The absolute best for the best price isn’t something we talk about much in the audio world. We talk a lot about the best real world priced or bargain priced equipment. I don’t see much written about how to get the very cutting edge state-of-the-art for the best price. So, I would like to share with you how I think you can do this when it comes to playing LPs.
When it comes to turntables, it seems that the sky is the limit when it comes to price. I haven’t heard any of the $100,000 plus turntables except at shows. I have heard several table-and-arm setups up to $70,000 in my system. I love the drive and pace of the Shindo 301 or Artisan Fidelity Garrard 301 turntable. I love the deep bass of the Merrill-Scillia MS21 or the DaVinciAudio Labs In Unison turntable. I also love the detail and quietness of really good belt-driven turntables. As good as many of those tables are, I have only found one turntable that combines the essence of all these. It is the AMG Viella V12 Turntable and Tonearm, but you need to consider the purchase of the Harmonic Resolution Systems M3X-1921-AMG V12 Isolation Platform as part of the turntable; it not only improves the sound, but also looks great without the wood skirt.