Best turntable for $500?

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here's my take on S arms vs. straight arms. I think that S arms (for a given arm tube thickness) have more mass - the S shape necesssarily uses more material than a straight tube. More mass is usually bad, since, even with counterweights and anti-skate, you are basically taxing the cartridge's suspension more with a high mass arm. Stiffer (low compliance) cartridges might like more mass, but not necessarily on the arm tube. a straight tube can also be a higher quality material - fancier metal, carbon fiber, etc, and since there is less of it (shortest distance between two points) than there would be on a curved arm, the mfg. costs are lower. Thinking of the Regas here. The engineering costs for, say a carbon arm that is the correct stiffness, and has varying wall thicknesses to control internal resonances, must be less for a straight arm than for a curved arm. Thinking of Wilson-Benesch here. Virtually all of the high end arms I am familiar with (excludig the radial trackers) have straight tubes. I can only think it is a combination of the above factors at work that makes this so.

Best turntable for $500?

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Tommy wrote:Lots of turntable threads, I guess this is the closest existing one...It's time to retire my '80s Onkyo turntable and upgrade. I've basically narrowed my search down to a new Pro-ject Debut Carbon DC or a used SL-1200MK5. But I guess I'm open to suggestions. I really like the idea of the durability of a 1200 (cat gets everywhere) but I'm not a DJ and don't really want to sacrifice too much audio quality for robustness. Speakers will likely be upgraded in the near future but I don't see myself going beyond my Marantz 2252 receiver any time soon.So... here's the question.Will I notice much of a difference fidelity-wise between these two given they are using the same cartridge/stylus?There's a ton of variables going on in any system, but in the end I think either will be fine.That being said, if you can afford the extra $150 get the Pioneer PLX-1000:https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-4
m.koren wrote:Fuck, I knew it. You're a Blues Lawyer.

Best turntable for $500?

46
Lots of turntable threads, I guess this is the closest existing one...It's time to retire my '80s Onkyo turntable and upgrade. I've basically narrowed my search down to a new Pro-ject Debut Carbon DC or a used SL-1200MK5. But I guess I'm open to suggestions. I really like the idea of the durability of a 1200 (cat gets everywhere) but I'm not a DJ and don't really want to sacrifice too much audio quality for robustness. Speakers will likely be upgraded in the near future but I don't see myself going beyond my Marantz 2252 receiver any time soon.So... here's the question.Will I notice much of a difference fidelity-wise between these two given they are using the same cartridge/stylus?

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