4 Turntable comparison - Beethoven 4th
Comparison of 5 turntables, recorded February 2017
Record: Beethoven - Symphony #4, IV. Allegro ma non troppo - Side 2, Track 2 - Pierre Monteux / London Symphony - RCA Victrola VICS-1102 (1965, late-1990s reissue) - purchased new in 1999, likely played 25 times or so.
01 - Amazon Grand Referenz (new)
12" Moerch DP-8 tonearm (new)
ZYX "Universe Premium" cartridge (new)
02 - Thorens TD124 MKI (Schopper restoration, Schopper NM inner & outer platters, Schopper idler, stock-style armboard & plinth)
Stax UA-7 tonearm (ca. late-1970s, stock headshell & cable)
Ortofon "Cadenza Bronze" cartridge (new)
03 - Thorens TD124 (same as 02)
Stax UA-7 tonearm (same as 02)
Ortofon "Quintet Bronze" cartridge (new)
04 - Bang & Olufsen TX2 (ca. mid-1980s)
B&O integrated linear servo tonearm
Sound-Smith "SMMC2" cartridge (new)
Terrafon 211 preamplifier and Sound Devices USBPre2 interface, tracked at 176.4KHz/24bit and resampled with SSRC to 96KHz/24bit. Gain and channel balance adjusted in analog domain.