Top ten iconic turntables ...

[dave charlton]

Harley Lovegrove's choice :-

 

[Mullardman]

Excuse my ignorance but who is this guy?

 

[Alex S]

The guy who founded Pearl Acoustics, the speakers he’s sitting between.

 

[tpetsch]

Excuse my ignorance but who is this guy?

Obviously some Quack. ...Heresy!

 

[Paul Prescott]

I tend to agree with what the guy says about these turntables. I've listened to the LP12 (one of the many iterations) hundreds of times, and I love the sonic texture but from a musicality standpoint the P10 is better.
It is all about low mass and the P10 delivers. I would say low mass is the MOST important requirement for turntables. And no, I don't have any affiliation with Rega.

 

[Martyn Miles]

Probably not iconic, but the AR XA showed the way when it comes to suspended turntables.
Mine continues to delight...

 

[Martyn Miles]

Seems I was wrong, after watching the video.

 

[JTC]

No Dansette?

 

[sq225917]

Low mass is just one way to build a turntable.

Actually it's all about speed stability, minimising mechanical noise, isolating environmental noise, maintaining relative geometric placement of all the parts and having a low noise electrical environment.

That's first principles, how you achieve that is down to taste, engineering chops and budget.

 

[Tony L]

I’ve not watched the video yet, but if his list is much different to:

Garrard 301
Thorens TD-124
AR XA
Transcriptors Reference
Linn LP12
Rega Planar 3
Technics SL1200 MkII
Micro Seiki DDX1000
JC Verdier Le Platine Verdier
SME 20

…then he is clearly wrong!

 

[paulfromcamden]

I’ve not watched the video yet, but if his list is much different to:

Garrard 301
Thorens TD-124
AR XA
Transcriptors Reference
Linn LP12
Rega Planar 3
Technics SL1200 MkII
Micro Seiki DDX1000
JC Verdier Le Platine Verdier
SME 20

…then he is clearly wrong!

You may consider him about 50% wrong then : )

Quite pleased he made reference to Lenco Heaven!

 

[Alex N]

Whizzed through the timeline at the bottom, and his picks are...

Garrard 301
Thorens TD 160
Acoustic Research XA
Lenco L75
Pioneer PL-12D
Transcriptors Hydraulic Reference
Technics SL-1200
Linn Sondek LP12
Rega P3
Brinkmann Taurus

A solid list, though I don’t even know the last one, and I’d have picked a Beogram 4000 ahead of some of the others.

(Edit: 160, not 124. Thanks, Sean.)

 

[Seanm]

I think he has the Thorens 160 rather than the 124, which is sort of fair enough. My list would probably have about 5 Thorens in it. IMO a Gyrodec should always feature in lists like this.

 

[Tony L]

…and I’d have picked a Beogram 4000 ahead of some of the others.

Yes, even though my list is obviously the better one I clearly missed a parallel tracker. That comes down to either the B&O and the Technics SL10 (the Revox is all ugly sticky Nextel by now!), and the B&O is arguably the nicer and most elegant of two superb designs. It should be in the list. I’d take out the SME 20 for it.

I think he has the Thorens 160 rather than the 124, which is sort of fair enough.

I viewed the TD-160 as the main mistake on the YouTube list. It is just too similar to the XA and LP12 and is really just a nip and tuck to the TD-150 (which has far more of a case). The TD-124 is the undisputed Thorens icon, and TD-125 the 2nd place contender. That’s not to say the TD-160 isn’t a nice deck that sold a lot, but it isn’t a design icon by any stretch. I’d have not picked the Brinkman either. Far too obscure/minority interest.

 

[PerF]

I’ve not watched the video yet

Lots of links to various video's here, there and everywhere.
I sort of never click and never see.
Maybe I miss something but peoples Top 10... of whatever best of.., is to very little importance for me.

 

[gavreid]

I think the lists are probably missing a VPI.

 

[Big John]

I am biased as I use one, but agree with number 6 the Hydraulic Reference with a few simple mods holds it's own with most.

 

[Sloop John B]

Nice to see 50% of the decks I’ve owned on his list.

.sjb

 

[paulbysea]

Iconic doesn't necessarily mean good. As for his choices, I wouldn't have chosen all of them but that is OK, as it is subjective. Depending on age, where we live and what is available there plus other factors this will impact what we might choose for our list. His is no more right or wrong than anyone else's would be.

 

[Tim Jones]

These lists would be better if their purpose was set out more precisely - "best performing" isn't the same as "chosen to illustrate a specific design" for example; something which "iconic" tends to smudge over.

That said, it's just a bit of fun, and/or is contrived to prompt threads like these. Agree that the Brinkmann is obscure. Interesting that in the end he goes for a P10.