resurgence.

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Turntable Reviews
Pro-Ject Produces "Carbon Copy" of Debut III That's Even Better! (CORRECTED 8/25/12)
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 21, 2012  |  35 comments
The Pro-Ject brand began as vinyl lover's pipe dream. Vienna based audio distributor Heinz Lichtennegger believed as did many of us back in the 1990s, that vinyl was not dead. It just needed a defibrillator in the form of an inexpensive, well-made and reliable turntable.

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Turntable Reviews
Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB Turntable—Born of Frustration
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 05, 2020  |  30 comments
Pro-Ject’s Heinz Lichtenegger pulled me aside at High End Munich 2018. He appeared agitated—not the usual easygoing (but intense) demeanor of a guy who in the early 1990s bet the farm on analog and won—bigtime.
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Turntable Reviews
Pro-Ject’s $899 X1: Best Under $1000 Turntable Package? (updated 10/29/19)
Michael Fremer  |  Oct 24, 2019  |  29 comments
Pro-Ject’s Heinz Lichtenegger is not shy about expressing his contempt for el-cheapo turntables coming from China and elsewhere. He thinks these mediocre-sounding turntables ruin the sonic experience for a young generation getting into vinyl.

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Tonearm ReviewsTurntable Reviews
Pro-Ject’s New “Juke Box E” System Is A Decent Entry Into Analog (Manufacturer's Response Added)
Malachi Lui  |  Oct 07, 2018  |  8 comments
The all-in-one turntable market has one gargantuan issue looming over it: the Crosley Cruiser. With everything an analog neophyte thinks he or she needs, these $70 “turntables” sell by the boatload, only to seriously damage records after but a few plays with their five grams of tracking force. Why are they so popular then? Because they’re small, inexpensive and the purchaser doesn’t have to think about piecing together an entire system; it’s right in front of them. Even so, it still feels extremely wrong to spend $100 on a vinyl box set and subject it to the evils of a $70 turntable.

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Turntable Reviews
Pro-Ject’s T2 Super Phono Turntable Is a Super Performer, and It’s a Super Bargain Too
Ken Micallef  |  Sep 09, 2024  |  4 comments

Pro-Ject Audio Systems, a cornerstone in the turntable industry, boasts a rich heritage spanning decades. Few audiophiles can claim a listening journey untouched by Pro-Ject’s influence — we here at AP very much included. Thus, we were eager to see what Pro-Ject’s new T2 Super Phono turntable, which is billed as the company’s “Audiophile Entry Level Turntable,” could do. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see if the T2 Super Phono table is up to the task of topping its quite affordable price class. . .

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Turntable Reviews
Rega Gives the Popular 3 Series A New Spin With the Planar 3 (Decimal Point Added)
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 03, 2016  |  47 comments
(Due to a missing decimal point what was a .2%+ speed error read '2%". However, the published measurements chart is 100% accurate and had anyone done the math it would have revealed the typo. My apologies for the error to Rega, Sound Organization and to you, AnalogPlanet readers).

Can any turntable manufacturer be enjoying the vinyl revival more than Rega? I doubt it. It saw compact discs coming and yet spent a considerable amount of money creating a tool to produce cast pick up arms. I keep mentioning this in Rega reviews but in the face of the digital onslaught it demonstrates their determined commitment to vinyl playback.

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Tonearm ReviewsTurntable Reviews
Rega P3-24, RB301, & Elys 2 turntable, tonearm, & phono cartridge
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 15, 2008  |  5 comments
It's now been eight years since a Rega P3 turntable passed through my listening room. While the new P3-24 superficially resembles the P3 (and virtually every other Rega 'table), the company has made some significant changes, including upgrading to the high-quality, low-voltage (24V), electronically adjusted motor used in the more expensive P5, P7, and P9. As in those models, an electronic circuit trims the phase angle of the P3-24's motor coils, thus substantially reducing motor vibrations. In 1998, during a factory tour, a Rega engineer demonstrated the circuit's effectiveness to me. As he adjusted the circuit board's pot, vibrations from the motor dramatically decreased, until it was difficult to tell if the motor was spinning or not. Back then, this "hand-trimmed" motor technology was available only in the P9. The P3-24 uses a less sophisticated version of the same basic idea.
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