Features

Table Toppers is back in full force! As you may recall, we recently asked you, the AP faithful, to quite literally “show us your turntables!” for an all-new feature section titled Table Toppers — and ever since then, we’ve been combing through a treasure trove of your many great submissions.

Back in November, we kicked off this new Table Toppers series with a truly terrific trio of turntables owned by Diogo Alfaiate of Lisbon, Portugal — and now it’s time to share our second TT installment with you. The fine, fine analog-centric system you’re seeing here today in Part 2 is owned by none other than Jake Juros, MD, a psychiatrist based in Los Angeles.

“I’m really excited to be a part of this,” Jake told me via an email follow-up after I informed him his submission was slated to be our second Table Toppers piece. His core system consists of a Rega RP6 turntable with a Groovetracer subplatter upgrade, sitting on a Rega Turntable Wall Shelf. The RP6 is fitted with an Ortofon 2M Black cartridge, while a Luxman EQ-500 phono preamp and DiaLogue Premium Integrated HP amp round out the balance of the signal chain, and everything plays through Elac Adante AF-61 tower speakers and matching dual 12in subwoofers.

“I chose the Rega for its looks, and its ability to be wall-mounted easily,” says Jake about his ’table selection. “My previous TTs weren’t as nice — lower-end Technics models — so it was a solid upgrade. I then tweaked it with a great subplatter from Groovetracer.”

Continues Jake, “My most recent phono [stage] purchase was the Luxman preamp — an upgrade from a Jolida. I got it during the pandemic, as I had pretty much nothing else to do except spin records then.”

As to spinning records in the here and now, Jake has plenty of vinyl options to cue up. “My favorite discs to spin these days are by Stereolab, Stereo Total, Hot Chip, and Rafael Kubelik’s Mahler cycle,” he confirms. I then asked the good doctor to give me some more specific album titles by his favorite artists, adding that he could share even more choices beyond the first four he mentioned — and he happily complied.

As to those first four options he noted, Jake clarified his fave LPs as being Stereolab’s Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra, 1996; 2LP reissue, 2013), Stereo Total’s Oh Ah (Little Teddy Recordings, 1995), Hot Chip’s In Our Heads (Domino, 2012), and Gustav Mahler, 10 Symphonies (Rafael Kubelik – cond., Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Deutsche Grammophon 14LP set [2720 033], 1972).

Among his other favorite LPs are Jonny Greenwood (and other artists), Inherent Vice: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Nonesuch 2LP, 2015), Blonde Redhead’s Misery Is a Butterfly (4AD, 2004), Seefeel’s Quique (Too Pure, 1993; re-released on Medical Records as a 2LP set, 2013), XTC’s Skylarking (Geffen, 1986), and Steve Reich’s Drumming / Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ / Six Pianos (Deutsche Grammophon 3LP set [2740 106], 1974).

Why Jake loves spinning LPs as much as he does is something I can personally relate to — and perhaps you can as well. “I think the real reason I enjoy vinyl more than streaming or CDs is the fact that I have to get up every 30 minutes or so to flip and clean the disc — and needle — and these frequent interruptions keep me involved in listening,” he explains. “Also, the inevitable artifacts of vinyl reproduction — crackles, pops, inner vs. outer groove variations, etc. — put up a sort of aural ‘screen’ between me and the music. Paradoxically, that makes the music — which always lies tantalizingly behind or under this ‘screen’ — seem even more real and true and beautiful.” (I happen to love this perspective on it, as Jake has uniquely described some of the many endlessly enjoyable facets of the vinyl listening experience. Well put, doc!)

“I think these vinyl-related ‘barriers’ and ‘frustrations’ get my brain to do more focused processing when listening,” Jake continues, “and this, like magic, ends up in my feeling more enjoyment compared to when I effortlessly touch some glass screen on a streaming device to ‘play’ something. It’s good for your brain to be reminded it lives in a body, and that its senses are always mediated.” (Another round of good points here, as I agree that spinning vinyl offers a level of mental/physical engagement and a non-distracted listening scenario other formats just can’t match.)

Since Jake also made mention of the importance of his record-cleaning ritual, I asked him to give me the play-by-play for exactly how he does it. “I use a large record brush and needle-cleaning gel pads,” he describes. “I usually de-dust the record surface, and dip-clean the needle before playing each side. If the static is really obtrusive, that’s when I bring out my Zerostat anti-static gun.”

Jake adds that he also uses a Pro-Ject vacuum-assisted record-cleaning machine and L’Art du Son record-cleaning fluid. “I deep-clean records only every once in a while,” he admits, “but I'm obsessive about doing it if I’ve just brought a used — or new — record home for the first time.”

Finally, Jake concludes, “After cleaning, I store individual discs in Mobile Fidelity inner sleeves, and keep the entire albums in relatively heavy, 3-4mil outer sleeves.” Sounds familiar, no? Thanks again to Dr. J (sorry, I just had to go there!) for sharing his system and listening proclivities with us. Could you be next? If you haven’t submitted your entry to us yet, see the instructions below for how you too can get into the Table Toppers mix yourself.

It’s never too late to participate! To be a part of Table Toppers yourself, all you have to do is go here to find out all the necessary steps for submitting your system, and then email it all to us at this e-address: apsubmissions@avtechmediausa.com, with “Table Toppers Submission” as your subject line. Happy spinning!