Alright people,
Here's how the audition went...
Disclaimer:
1. I may be new to Turntables but I am also a musician and have been around/played in live bands, so I have a pretty well trained ear.
2. The players' sound was judged entirely on my taste in music, so please be objective while reading - records used - Jimi Hendrix (Are You Experienced) and some random Ilayaraja tracks.
3. All sounds heard on Pioneer integrated AVR and Phillips bookshelf speakers
Denon Sl200 - Belt drive fully automatic
This was the first player I checked out and honestly my first real passage into the world of record players and believe me I was smiling like a fool. Never heard nothing like it. Period. (now i really understand what all the fuss is about
hyeah
The player was really light-probably less than 2 kilos. Like all the other players there was nothing wrong with the table itself or the arm/needle. It came with a vintage Shure cartridge. The player was sparingly used by the previous owner. Cosmetically there was nothing wrong with it, except maybe it was a boring grey colour. Compared to the others the build quality was not upto the mark, the others definately had sturdier needles. Also the pitch tuning had to be done with a screwdriver through two holes under the player.
I found the sound too bright, consistently. The first record played was an Ilayaraja track. The clarity was there but to me it sounded all over the place. Mids were too bright, bass was too damp and the vocals spread out. More importantly the speed had to adjusted quite a few times before it settled at the right pitch, not very confidence inspiring. So overall, as expected, a basic entry level player.
Technics SLQ2 direct drive
The sound was quite close to what I had heard to in the Denon, but the build quality was way better. Everything looked and felt better, cleaner. Like I mentioned the sound again was similar to the Denon, I was surprised because I was sure this was a much better player than the basic Denon, maybe this particular piece had some faded out leads or something. Also when the table was running without a record on it, I did notice a bit of a whirring noise, not sure if this was normal, but I felt it might get quite annoying. Anyway move on to the next one...
Sony pST22 direct drive fully automatic
The second one, like most if not all Japanese brands in pretty much any product they make, the build quality was undeniable. The needle looked solid, the buttons looked like they were made last month. The colour was clean, no scratches. The player dint need an earth wire like the other players (not sure if thats important). Even the rubber padding that goes on the table was super smooth and looked brand new(checked, it was the stock one) considering this player is like 15 years old, thats saying something.
The sound itself was very clean, crisp and balanced. I felt that, like all players like Sony or Philips, that try to get a more 'commercial' or 'studio produced' sound, the bass was very clean and right in the centre, mids just the right amount of brightness and the clarity in the sound was unmistakable. This was a quality product with the perfect sound. But maybe thats why I dint favour it too much, it was too clean, too neat for me. What I look for, especially in something as uncompressed as a record player is the rawness, the instruments cutting through, the music sounding exactly like how it was meant to be. Not like something that was sent through a processor to sound perfect, something imperfect, unhinged and properly analog - all that I found in...
The Technics SlB2 Belt Driven fully automatic
hyeah:
.... except the 'automatic' part did not work.
But I was completely hooked to the sound it gave out and stood there for a long time listening to the Jimi Hendrix LP I had put on. To my ears atleast this was a clear winner. It had everything i wanted and looked for. Sure, there was some minor discolouration towards the side and the 'Start' and 'Reject' buttons did not really do anything. Few scratched on the cover as well
But the sound was everything and I just really went for this player when I heard it.
The build was comparable to the Sony, and way better than the Denon. It had a lever to lift the needle from the platter, which the other players did not have. Nothing else to discuss then, I had found what I was looking for.
Final price - Technics SLB2 + AudioTechnica AT91E (brand new) - Rs. 5250 (only)
I think this is a pretty good deal. Lets hope I dont come across any issues in the near future atleast.
A word of advice to newbies like me - When you are going to a dealer DO NOT let him know that you are a first time record player buyer. The guy refused to give me a guarantee on the needle as he felt there was a chance I might break it in the beginning since i was a rookie. :annoyed:
A BIG thanks :signthankspin: to everyone who posted on this thread and other threads I had looked across before this buy.
