| BUYING GUIDE - TURNTABLES - UNDER £800 |
| PRICES SHOWN ARE THOSE AT THE TIME OF REVIEW |
| Turntables |
£ |
Year |
Verdict |
| Clearaudio Solution |
£750 |
Feb 99 |
If you seek a powerful presentation where musicality takes precedence over absolute finesse, this could be the answer |
| Linn Basik |
£400 |
Sep 94 |
Definitely a turntable for devotees of attack and strong bass lines. Not strong on imaging. |
| Michel Gyrodec SE |
£775 |
Apr 99 |
Great sound, superb build and excellent upgradability make the 'spider' a wonder at the price. (also reviewed in Sep 01) |
| Michell Mycro |
£539 |
Jan 94 |
Silent and beautifully made, with transparent reproduction. |
| NAD 533 |
£200 |
Nov 94 |
Based on a Rega Planar 2. Both pleasant to use and look at with a mature sound, all for £200. |
Origin Live
Turntable Kit |
£539 |
Mar 02 |
Simply, the cheapest way to get high-end vinyl sound. Component quality is superb and the build process is a doddle for your average DIY-er. |
| Pink Triangle Tarantella |
£575 |
Oct 97 |
Simply the best at the money. Combines PT's customary transparency with real authority. |
| Project 1.2 |
£200 |
Jun 97 |
A bargain at £200 with its substantial and involving sound. |
| Project 6 |
£350 |
Dec 93 |
Involvement and rhythm are priorities. Highly recommended |
| Project 6.1 |
£435 |
Sep 94 |
The 6.1 gives a very full, strong sound. A very exciting deck |
| Project Classic Cherry |
£450 |
Jul 99 |
Emminently capable player that can be upgraded with superior cartridges. |
| Project Debut |
£109 |
Dec 99 |
Produces an enjoyable and confident sound on a budget. There are better turntables around, but not at this price! |
| Project RPM Four |
£300 |
Aug 01 |
Easy to set up and great looking, with a stable and smooth sound. The RPM Four is an audiophile bargain. |
| Systemdek 2X2 |
£500 |
Aug 96 |
Clear and precise sound through midrange and treble puts it up with more expensive rivals. |
| Systemdek IIX900 |
£415 |
Sep 94 |
Detailed sound stage and broad imaging with a good, even range of tonal colour. |
| Systemdek IIXE |
£450 |
Jan 93 |
Combined with an SME 309 it achieves great results, with a massive sound stage. |
| Thorens TD166 Mk6 |
£405 |
Sep 94 |
Tonally smooth with a warm midrange, but a little too laid back. |
| Thorens TD180 |
£180 |
Feb 95 |
A good, basic budget bargain |
| Thorens TD280 Mk4 |
£199 |
Jun 93 |
Superbly lucid and clear midrange, but lower reaches are a little lightweight |
| Townshend Rock III |
£799 |
Feb 94 |
It rewrites some of the turntable building rules and changes the way you listen to LPs as well. |
| Vestax BDT-2000 |
£225 |
Sep 99 |
Price includes cartridge and phono stage. A fit-and-forget solution to LP replay, of exceptional versatility |
| Virtual Reality Reson rs1 |
£600 |
Nov 95 |
With fine detail resolution, transparency and a neutral balance the Reson rs1 represents super value. |
| VPI Junior |
£500 |
Oct 97 |
The Junior is a very good deck indeed, with an assured and involving sound. |
| TURNTABLES - £800+ |
| Alphason Symphony |
£1860 |
Nov 92 |
The Symphony has to be one of the best the British can offer. It's expensive, but a true sophisticate. |
| Basis 2001 |
£2995 |
Jun 99 |
It's not cheap, but the 2001 shows just why vinyl is still a sonically viable format. |
| Clearaudio Champion |
£930 |
Jan 02 |
Attractive and well built, the Champion is an accomplished turntable in its neutrality and detail. Some could find it too sterile. |
| Clearaudio Evolution |
£1095 |
May 00 |
Expensive but gorgeous looks and excellent sound somehow make the price more accepable. |
| Linn LP12 |
£2400 |
Sep 01 |
This set up includes the Valhalla power supply, Trampolin baseboard, Akito arm and Klyde MC. What the LP12 lacks in purist hi-fi stakes it more than makes up for when it comes to sheer involvment. |
| Linn Lingo LP12 PSU |
£850 |
Jul 02 |
A cracking upgrade to any LP12. The new Lingo delivers a full and spacious sound that's totally addictive. |
| Michell Orbe |
£1950 |
Apr 95 |
Fast and detailed with crisp sheer treble and clean, deep bass. |
Michell Orbe VC DC
Power Supply |
£750 |
Dec 01 |
Absolutely fabulous, this mod invests the Orbe with previously unheard power, poise, focus and punch. |
| Opus 3 Continuo/Cantus |
£900 |
Oct 95 |
Solid as a rock and almost as heavy, it's a satisfying performer, but not quite the best |
| Origin Live Oasis-A |
£950 |
Dec 98 |
Nice looks and a good sound, but can be bettered on price. |
| Origin Live Oasis-S |
£2250 |
Oct 98 |
The Oasis-S is a cool, lean but very transparent performer thanks to battery power. Up against strong competition. |
| Origin Live Oasis-S |
£2250 |
Dec 01 |
Updated and brilliantly judged package with tremendous strength in depth. Not as characterful sounding as its more established rivals, but certainly none the worse for it. An essential audition. |
| Pro-ject Perspective |
£900 |
Aug 98 |
Aesthetically, the Perspective is a winner, but better sound can be had from cheaper decks. |
| Pro-ject RPM9 |
£1562 |
May 02 |
Absolutely fantastic value for money. Here's a deliciously sweet sounding turntable with a fine arm and superb cartridge at a bargain price. |
| PT Anniversary |
£2390 |
Oct 96 |
With its battery supply and ultra-quiet DC motor, the Pink displays great accuracy and neutrality. A top-flight deck. |
| Rega P9 |
£2248 |
Apr 02 |
Beautifully detailed and involving, yet completely self effacing, the P9 is one of the best vinyl spinners around. Superb design and ergonomics completes a fantastic value package. |
| Roksan Xerxes X |
£1295 |
Jan 97 |
An undoubted bargain and class leader in all areas with a precise, confident and well-balanced sound. (Also reviewed Sep 01) |
| SME Model 20 |
£2500 |
Oct 92 |
This is a deck for those with a substantial record collection who demand the best. Exemplary sound. |
| Technics SL-1200 LTD |
£1000 |
Apr 97 |
Looks expensive at £1000, but don't let that put you off the capable standard version. |
| Wilson Benesch |
£1775 |
Jul 96 |
Gives a technically excellent rendition but fails to really communicate the emotion in music. |
| Wilson Benesch Full Circle |
£2000 |
Mar 98 |
Offers clarity in abundance with a natural ease. Looks gorgeous too. (also reviewed in Sep 01) |
