Pro-Ject new $12k table

[frenchmon]

[Jack in Wilmington]

I hope my Pro-ject dealer gets one of those to check out. WOW.

[JohnMichael]

Maybe I should not admit this but if I was going to spend 12K on a ttable I would want a table from a company with their roots in the high end and not the budget sector. Clearaudio, Basis, SME 10, Oracle would be on my list.

When I think about 12K for a turntable I have to admit that I did not spend much more than that on my last new car, my Toyota Echo. 12K would go a long way towards my Fiat 500.

It is a good looking turntable.

[frenchmon]

I DK JM...I would not let that influence me. If-n I prefer to listen to the gear I spend my small money on these days before purchase, I sures in heck would have to listen to everything I could find in the 12k category before I purchased. I would have to put Pro-ject in the listening before I wrote them off.

[Mash]

All I see is audio jewelry. Another belt drive... a two stage belt drive, but still a belt drive. Plus the obligatory deep platter. For what?

The only fresh thinking I have ever seen (years ago) is the Technics SL1200 series wherin the disc platter is magnetically coupled to the drive motor... hence NO motor noise can be transmitted to the disc.

[frenchmon]

All I see is audio jewelry. Another belt drive... a two stage belt drive, but still a belt drive. Plus the obligatory deep platter. For what?

The only fresh thinking I have ever seen (years ago) is the Technics SL1200 series wherin the disc platter is magnetically coupled to the drive motor... hence NO motor noise can be transmitted to the disc.

Is that all you do is ***** and nag?

[JohnMichael]

I DK JM...I would not let that influence me. If-n I prefer to listen to the gear I spend my small money on these days before purchase, I sures in heck would have to listen to everything I could find in the 12k category before I purchased. I would have to put Pro-ject in the listening before I wrote them off.

I agree if I had 12K for a turntable I would check it out. There is nothing worse than 12K of buyer's remorse. I have always wanted to hear a table with a massive platter. That flywheel effect of a large platter would keep the speed very stable. Stylus drag from a heavily modulated groove would not slow it down. The weight of the table would make it immune from external vibrations and any motor vibrations.

Another table I would check out with a heavy platter would be the Nottingham. It has a massive platter with a low torque motor. When the motor is on you hand start the platter and the motor brings it up to speed and maintains speed. The motor and the flywheel effect maintains the speed and the low torque motor does not add to any vibrations.

[Mash]

Yea, frenchie. What of it?

It would be nice to follow sound engineering rather than continue going in the same old circles... don't you think?

[JohnMichael]

Is that all you do is ***** and nag?

My friend as you know some people do not want others to be happy. As Lucinda Williams sings "you took my joy and I want it back" do not let anyone take your joy.

[Mash]

Aw, gee, JM.... I don't want any of you to be unhappy. But you people flog yourselves about "new concepts" that are not new at all. They simply are recycled to make money.... but not for you. Can you understand this?

[02audionoob]

All I see is audio jewelry. Another belt drive... a two stage belt drive, but still a belt drive. Plus the obligatory deep platter. For what?

The only fresh thinking I have ever seen (years ago) is the Technics SL1200 series wherin the disc platter is magnetically coupled to the drive motor... hence NO motor noise can be transmitted to the disc.

Given that the engineers at Technics has such a great concept, they should've finished the job and made the whole turntable great.

[frenchmon]

Yea, frenchie. What of it?

It would be nice to follow sound engineering rather than continue going in the same old circles... don't you think?

Well at least you're honest in stating all you do is ***** and nag....I think I will stay away from you though...those bad attitudes have a way of rubbing off on other wise fairly nice people....

[RGA]

I've always felt the SL1200 was a but underrated and not snooty enough to be taken seriously which was a shame because I liked it better than some more expensive turntables. I liked the grip it possessed and truth be told I preferred it to my Rega P2 clone and to the Rega P3 which has the right name brand appeal. I was fortunate enough to hear the 1200 with an upgraded cart and arm and I suspect that was their problem not so much the table itself.

Still the best tables I've heard are the suspended designs from Audio Note and Voyd. Though the systemdek II based ones are not perfect as their is some motor noise on the lower models when you physically touch the cartridge and hold it over the second motor (though inaudible when actually listening) it is technically there).

To be fair to Project just because they're target has been the entry level market doesn't mean they don't know how to build a very high class product. I also like the entry level Pro-Ject tables over every other entry level table I've heard - again even over my Rega based NAD and the more expensive Rega. And I wasn't impressed with Clearaudio at all so I would be interested in hearing what Pro-Ject could do with a bigger bank roll.

[02audionoob]

There's at least one forum where the SL-1200 is overrated. I had one for about 6 weeks. I bought it mostly because I wanted to see how great it was, since it seems to be considered to be the ultimate turntable in that forum. I figured I'd keep it along with my Music Hall MMF-5. If the 1200 was superior, I'd just sell the MMF-5 and be one of the smart crowd who knows the greatness of the 1200.

I tried three Goldring, an Ortofon and the overrated AT440. The 1200 was not better than the much-maligned Music Hall...in fact, not as good. The 1200 sounded coarse and unrefined to my ears. Now at least I know.