The turntables reviewed in the following section were chosen because they represent roughly the middle of the market.
Their average price is $240, with the cheapest selling for $160 and the most expensive for $300. Although they vary in degree of sophistication, none are stripped-down models and none fall into the luxury class.
Some models have automated features, but for most of those that do there ate non-automated companion units.
Likewise, manuals usually are accompanied by "stepup" models that incorporate semiautomatic and automatic operation and that may add sophistication (e.g., quartz speed lock in a direct-drive line) to the motor system.
These are not beginners' turntables; they generally are targeted for serious listeners who, while looking for a high level of performance, are constrained to remain value-conscious. On the other hand, none of them are so complex in operation or philosophy as to intimidate the newcomer or to require any extensive experience with something similar. Go very far below this price range, and useful features and some performance begin to disappear; go too much above it, and the law of diminishing returns begins to apply.
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REPORT POLICY
Equipment reports are based on laboratory measurements and controlled listening tests. Unless otherwise noted, test data and measurements are obtained by CBS Technology Center Stamford, Connecticut, a division of Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., one of the nation's leading research organizations. The choice of equipment to be tested rests with the editors of HIGH FIDELITY. Samples normally are supplied on loan from the manufacturer. Manufacturers are not permitted to read reports in advance of publication, and no report, or portion thereof. may be reproduced for any purpose or in any form without written permission of the publisher. All reports should be construed as applying to the specific samples tested: neither HIGH FIDELITY nor CBS Technology Center assumes responsibility for product performance or quality.
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Fisher's Direct Drive with a Difference
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Fisher MT-6225 two-speed (33 and 45 rpm) semiautomatic single-play turntable ensemble, including simulated-walnut base and dust cover. Dimensions: 17 3/4 by 14 3/8 inches (base), 6 inches high with cover closed; 11 inches vertical clearance and 3 1/2 inches at back required with cover fully open; 54-inch audio cables.
Price: $230; available with Empire 2000 EMI cartridge (as MT-6225 AC) for $250. Warranty: "limited," one year parts and labor. Manufacturer: made in Japan for Fisher Corp., 21314 Lassen St., Chatsworth, Calif. 91311.
Virtually every turntable line has one or more direct-drive models at its pinnacle. Fisher's Studio-Standard series is no exception, the top three models fitting this description.
Fisher's units are not slavish imitators, however. Whereas the majority of direct-drive systems use a DC motor (with or without quartz lock), the MT-6225 opts for a 120-pole, three-phase AC-servo drive. And it is directly driven in the absolute sense: The platter itself forms the rotor of the motor. A magnetic band within the periphery of the platter interacts with the stationary coils of the motor to induce rotation. The two common speeds are available, with separate vernier controls for each. Connection with the preamp is made via a permanently attached dual cable whose capacitance we measured at 130 picofarads--an appropriate value for the majority of stereo cartridges.
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Fisher MT-6225AC Automatic Turntable
Speed accuracy no measurable error for either speed at 105 or 127 VAC when set exact at 120 VAC Speed control range at33-6.2to + 3.1% at 45-5.4 to + 3.4% Weighted peak flutter (ANSI) average 0.04% peak 0.07% Total audible rumble (ARLL)-61 dB Stylus force gauge accuracy no measurable error Arm friction lateral vertical 0.15 gram negligible Stylus force required for auto trip 0.4 gram Tone-arm resonance and damping (with Shure V-15 Type III) vertical 6 Hz; 3''/ dB rise lateral 5.5 Hz; 2 dB rise
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The tone arm is gimbal-mounted on a horizontal thrust bearing and vertical pivot bearings. The S-shaped arm terminates in a standard removable headshell with mounting slots for adjusting the overhang until the stylus lines up with the center of a bubble level on the top plate-a technique we find less convenient than most separate overhang-adjustment gauges because visual alignment of the stylus and the bubble, some 3/4 of an inch below it, cannot be as precise. The arm returns to its rest automatically at the end of the side (or when REJECT is pressed) in about 10 seconds. Pivoting the arm away from the rest energizes the turntable.
According to CBS's bench tests, the speed of the MT-6225 is maintained perfectly over the normal line-voltage range once it is properly set at 120 volts. The pitch controls provide roughly the same range at either speed: about a semitone below nominal and half that above it. Weighted peak flutter measures within the range we have come to expect of the better models.
The tone arm pivot has negligible friction in the vertical plane but proves a bit sticky laterally. This lateral friction offsets the skating force by 0.15 gram, and it is probably advantageous to set the antiskating dial to a calibration somewhat lower than the actual tracking force. This friction bias aside, the antiskating-force curve is quite linear over its 4-gram range. Fisher suggests that the dial calibration is correct for most spherical styli but that the control should be adjusted to a position corresponding to between 1.2 and 1.4 times the tracking force for Shibata styli. Once our suggested offset correction is made, we would go along with the recommendation.
The tracking force is set via a rotating counterweight. Tripping the auto-return mechanism requires 0.4 gram of tracking force; it is unlikely that anyone would use such a low force even with a high-quality pickup.
In combination with a Shure V-15 Type III cartridge, the tone arm resonates laterally at a very low frequency, but the more important vertical resonance is better situated, and the modest rise in output at resonance suggests good tone-arm damping. Our tests on the Shure "Era IV" record, using the Empire cartridge supplied with the MT-6225AC, duplicate the 8-Hz vertical resonance, and the stylus motion at resonance is modest. Weighted rumble is reasonably low.
Four compliant pads support the MT-6225. The turntable can be leveled by adjusting the feet so that the bubble is centered in the bull's-eye. Fisher's suspension seems excellent: This model is quite insensitive to vertical and lateral shocks on the shelf that supports it, and the stylus hangs in the groove very well. The dust cover is well balanced and, with a modicum of care, can be raised or lowered during play without causing the cartridge to mistrack. (All the controls lie inside the closed dust cover, though we prefer leaving the cover open during use to prevent its static charge-if any-from upsetting the effective tracking force.) The cue mechanism provides good damping as the arm descends but leaves it free to move outward by several grooves it ascent. Should you raise the arm precipitously, it will bounce fairly far to the right.
When the Fisher's range of features is taken as a whole, it is the suspension that seems to stand out most strongly. Although it is common to advise the music lover to mount his turntable on a rock-steady platform, that advice is easier to give than it is to implement. Many listening rooms simply don't offer a firm enough underpinning to accommodate a skittish turntable. Fisher's MT-6225 may be a viable solution to a widespread problem.
++++++++++++++++
Direct Drive from Garrard
Garrard DD-130 manual two-speed (33 and 45 rpm) single-play direct-drive turntable, with base and dust cover. Dimensions: 17 3/8 by 13 3/4 inches (base), 6 1/2 inches high with cover closed; 17 inches additional height and 2 3/8 inches at back required with cover fully open; signal cables approx. 3 1/2 feet, non-detachable.
Price: $159.95; available with Shure M-91ED cartridge (as DD-130S) for $219.95.
Warranty: "limited," three years parts and labor.
Manufacturer: Garrard Engineering, Ltd., England; U.S. distributor: Plessey Consumer Products, 100 Commercial St., Plainview, N.V. 11803.
European turntable manufacturers in general have been somewhat slow in adding direct-drive models to their lines, preferring for the most part to retain the proven belt-drive system and often contending that it is superior to direct drive in any case. Garrard, like a few other European companies, seems to feel that direct drive has its advantages too, for it has quietly introduced models incorporating that feature--first the DD-75 and now the DD-130. Spartan in its appointments though it may be, the new model starts with the proverbial clean sheet of paper and seems representative of some new directions in Garrard engineering.
But simplicity of approach need not--and does not in this instance--rule out sophistication, the tone arm of the DD-130 being an excellent case in point. Little seems to have been spared in reducing the mass of the aluminum-alloy tubular arm, said to weigh a mere 12 grams together with its head--shell, to the bare minimum. The measured resonant frequency of the system for vertical motion with the Shure V-15 Type III pickup mounted in the arm is reasonably far from the region of maximum warp energy. Damping, considering the favorable location of the resonance, is moderate to good.
The weight-reduction campaign has also been applied to the counterweight, which will balance any pickup weighing no more than 8 grams. This limit rules out the majority of moving-coil cartridges but fosters better performance with the
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Garrard DD-130 Manual Turntable
Speed accuracy no measurable error for either speed at 105 or 127 VAC when set exact at 120 VAC
Speed control range
at 33
at 45
Weighted peak flutter (ANSI) average maximum
Total audible rumble (ARLL)
Stylus force gauge accuracy
Arm friction
-3.7 to +6.4%
-3.5 to + 5.5%
0.04%
0.07%
-60 dB no measurable error negligible
Tone-arm resonance and damping (with Shure V-15 Type III)
vertical 8.2 Hz; 4.5 dB rise
lateral 6.2 Hz; 2 1/2 dB rise
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--fairly compliant fixed-coil types that still constitute the mainstream. The scale on the counterweight gives measurably exact indication of the tracking force in use. The manufacturer offers the Shure M-91 ED as a premounted option but no conclusion should be drawn from this selection: The DD-130 can handle the top of the Shure line or any other within its chosen sphere. The detachable headshell, incidentally, is of the "universal" type and fits many, though not all, tone arms of compatible design. Anti-skating bias is linear.
Coupled to a brushless DC motor under servo control, the platter rotates with minimal flutter. When set to rotate at 33 rpm with a standard AC power-line voltage, it is unaffected at voltages that normally represent worst-case extremes. This holds true at 45 rpm. Fine speed control extends over a total range of about one and one-half semitones, but if the 33 speed is set for synchronism with the strobe, 45 is off, and vice versa. Audible rumble falls just to the good side of our traditional boundary between the sheep and the goats, and infrasonic rumble is in evidence neither through audible side effects nor visible on the oscilloscope we customarily use to monitor our auditions.
From what we heard with a DD-130 connected to our system, the turntable lets the cartridge go about its work essentially unencumbered. Record warps are tracked well, and the unit is relatively insensitive to shock. The tone arm must be set down and lifted by means of the cue lever, but it is well damped and handles in a way that makes this easy. When the arm is lifted in mid-play and lowered again, it returns to a spot within a groove or two of the liftoff point.
With its simplicity of design and reluctance to accommodate exotica, this must be classified as a bread-and-butter turntable-but the bread is of whole-grain flour free of harmful additives and the butter is fresh. In short, all of the really essential features of a turntable come along with a surprisingly high level of performance. And the price looks good.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Kenwood Ensemble Has All Its Marble(s)
Kenwood Model KD-5070 fully automatic two-speed (33 and 45 rpm) single-play direct-drive turntable ensemble, with dust cover and "marble"-topped base. Dimensions: 19 by 13 3/4 inches (base), 6 inches high with cover closed; 101/2 inches additional height and 2 3/4 inches at back required to open cover fully; approx. 3-foot audio cables. Price: $260. Warranty: "limited," one year parts and labor. Manufacturer: Trio Electronics, Japan; U.S. distributor: Kenwood Electronics, 1315 E. Watsoncenter Rd., Carson, Calif. 90745.
Last time we looked at a Kenwood turntable (the KD-550, May 1977), we were impressed by its freedom from shock susceptibility and acoustic feedback-two of the prime contaminants of sonic clarity in a record-playing system. The automatic KD-5070, the line's current flagship, combines a similar marble-like base with an extremely effective suspension. The "anti-resonance compression base" (ARCB) is molded from particles of limestone and glass in a polyester resin binder. It not only is heavy like real polished marble (at more than 10 pounds), but has the same smooth texture and appearance.
The base is isolated from its surroundings by four compliant feet, and the low-frequency isolation proves exceptional indeed. We find it virtually impossible to dislodge the stylus no matter how hard we thump the table on which the KD-5070 rests. The dust cover can be raised, lowered, and even dropped with only a modest protest from the loudspeaker.
Tapping the base itself creates a wow in the sound but no mis-tracking, and in close proximity to hard-driven speakers, the sound remains cleaner than average for these conditions even though the base can be felt to vibrate with the music.
A 20-pole brushless DC-servo motor drives the--platter at 33 or 45 rpm, and a separate 12-pole synchronous gear motor powers the arm, which can be programmed to find the lead-in groove of any standard record size (the designations are in centimeters: 17, 25, and 30 instead of 7, 10, and 12 inches). The cycle time is reasonably brief-about 7 1/2 seconds to return the arm and turn off power. There is a similar wait at the beginning of the play cycle; then the platter comes up to speed and locks in within 2 3/4 seconds at 33 rpm. It will accelerate from 33 to 45 rpm in 1 1/2 seconds and slow down within 3 seconds. The repeat-play cycle requires about 15 seconds.
Laboratory tests indicate that the speed remains constant over the line-voltage range and that the flutter content is negligible. The pitch-control range amounts to approximately a semitone either way at 33 rpm and somewhat less at 45 rpm.
The rumble is extraordinarily low; if you hear any with this turntable, you had best suspect the record.
The conventional S-shaped tubular-metal tone arm comes with a standard plug-in headshell. Antiskating force is supplied by a pivoted weight that can be positioned to provide the appropriate outward compensation for cartridges tracking at 1, 2, or 3 grams. The amount of antiskating applied is a bit less than average once lateral arm friction is allowed for.
Although the tracking force required to trip the automatic mechanism is greater than average, no problem should occur in practice. The stylus-force gauge is accurate at the extremes of the range (0.5 gram and 3 grams) and reasonably accurate in between. Tracking force adjusts in the usual fashion for such an arm: The rotating counterweight, isolated by butyl rubber, has a dial on which the force is set once the arm has been balanced. Since the KD-5070's counterweight and scale are coupled very loosely, care is required to avoid erroneous settings.
With a Shure V-15 Type III cartridge mounted in the head-shell, CBS found a rather low lateral tone-arm resonance and a somewhat higher resonance in the vertical plane. Of greater concern is the somewhat underdamped (i.e., "high-rise") response at resonance. During our tests, we too found that the arm moved to a greater degree than average at the outer grooves of an LP--the region where warps generally are most severe. When we tried pickups with different compliance and damping properties, which alter (respectively) the resonance frequency and severity, the Shure V15 Type IV seemed a good choice. Its Dynamic Stabilizer keeps the arm motion within reasonable bounds. A cartridge of relatively low compliance (we used the Dynavector 20B) moves the resonant frequency upward (in this case to 8 Hz), but the relative motion between the stylus and the arm can be exaggerated to the point of mistracking. Some damping-either in the cartridge itself or via an external damping mechanism (such as a DiscTraker)--seems to be a good idea with this arm.
The signal cables are rather short and quite low in capacitance (90 picofarads). We'd suggest you experiment with the frame-grounding wire. With some pickups, we found the hum to be lower with the wire unconnected; others required the grounding, and with some it made no difference.
Whenever the arm is raised, the signal leads are automatically grounded to mute the thump as the stylus settles into or leaves the groove. The platter of the KD-5070 is somewhat larger in diameter than the common LP, so removing a disc from the turntable may require a bit more dexterity than usual if you are to avoid scraping the surface with your fingernail. The cueing action is exemplary; the arm responds promptly and returns with negligible side drift.
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Kenwood KD-507D Automatic Turntable
Speed accuracy no measurable error for either speed at 105 or 127 VAC when set exact at 120 VAC Speed control range at 33-6.4 to+5.0% at 45-4.4 to + 3.9% Weighted peak flutter (ANSI) average 0.035% maximum 0.065%
Total audible rumple (ARLL) -69 dB
Stylus force gauge accuracy
Setting Measurement
0.5 gram 0.50 gram 1.0 1.05 1.5 1.65 2.0 2.20 2.5 2.70 3.0 3.00
Arm friction lateral vertical
0.1 gram negligible
Stylus force required for auto trip 0.57 gram
Tone-arm resonance and camping (with Shure V-15 Type III) vertical 8.0 Hz: 5 dB rise lateral 6.5 Hz: 3 dB rise
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The performance of the Kenwood KD-5070 is outstanding in several regards. Rumble is almost totally absent--we can't recall a turntable with a fetter figure. Speed accuracy and flutter are state-of-the-art, and the suspension is outstanding. The user can circumvent its one foible, a relatively massive and underdamped arm, by the careful selection of a cartridge, aided by an effective infrasonic filter. In such a combination, the KD-5070 will provide superb performance at a modest price.
+++++++++++++++++++
A Stanton Turntable for Any Pickup
Stanton 8005M two-speed manual turntable assembly. Dimensions: 16 3/8 by 13 1/8 inches (top plate), 6 inches high with cover closed; 16 1/2 inches additional height and 3 1/2 inches at back required to open cover fully; approx. 3 1/2-foot nonremovable signal cables.
Price: $300; available with Stanton 881S cartridge for $450 or Stanton 681EEE cartridge for $390.
Warranty: "limited," one year parts and labor.
Manufacturer: Stanton Magnetics, Inc., Terminal Dr., Plainview, N.Y. 11803.
Until the introduction of this latest series--Models 8005M (manual) and 8005A (semiautomatic)--Stanton turntables would accept only Stanton pickups. Happily for those of you who would defend your right to free choice, this no longer is true. Along with a plug-in headshell that will fit any cartridge, the new series offers revised cosmetics, user-accessible adjustment of the rate at which the viscous-damped cueing lets the tone arm descend, and hinged dust cover that can remain in any position from fully open to fully closed. And for those Stanton fans who want more convenience than was previously available, the semiautomatic version should be good news indeed.
Retaining the drive system of the 8004.11 (a synchronous motor and belt), the 3005M manages a modest improvement in rotational stability, as the measured flutter data indicate.
Speed accuracy is better too: The nominal 33-rpm speed is measurably exact at normal power-line voltage and at the extremes used in our tests, and 45 rpm, while a hair fast, likewise remains unaffected by the AC line. No fine-speed control is provided. Rumble is quite low: It stands just inches from our unofficial "goal line" of-60 dB ARLL. The Unipoise tone arm's single-point pivot, like the earlier version, is virtually frictionless, and the arm itself keeps mass to a minimum. The vertical resonance with the Shure V-15 Type III cartridge installed is about an octave above the warp region; caution might be in order in using a cartridge of similar weight and significantly less compliance, as this will move the resonance toward the audible range. (Moving-coil cartridges generally have sufficient stiffness-the inverse of compliance-to court this danger, but their relatively high mass would probably offset some of the lightness of the tone arm.) And the resonance is so well damped that it should have little effect in any case. The stylus-force gauge reads about one-tenth of a gram high in the most-used range, about one-quarter gram high elsewhere-a larger error than usual but only serious if your pickup has exceptionally narrow tracking limits.
Antiskating bias falls within the generally accepted range.
When we connected the Stanton to a music system and put it through its paces, we were generally pleased with what we heard and saw. It tracks warps very well, especially with a cartridge like Stanton's, which is fitted with an auxiliary damping device. A moving-coil cartridge that we used with the unit delivered good results too. Stanton's suspension system provides sufficient isolation for normal conditions; when strained heavily-by very heavy footsteps or a very bouncy floor, for example-the shocks can cause skipping and, in the latter case, may feed back. But used as it would be in most homes, the turntable should cause no complaint.
Here, then, is a product that fits solidly into Stanton's tradition. Insofar as it retains tenaciously the endearing features of its progenitor and adds a few new ones of its own while improving performance slightly, the design can be called conservative; but there is no reason why a design must be radical to be good. Where this turntable shines is in its ability to suit the tracking requirements of highly compliant cartridges, which Stanton, as the manufacturer of several such products, should know particularly well. This is an important consideration for many of today's audiophiles. Less important but per haps even harder to come by is the 8005's unique and pleas ant personality. It should gain many admirers.
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Stanton 8005M Turntable
Speed accuracy 33 rpm no measurable error at 105, 120, or 127 VAC 45 rpm 0.15% fast at 105, 120, and 127 VAO Weighted peak flutter (ANSI) average 0.055% maximum 0.095% Total audible rumble (ARLL)-59'/2 dB Stylus force gauge accuracy Setting Measurement
0.5 gram 0.38 gram 1.0 0.90 1.5 1.40 2.0 1.75 2.5 2.30 3.0 2.70 3.5 3.20 4.0 3.65 Arm friction negligible
Tone-arm resonance and damping (with Shure V-15 Type III)
vertical 13 Hz; 1 dB rise lateral 8.8 Hz; 1'/4 dB rise
+++++++++++++++++
Visonik's Direct-Drive Premier Turntable
Visonik Model DD-8200 semi-automatic two-speed (33 and 45 rpm) single-play direct-drive turntable, with base and dust cover. Dimensions: 18 by 13 7/8 inches (base), 6 1/8 inches high with cover closed; 10 3/8 inches additional height and 2 3/8 inches at back required to open cover fully; approx. 3 1/2-foot removable signal cables. Price: $250. Warranty: "limited," two years parts and labor. Manufacturer: Heco-Hennel & Co., West Germany; U.S. distributor: Visonik of America, Inc., 1177 65th St., Oakland, Calif. 94608.
Though beauty be in the eye of the beholder, technical performance and even convenience of operation are subject to objective analysis. Being the sole direct-drive turntable that Visonik offers, the DD-8200 is--not surprisingly--the top of the current line. It is a semiautomatic two-speed platter that comes to life as soon as the tone arm is removed from its holder. The arm is positioned manually over the record and lowered; from then on, the DD-8200 assumes command.
Each control is readily accessible from the front with the dust cover lowered.
In the way of novelty, this model has a slider pitch control (rather than the customary knob) whose position next to the strobe window is eminently logical, as is its operation. While the slider has a rather narrow range (roughly a quarter-tone either way), its physical length facilitates precise adjustment.
The single slider adjusts both speeds; once it has been set at 33 rpm, the platter also locks in precisely at 45 rpm. Nor does the speed vary measurably over the range of line voltages you can expect at home.
The second novelty in the DD-8200 is its cue control. You lower the arm by pressing the front-panel lever, which then locks down; you raise it by pressing the lever further yet to release the catch. (A caution tag on the lever warns the user of this unusual action, the manual being quite misleading in this regard.) At the end of the disc-or when REJECT is actuated--the mechanism automatically releases the CUE and lifts the arm. The cue device operates smoothly, thanks to oil damping, and the stylus returns quite precisely (within one or two grooves) to its previous position. The location of the CUE, the well-illuminated strobe, and the LED speed lamps give clear indications of operating conditions.
Also unusual among today's turntables, but eminently sensible, are Visonik's removable signal leads. Those supplied with the platter measure a trifle over 3 1/2 feet and are of exceedingly low capacitance (including the tone-arm wiring, about 105 picofarads). Should your cartridge require a greater capacitive load, or should you need to keep your preamp farther from the turntable, standard pin-plug cables can be substituted. The residual capacitance of the DD-8200's internal wiring is about 30 picofarads.
The 20-pole, 30-slot DC-servo motor provides excellent speed stability, negligible flutter, and very low rumble. A fixed counterweight balances the S-shaped tone arm laterally, suggesting that this turntable is more tolerant than average of unlevel operation; the adjustable vertical-balance counterweight delivers tracking forces that match the calibration with near perfection. The force required to trip the return mechanism is well below the practical minimum, even for today's most compliant pickups. The antiskating force appears appropriate to us at the 1-gram setting but increases more sharply than customary at higher settings; it reaches its maximum value at a 2-gram indication, above which the bias remains constant.
Lab measurement found a tone-arm resonance at a somewhat lower frequency than optimum with our standard Shure cartridge. The vertical resonance is only moderately damped; a less compliant cartridge (and, preferably, one that affords a higher degree of damping) would seem to be a more suitable choice for the DD-8200. In our listening tests with the same pickup, however, we found that the Visonik handles a typical complement of records with satisfactory results. The arm does tend to vibrate somewhat in sympathy with pinch-warped discs-a fault common in many turntable/arm combinations-and, on the 6and 8-Hz "warp" bands of the Shure "Era IV" test disc, the sound is modulated substantially by the low-frequency vibrations.
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Visonik DD-8200 Semiautomatic Turntable
Speed accuracy no measurable error for either speed at 105, 120, or 127 VAC when set exact at 33 and 120 VAC
Speed control range
at 33
at 45
Weighted peak flutter (ANSI) average maximum
-4.1 to + 4.2%
-3.0 to + 3.3%
0.03%
0.06%
Total audible rumble (ARLL)-64.5 dB
Stylus force gauge accuracy no measurable error 0.5 to 2.0 grams; measures 2.55 grams at 2.5-gram setting
Arm friction negligible
Stylus force required for auto trip 0.35 gram
Tone-arm resonance and damping (with Shure V-15 Type III)
vertical 8.5 Hz; 4 1/2 dB rise lateral 5 Hz; 3 1/2 dB rise
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The turntable suspension is very fine indeed, and the sys tern is notably immune to shock in the vertical plane, some what less so to lateral perturbations. The removable dust cover is well balanced and can be raised or lowered without distress while playing a disc-though this virtue should rarely be called upon in actual use, thanks to the placement of the controls. In general, the DD-8200 does what it should-and well-at the same time offering little "extras" in appearance, convenience, and novelty features.
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SUMMING UP. As might have been expected, no one of these turntables is a clear standout in all categories, and in many respects they represent a dead heat. The four direct-drive models are a photo finish with respect to flutter, and the belt-drive Stanton is close enough to the others to remain audibly on a par. The Fisher, Garrard, and Kenwood are measurably exact in speed and will allow you to go back and forth between 33 and 45 rpm without speed readjustment. The Visonik and Stanton are equally exact at 33, though if drifting strobe patterns annoy you, you will want to reset the former when going from one speed to the other. The latter has no fine speed control.
When it comes to rumble, differences are more clear-cut, with the Kenwood ahead by a considerable margin and the Visonik not too far behind. Yet the Stanton, Garrard, and Fisher are bunched up within a 1'/z-dB spread right around the level at which we generally would forget about rumble, and they do not suffer audibly by comparison.
For isolation from external shock, the nod must go to the Kenwood, followed closely by the Fisher. But in choosing either of these models, one accepts a tone arm that is not at its best when used with highly compliant phono pickups. The Stanton and the Garrard, whose arms nailed down first and second honors, respectively, in such an application, offer the least isolation from shock. This pair, interestingly, spans the extremes of price; the others are so close that the differences can almost be ignored.
So it seems that none of these units can be all things to all turntable buyers. Yet whatever the strengths that may lead you to prefer one over the others, the weaknesses that you will be forced to accept along with the strengths should not prove worrisome or embarrassing; you can't really go wrong.
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New Equipment Reports--A CONSUMER'S GUIDE
Preparation supervised by Robert Long, Harold A. Rodgers, and Edward J. Foster
Laboratory data (unless otherwise noted) supplied by CBS Technology Center
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(High Fidelity, Jan. 1979)
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