ohbythebay
New member
- Thread Author
- #1
This will spark a debate (a friendly one) but hear me out.
Many things have a golden age where production reaches a pinnacle of quality and performance. For the purpose of this postulation, I am speaking about sub $2000 tables. The quality tables of the 60's, 70's and early 80's would also be measured in different dollars. For example:
$1 in 1970 is about $5.37 today
So spending approx. $500 in 1970 on a turntable, was a major purchase, equivalent to a $2000 purchase today and what I am going to show you demonstrates the quality of that purchase. Regardless of the fact that today, used, that table may sell for $300 to $600 used, you are getting the quality of a $2000 table. Not convinced ? Lets take a look.
One of the things better legacy tables were known for was very low wow and flutter percentages and high DB signal to noise ratios. This is significant because wow and flutter is directly correlated to how your sound will be reproduced. Wow will present pitch variation while flutter is generally speed variation. I am generalizing here but basically, too high a percentage is bad.
So what is the comparison? In many ways it is hard to tell because so many of the current companies don't want to tell you their wow and flutter numbers. I can tell you that after much research, companies like REGA, ClearAudio, VPI, Music Hall, etc. have wow and flutter specs ranging from .08 to .2% Doesn't sound like much right ? Until you compare.
SO many of the legacy tables (both belt and DD) have wow and flutter specs as low as .015 and many average .025 to .045. You are talking about imperceptible variation in pitch and speed meaning, piano's, oboes, flutes, etc. will sound cleaner. But why ? Simple production demand.
When there is high demand for something, production quality and competition drive that quality curve up. If you want to stay in business, be competitive and differentiate your product, you better make sure your stuff is "da bomb". The same occurred in the hayday of tubes. When there was high demand, high output and facilities dedicated to making awesome tubes, you get those famous tubes of the 50's and 60's that are so much cleaner that todays reproductions.
Now, some of those older tables may have seemed cheesy. A lot of plastic, etc. But inside those units was quite a bit of sophistication and circuitry designed to deliver. For example, quartz speed control, signal cutoff so no sound was produced while cueing. This was important because many units were auto or semi-auto. Anti-resonance arms are another example.
Now where todays tables excel is in construction material (for damping), platter material (no more metal ringing bells) and tonearm design. What they have sacrificed is speed control, automated functions and variety.
Variety you say ? Look at todays tables. Plinth, platter, arm, a control or two. A Rega looks like a VPI, looks like a Clearaudio which looks like a Music Hall. Auto or semi auto is out of the question. Primary updates to technology have focused on arms and platters. But is all of this really better ?
I want to be clear, I love my Clearaudio Concept table. But I know, that for the same price, I could make a pristine legacy table sound just as good. Examples ?
For under $500, any of these (plus many more) would be a sweat addition to any system
You can find a million specs and info here:
Free Turntable Manuals | Owners, Service, Schematics & Brochures | Vinyl Engine
So where do newer tables shine? Get above $2000 and you start to see some real quality and innovation. VPI Classics. Higher end Clearaudio.
Bottom line...if you can only spend 1970 dollars ($500 or so), a legacy table is a great choice.
Many things have a golden age where production reaches a pinnacle of quality and performance. For the purpose of this postulation, I am speaking about sub $2000 tables. The quality tables of the 60's, 70's and early 80's would also be measured in different dollars. For example:
$1 in 1970 is about $5.37 today
So spending approx. $500 in 1970 on a turntable, was a major purchase, equivalent to a $2000 purchase today and what I am going to show you demonstrates the quality of that purchase. Regardless of the fact that today, used, that table may sell for $300 to $600 used, you are getting the quality of a $2000 table. Not convinced ? Lets take a look.
One of the things better legacy tables were known for was very low wow and flutter percentages and high DB signal to noise ratios. This is significant because wow and flutter is directly correlated to how your sound will be reproduced. Wow will present pitch variation while flutter is generally speed variation. I am generalizing here but basically, too high a percentage is bad.
So what is the comparison? In many ways it is hard to tell because so many of the current companies don't want to tell you their wow and flutter numbers. I can tell you that after much research, companies like REGA, ClearAudio, VPI, Music Hall, etc. have wow and flutter specs ranging from .08 to .2% Doesn't sound like much right ? Until you compare.
SO many of the legacy tables (both belt and DD) have wow and flutter specs as low as .015 and many average .025 to .045. You are talking about imperceptible variation in pitch and speed meaning, piano's, oboes, flutes, etc. will sound cleaner. But why ? Simple production demand.
When there is high demand for something, production quality and competition drive that quality curve up. If you want to stay in business, be competitive and differentiate your product, you better make sure your stuff is "da bomb". The same occurred in the hayday of tubes. When there was high demand, high output and facilities dedicated to making awesome tubes, you get those famous tubes of the 50's and 60's that are so much cleaner that todays reproductions.
Now, some of those older tables may have seemed cheesy. A lot of plastic, etc. But inside those units was quite a bit of sophistication and circuitry designed to deliver. For example, quartz speed control, signal cutoff so no sound was produced while cueing. This was important because many units were auto or semi-auto. Anti-resonance arms are another example.
Now where todays tables excel is in construction material (for damping), platter material (no more metal ringing bells) and tonearm design. What they have sacrificed is speed control, automated functions and variety.
Variety you say ? Look at todays tables. Plinth, platter, arm, a control or two. A Rega looks like a VPI, looks like a Clearaudio which looks like a Music Hall. Auto or semi auto is out of the question. Primary updates to technology have focused on arms and platters. But is all of this really better ?
I want to be clear, I love my Clearaudio Concept table. But I know, that for the same price, I could make a pristine legacy table sound just as good. Examples ?
- Pioneer PL-530
- Sansui SR-929
- Marantz 6350
- Sony PS-X7
- Dual 721
For under $500, any of these (plus many more) would be a sweat addition to any system
You can find a million specs and info here:
Free Turntable Manuals | Owners, Service, Schematics & Brochures | Vinyl Engine
So where do newer tables shine? Get above $2000 and you start to see some real quality and innovation. VPI Classics. Higher end Clearaudio.
Bottom line...if you can only spend 1970 dollars ($500 or so), a legacy table is a great choice.