[vinyl anachronist]

I've heard the Continuum Caliburn, the Continuum Criterion, the Rockport Sirius III, the Clearaudio Statement and a variety of other hyper-expensive turntables, but I believe my favorite turntable of all time is the original Wilson-Benesch ACT One table with a Breuer tonearm, with a couple of different cartridges.  I've heard this 'table on a variety of occasions, and it hypnotises me every time with its lovely, warm, inviting sound.  I love it's classic looks, too, like a Linn, only more elegant.

What is your dream turntable?  Not the one you think really looks cool, not the one you'd only buy if you won the lottery...but the one you really, really want.  (Or maybe you're lucky enough to already own it!)

[Wind Chaser]

As long as the table is isolated I think that answer depends mostly on the arm and cartridge.  I had an Oracle Delphi with a few diffrent arms and cartridges.  The best I have ever heard was the Electro Research EK-1 (strain gauge) mounted on an Alphason HR-100S, a solid titanium tone arm.

If you really want to explore the full potential of vinyl…  Not cheap, but will rival any MC or MM cartridge.

[TheChairGuy]

It may not be the best rig I ever heard, but it's the best rig I paid attention to in it's make....a Townshend Rock III, Townshend Excalibur arm with some mid-level modded Grado was spectacularly dynamic and clear.  Not horribly expensive as top decks go either...maybe $6K for the tandem (new).

Still outta' my league tho....

[TONEPUB]

For me, it has to be the SME 30/SME V arm with Koetsu Signature Platinum cart with an Aesthetix IO phono, but I know there is better out there....

Have heard a few more expensive things at shows, but never in an environment that I was familiar enough with to make a judgement call!

[JoshK]

For me it was most obviously Tito's rig.  It is a Simon Yorke with S7 and Dynavector DV507mkII tonearms, Dynavector XV1s and Allaerts MC1BmkIIz carts switched via Manley Skipjack.  He could switch back and forth to tailor the sound as he liked.   

[TONEPUB]

nice setup!  That's a real testament to the skipjack that it does not introduce
any noise at such a low level...

You should tell him to send a note to EveAnna, she'd be impressed!!

[fsimms]

The best vinyl rig that I have heard is John Elison's Sota vacuum turntable with an AT OS9 cartridge and a Pass XONO phonostage.  I actually only heard a digitial recording of it, but it still was the best

[SET Man]

For me it was most obviously Tito's rig.  It is a Simon Yorke with S7 and Dynavector DV507mkII tonearms, Dynavector XV1s and Allaerts MC1BmkIIz carts switched via Manley Skipjack.  He could switch back and forth to tailor the sound as he liked.   

Hey!

   What's the best I've heard? Well, hard to say since most of the time I only get to see TT set up is at the audio show and of cause I usually didn't get to spend time with them

   But I have to agreed with JoshK that Tito's set up was the best I've heard to date And I know this for sure since I was there and got to spend time with it playing my own LPs.

   It was one of those memorable moment for me Than I came home and play the same LPs on my back than a stock Rega Planar 2 with BPS EVOIII and well.... you know it kind of make me scratch my head and say..."Hey! What happened to that tiny detail and dynamic?"

   Well, my TT set up is better now but still I don't think it could match Tito's set up in performance and of cause looks 

Take care,
Buddy

[nathanm]

So can you listen to a song in half the time by using two tonearms? That's efficiency!

[Imperial]

If its a Fugue... you can...

Imperial

[vinyl anachronist]

As long as the table is isolated I think that answer depends mostly on the arm and cartridge.  I had an Oracle Delphi with a few diffrent arms and cartridges.  The best I have ever heard was the Elctro Research EK-1 (strain gauge) mounted on an Alphason HR-100S, a solid titanium tone arm.

If you really want to explore the full potential of vinyl…  Not cheap, but will rival any MC or MM cartridge.

I heard that Soundsmith system with the strain gauge cartridge at the RMAF, and they have something special indeed...

Surprisingly, Soundsmith is one of the few places in the world that can fix or find parts for old Bang & Ofulsen turntables, too.

[mgalusha]

The best I've ever spent time with is Chris Brady's (Teres Audio) system. Mezmerizing every time I hear it.

[vinyl anachronist]

The best I've ever spent time with is Chris Brady's (Teres Audio) system. Mezmerizing every time I hear it.

At the RMAF is October, I spent a lot of time with the Teres guys.  They love to do comparisons with all of their 'tables side-by-side, so that you can hear the differences between each model.  They also love to compare arms and cartridges.
You can learn a lot from hanging out with them.

BTW, I heard their new top-of-the-line direct-drive 'table with the Schroder Reference arm and a Koetsu Bloodstone cartridge, and it was one of the very best analog set-ups I've ever heard.

[Danny Kaey]

my own ...

Brinkmann LaGrange, w/ Tube PS, Brinkmann 10.5, Tri-Planar, AudioCraft 4400, Kontrapunkt B, ZYX R100 Fuji, Shelter 501, EAR 324 phono...

w00t... man, that was a killer setup...

(sadly, I had to sell it..................)

meanwhile I have an EMT 948 coming... a NHT Thorens 124 in the works... and a Technics 1210 M5G...

muuuuahahahahahahahaahhaa!!!

[JimJ]

I haven't heard too many, to be honest...but I bought my preamp from a guy who had a VPI HW-19, some kind of Benz cartridge IIRC, a BAT amp and Vandersteen 2C's...gorgeous sounding

Convinced me to buy a HW-19jr. myself and do some tweaks to it