[Rclark]

I dunno, it looks like a quality piece to me, especially for the price. Appears to be upgradable as well. Hagerman Bugle, done, I'm not even looking it up right now, that's what I'm getting. So they have product in May, looks like. That's when I order.

[wisnon]

.. yeah, you need a "phono pre" that's just dumb. That part turns me off right there. I'm getting a Dual Core next and that doesn't seem to include any "phono pre". Count me out.

Get an iFi Iphono stage for $400 and you are golden!

[Rclark]

Lol, ok, I won't be able to resist looking that one up. Why do you think that is a better choice?

[sharpsuxx]

Be careful about waiting, pricing might change.  You usually get a better deal with those Kickstarter projects up fron than you do after they get the business going.  Less risk though I suppose.  Really cool to see a new turntable coming out from what appear to be some passionate guys, hopefully it sounds as good as it looks.  Maybe I should list my Pro Ject Debut 3 and look into this one if reviews are good, probably pretty similar performance.

[Letitroll98]

Here are some other nice quality, C&C phono pre's in no particular order:

Pro-ject Phono Box $99

NAD PP 3i $199

Parasound Z phono $199

Thorens - MM-005 $115

Musical Fidelity V-LPS II $199

Rega - Fono Mini A2D $199

Cambridge Audio - 651P $229

Technolink TC-750 $43.50

Technolink TC-760 $53.50

If you can still find these recently discontinued items:

NAD PP-2 $129

Cambridge Audio 640P $169

And if you just something supercheap just to get by for a while:

Behringer PP400 $20

Rolls Bellari VP29 $49

ART DeeJayPreII Phono Preamp $40

BBE FJB-200X Phono Preamp $50

[Noseyears]

Just an update guys,
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57560453-47/a-made-in-the-u.s-audiophile-grade-turntable-for-$150/

[Letitroll98]

Aha.  So the table is not selling for $150, a $150 pledge secures an Orbit belt-drive turntable.  That's way, way different.  Not unreasonable, but different.  There is now a element of risk if they don't get the $120k funding through Kickstarter, the production costs are way more than they estimated so it doesn't get off of the ground, suppliers don't deliver the sub-assemblies on time or in usable condition, their lease expires, they never had a lease, the three founders have decided to remain anonymous, never a good sign, etc., etc., and many more additional etc.'s.  There is a very real possibility you will never receive a table and your $150 investment will be lost.

The other side is what I suspected, they cannot deliver a $150 turntable to market and the retail price will be way north of $150.  So if they do make a giant killer product and the company succeeds, you'll be saving hundreds, and will have a U-turn table way before anybody else.  Unless they decide to sell the first few production runs for full retail to cover costs and feed their children and pay the light bill, in which you may be the last to receive a U-turn table.  Nowhere does it say you'll get the first run of tables.

Like the ol' boy said, "Thas a chance fo sumbody, but it's a gonna be sumbody else, not me."

Edit: I see in Steve's article two of the three are named.

[wisnon]

Lol, ok, I won't be able to resist looking that one up. Why do you think that is a better choice?

Oh, nothing more than the opinions from a pal I posted on the HiRez circle a week or so ago:


Based on the buzz I am hearing, you may just want to get an iFI audio iDac and iUSB power hub for $500 TOTAL and call it a wrap. The feedback coming thru is astounding for this price range and based on my pals feedback on the iPhono phono stage for $400, it is a MUST audition in this category. My pal has a $5000 tube Dac but still bought the iDac+IUsb combo ( as well as a 2nd iPhono) to see what else iFI audio can astound him with!! He swears that they will raise the iPhono price when they come to their senses. LoL

See quote below:
"I followed up on your mention of the ifi products and did some checking.

The result is that I bought the i-phono. It arrived last Friday and, cold out of the box, it was unimaginably better than any phono stage I’ve ever had.

I exchanged a series of e-mails with Vince Luke at AMR regarding my assessment. I had met Vince and Thorsten when they visited the Boston area several years ago and was fortunate enough to have lunch with them and then talk for several hours. Thorsten is the engineer at AMR; Vince is the marketer.

This thing is truly amazing and brings LP significantly past my current CD replay. It is the only phono stage I’ve ever heard which is dead silent.

I’ve been using my $5000.00 Auditorium 23 T-1 Homage step-up transformer for a number of years now. This allows me to connect my Miyajima Shilabe MC cartridge (< 0.3 mv output) to the MM inputs of a preamp and only apply 40 dB of gain. Despite doing this, background phono noise has always been vastly noisier than that of CD.

Now, I can run the Shilabe directly into the i-phono, apply 66 dB of gain, and get a background noise level which is the same as the background noise level of my CD inputs!!! No analog guy, including me, would ever believe that without hearing (or not hearing) it. Even then, it still seems impossible.

Extreme transparency, thunderous dynamics, unmatched timbre, positively spooky imaging and spatial cues, etc. etc.!!! I could go on and on but you get the idea. All of this for less than $400.00 is incomprehensible. Anybody making and selling phono stages should be afraid; very, very, afraid.

For reference: My Shindo Vosne-Romanee with the Homage T-1 step-up together retail for over $25.000.00. The i-phono plus W4S STP-SE retail for less than $$2400.00. How’s that?? Less than one tenth the price and unimaginably, pricelessly better!!

It’s so good I ordered another one before they come to their senses price / performance-wise. In addition, I got an i-USB and an i-DAC at, I think, ~$300 each."

[charmerci]

Aha.  So the table is not selling for $150, a $150 pledge secures an Orbit belt-drive turntable.  That's way, way different.  Not unreasonable, but different.

You do get a tt for $150 if you pre-pay. It might be more expensive after release.

" Pledges of $150 buy the turntable finished in black, but Carter can't for certain guarantee that price for production turntables. They may sell for a little more. "

[jimdgoulding]

For $150 I'd buy one just to have a turntable in my system (that also wasn't of questionable quality). But don't you need some super fancy special preamp just for the record player too? I'm not exactly sure how turntables work, they're a little intimidating, with all you guys babble about, half of it I don't understand. Phono pre's and direct drives and MM cartridges and whatnot. One of the reasons I don't bother.

Hope they get off the ground though, something like that is what it would take to get me into vinyl. An inexpensive player, that is a quality piece and well engineered.

R Clark, didn't make you for a youngster.  You use a pre-amp?  I take that it doesn't have a phono stage onboard.  In which case it would called a line stage by pissed off consumers like me.  How dare these motherjumpers call a line stage a preamp.     

[Letitroll98]

You do get a tt for $150 if you pre-pay. It might be more expensive after release.

" Pledges of $150 buy the turntable finished in black, but Carter can't for certain guarantee that price for production turntables. They may sell for a little more. "

No, respectfully, you don't get a turntable.  You get a promise of a turntable if they ever build any.  If they don't, you don't get a refund.  It's important to realize that not only haven't they built one single production model, they haven't set up the tooling, production lines, hired any workers, established a shipping department, nothing.  They say they have a solid business plan, I haven't seen it, nor do they even give you their names.  One is relying on Kickstarter to have vetted all of these things.  On the good side, it's a small investment, therefore a small risk. 

However, no matter what happens, you can call yourself a venture capitalist.   


Edit: I see in Steve's article two of the three are named.

[Guy 13]

No, respectfully, you don't get a turntable.  You get a promise of a turntable if they ever build any.  If they don't, you don't get a refund.  It's important to realize that not only haven't they built one single production model, they haven't set up the tooling, production lines, hired any workers, established a shipping department, nothing.  They say they have a solid business plan, I haven't seen it, nor do they even give you their names.  One is relying on Kickstarter to have vetted all of these things.  On the good side, it's a small investment, therefore a small risk. 

However, no matter what happens, you can call yourself a venture capitalist.   

Hi Letitroll98 and all Audio Circle members.
Even if 150 USD is no that much money (For some people),
I agree with you on the fact that you are more or less taking a chance.
They should provide more information on the product and themselves.
Other than that, the turn table look like a 150 USD turntable, no more.
Guy 13

[Folsom]

I recommend building a Hagtech Bugle with some premium parts, for a preamp. A monkey could solder one of them together. It isn't too hard to just put in high quality resistors and a couple of coupling capacitors that are high quality, ending up with a very transparent device. That and you can battery power it for total isolation from general noise of power. (but I prefer the power supply with nice parts on it connected to a power conditioner) I've built a couple sets of them, and they can be better than turntable pre phono prices anywhere near affordable.

[sturgus]

R Clark take a look at this one. I picked up one a few weeks ago and have to say it is not half bad.
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=THMM005

[Folsom]

nm

[Rclark]

R Clark take a look at this one. I picked up one a few weeks ago and have to say it is not half bad.
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=THMM005

Thanks, that's a nice option. Is a phono pre something that can boost the performance of a turntable? Meaning, can a high flight phono pre bring up the performance of a midrange table?

[Rclark]

 They have just BLOWN past their goal, they have $66,000 with 28 days left to go and only needed 60K.

 This table will go into production and I shall have one. Woohoo, getting into vinyl, but only for absolute classic albums. Kind of excited now.

 Actually I think I will largely purchase Jazz on vinyl, cd for everything else.

[ajzepp]

Wow, that's amazing that they already met the goal...hopefully they can actually follow through on this!

[Letitroll98]

Thanks, that's a nice option. Is a phono pre something that can boost the performance of a turntable? Meaning, can a high flight phono pre bring up the performance of a midrange table?

No, but a poor one can degrade the performance of a good table. 

[harley52]

A used B&O tt can be had for $2-300. And their auto everything.

Olive is doing something like that pledge tt,but they have a lot more info and for your money you will be one of the first in the world to have an Olive One. I sent in my $399. Info isn't at their site. Google Olive One and there is a site just for it. And they are made here.