Well Tempered Lab Royale 400 with 16" tonearm. It weighs in at a healthy 46kg.

threadkiller · « **Reply #60 on:** 26 May 2015, 08:33 pm »

If you're going back to cd solely, might as well lop it off and be done with it...

Beauty is relative, so we'll see. You might be right.

Size, however, is key, at least with the arm and so is geometry. There are only two spots on a table that the arm can be exactly perpendicular, which one wishes would be across the entire record. The longer the arm, the less error across the record. Hopefully someone more technical like Watercourse or Roscoe could explain it more precisely.
In theory, and knowing Firebaugh, it should be great, and hopefully leaps forward than the others..
Don't chop anything off just yet...

mannikman · « **Reply #61 on:** 27 May 2015, 05:29 pm »

As much as I love my Lector CD player, vinyl is still the one, so I needn't lop anything off for now. I just think the reality check is often needed. I heard 10K GBP for this brute. Compared to the Versalex it would need to offer some outstanding improvement on what is already a great deck. Imagine all the vinyl you could buy with that. I would love to come over to your side of the pond and see you A/B these decks, but for me it just looks like a versalex on steroids, and I cannot for the life of me see how it will be leagues ahead of what we have all come accustomed too with the WTL sound.

rob400 · « **Reply #62 on:** 27 May 2015, 06:14 pm »

Well you don't have to go to the US to hear the Versalex v Royale 400 demo mannikman. If you can find the time to come over to Audio Council near Manchester when they get a 400 from John Burns then meet me there for the dem. Not sure that it will retail as high as 10k more like 7k I've heard. I won't be parting with my money either unless it is significantly better. My guess, based on WTL's history when it comes to new decks, is that it will be!

threadkiller · « **Reply #63 on:** 27 May 2015, 06:51 pm »

Cheers to that, mates!
I dunno- I find I've been buying lots of vinyl lately already... I think I've got that dreaded- I've got to have this- disease...
Indeed, there's a lot riding on the Royale's sound. I've already absorbed the look, size, positioning thing.
Now it's onto the main event- the listening!

Manchester? Does anyone go there these days? I guess I'm still thinking of the dark age when Morissey poofed out onto the scene..I did have a small mohawk once, back in 1980... I was all about the Clash...
Ok, too much coffee, too much info...

ADiG · « **Reply #64 on:** 5 Jun 2015, 09:40 am »

http://www.blackpearls-shop.de/WELL-TEMPERED-REFERENCE-TURNTABLE-ROYALE-400

rob400 · « **Reply #65 on:** 5 Jun 2015, 03:27 pm »

So the retail price is 9100 GBP. Not an insignificant amount of money! Almost thee times the price of the latest Versalex/Amadeus. It will have to be good!

threadkiller · « **Reply #66 on:** 5 Jun 2015, 07:26 pm »

Bah! Time will tell, my friends... There may be the cache of having the flagship model...although I do know some lines in which that is all a lot of ballyhoo..
Of course there's the notion that you'd have the longest arm in the room...

ponies58 · « **Reply #67 on:** 6 Jun 2015, 03:58 pm »

Hey, I have seen sebrof wheel his mighty fingers all night long with his WT TT. He don't need no stinkin' cue!!!

ADiG · « **Reply #68 on:** 7 Jun 2015, 06:49 am »

deutschland preisliste:

http://audikron.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/WTL_Preisliste_2015VK.pdf

rob400 · « **Reply #69 on:** 7 Jun 2015, 09:29 am »

I was hoping the turntable plus the new custom rack for it would come in around 9k GBP but the rack is another 6.5k GBP which is around $10k US. That puts the combo at over 15.5k GBP or $24k USD. The WTL flagship model will no longer fly the flag for great sound at a low price although I have a feeling that it will probably set a new standard for vinyl replay.. Look I'm just having a moan because I can't afford it

threadkiller · « **Reply #70 on:** 7 Jun 2015, 04:14 pm »

What? Ready to throw in the towel before the game begins?
Let's just see what happens...or more especially, hear what happens.
Could be a game changer...yee of so little faith..

Another way I see it is this---
Even if most of us can't afford it, it's Firebaugh's statement, the culmination of all his theories. Whether it's his ultimate dream machine or a mix due to constraints or involvement of others is not known. But, Everyone else comes out with statement products, Naim, Clearaudio, Linn, etc. Like the Amadeus, he's worked on this a long time. Look at the Internet, there's tons of statement products. Kuzma's new huge arm, the new SPEC table coming out of Japan for $20k something that looks to be filling the bill for the out of production Shindo table.
Lots of pricey goodness out there.
So I'm somewhat quietly waiting...

rob400 · « **Reply #71 on:** 7 Jun 2015, 05:40 pm »

Quote from: threadkiller on 7 Jun 2015, 04:14 pm

What? Ready to throw in the towel before the game begins?
Let's just see what happens...or more especially, hear what happens.
Could be a game changer...yee of so little faith..
/quote]

No I have the faith Chaz but not the loot

I only hope now that yourself (or another member of this forum) raise the funds and report back on the actual improvement over the excellent Amadeus/Versalex......

threadkiller · « **Reply #72 on:** 7 Jun 2015, 09:29 pm »

Who can say...
You know of course, industry numbers say that 98% of table sales are under a grand.
So even we buying the Amadeus/Verselex are a tiny minority...assume yourself very well heeled using those statistics...maybe we should just bugger off and only buy more records...

rob400 · « **Reply #73 on:** 8 Jun 2015, 10:37 am »

Quote from: threadkiller on 7 Jun 2015, 09:29 pm

..maybe we should just bugger off and only buy more records...

Not the worst suggestion ever Chaz!

mgsboedmisodpc2 · « **Reply #74 on:** 11 Jun 2015, 11:18 am »

A few grand more in records or gear depends I guess on the size of your current collection.
A small collection wants to grow.
A larger collection wants better gear to play it on.
Me I am actually liking a new piece of analog gear not related to the WTC that being a Clearaudio TT-4 Linear Tracking Tonearm.
Discussion of that product is for another audience.

rob400 · « **Reply #75 on:** 25 Sep 2015, 04:51 am »

I've been invited to a 400 Royale demo with the UK WT supplier and my dealer at the shop next week. I will report back.

ADiG · « **Reply #76 on:** 25 Sep 2015, 05:49 am »

Wow, you have been chosen!
Lucky friend!

rob400 · « **Reply #77 on:** 25 Sep 2015, 06:11 pm »

threadkiller · « **Reply #78 on:** 25 Sep 2015, 07:28 pm »

Watch out for that 16 incher... It's a doozy...

rayh23a · « **Reply #79 on:** 6 Oct 2015, 02:34 am »

It sounds so good