As we await the wide-sharing of VPI’s latest new-product news, we just couldn’t pass up testing out their Scout 21 turntable — the successor to their well-loved Prime Scout model — in the interim. Red Ken Micallef’s review to see if the Scout 21 measures up to VPI’s longstanding top-shelf turntable standards. . .
With the vinyl resurgence, we live in a golden age of well-made turntables, many of them at prices affordable to one and all. With that in mind, we wanted to present you with a buying guide of sorts that takes into account all types, interests, and wallets, covering a wide-swath price range starting around a baseline of $650 on up to a champagne level of around $30,000. Read Ken Micallef’s in-depth turntable primer, which should be able to help you find a truly great table that fits your current needs, handles your upgrade aspirations, and/or addresses all the essential parameters of solid design and performance for practically any price. . .
Pro-Ject Audio Systems, a cornerstone in the turntable industry, boasts a rich heritage spanning decades. Few audiophiles can claim a listening journey untouched by Pro-Ject’s influence — we here at AP very much included. Thus, we were eager to see what Pro-Ject’s new T2 Super Phono turntable, which is billed as the company’s “Audiophile Entry Level Turntable,” could do. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see if the T2 Super Phono table is up to the task of topping its quite affordable price class. . .
We’ve long dreamt about a true mid-fi revolution wherein affordable gear can perform at a top-tier level — and, as if right on cue, the Gold Note T-5 turntable arrived for a hands-on evaluation. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see how and why the T-5 consistently delivers great sound well above its price point. . .
It’s a rite of passage for vinyl enthusiasts and audiophiles alike to bring home a new turntable, isn’t it? Read on to see how new AP contributor Shanon McKellar feels about the many wonderful listening sessions she’s already experienced with her current, and clearly favorite, Acoustic Solid Vintage Exclusive turntable. . .
Rekkord Audio carries the torch of meticulous German craftsmanship, so we wanted to see if their flagship M600 high-end manual subchassis turntable backs up that claim. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see if the M600 is capable of delivering music with energy, drive, focused imaging, and bass lucidity. . .
Audio Note have long been revered for their turntables, tube amps, DACs, and speakers, and our review subject today happens to be one of their current turntables, Namely, it’s their the TT-One Deluxe table, which has been paired here with the British company’s own AR One/II tonearm and IQ I MM cartridge for maximum Audio Note magnificence. Read Ken Micallef’s review to find out what the Audio Note TT-One Deluxe table is made of, and how it fared come listening/evaluation time. . .
Introduced in 1979, the Technics’ SL-1200MK2 turntable soon became both the company’s standard bearer and the DJ’s vinyl spinner of choice. The 1200 went through endless iterations, entering the home and studio — and, in its latter variations, the 1200 also became a turntable audiophiles could love. Fast forward to today, where we now have the Technics SL-1200GR2 direct drive turntable, a quite formidable new entry in this venerable series. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see if the GR2 delivers the goods in terms of resolution, speed, textural information, and spaciousness. . .
As one of the oldest turntable manufacturers in America, SOTA has the rare vantage point of both understanding what U.S. customers want while also addressing a large international following. Their latest offering, the SOTA Quasar turntable, ups their game considerably. Read Ken Micallef’s review to find out if the Quasar immediately belongs on your own turntable-obtainment radar. . .
Michell’s TecnoDec Reference turntable fits right into the sweet spot of new, high-performance ‘tables available in the $2,000-to-$3,000 SRP range. Read on to see why our ace reviewer Ken Micallef thinks the TecnoDec is one of the best turntables he’s reviewed in the past decade. . .
When you take a closer look at the lineup of gear available from Austrian manufacturer European Audio Team — perhaps better known by their more precise acronym, E.A.T. — you’ll find beautiful electro-mechanical designs reflected in graceful lines, unusual exterior choices, and well-appointed materials. Read Ken Micallef’s review to find out if E.A.T.’s latest offering, the C-Dur turntable, is able to match natural, nuanced, and detailed sound with the company’s equally outstanding design acumen. . .
Some turntables can be true objects of art. Regardless of any turntable’s looks, bells, and whistles, at the end of the day, it all comes down to solid and experienced engineering. This is where Acoustic Signature’s Maximus NEO turntable comes into the picture. Read Ken Micallef’s review to find out how something that looks this classy actually performs as a top-notch turntable. . .
When we first previewed U-Turn’s Orbit Theory turntable back in late August, we had high expectations about its performance. Read on to find out if the Orbit Theory delivered the goods in terms of clarity, layering, punch, transients, physical dynamics, and more . . .
Thorens has a longstanding history of turntable excellence. Does the company’s new TD 1500 ’table continue to uphold that mantle? Read Ken Micallef’s review to find out if the belt-driven, suspended subchassis TD 1500 is up to spec. . .
The demand for new under $1000 turntables remains impressively robust. There are widespread shortages in some but not all markets around the United States with wait times for some models up to 6 weeks and for some even longer.