Needles & Grooves

I think someone did this comparison a year or two ago.

I think @HiFi Guy is the man here to ask about those two. I would also respectively suggest VPI or Linn Lp12 demo.

@displayname did that comparison. Spoiler- he bought the Ultradeck. The only thing I’d give up my Ultradeck for is the 1200/1210G (not the GR).

You’re going to love the way you look with the UltraDeck.

Christian, I highly recommend you budget in a Grado Opus3 as well.

If you’d rather have a user replaceable stylus, a couple of us run Ultradecks with the Grado Gold3. If you buy them from Upscale, Kat will install and align it to perfection and provide picture proof- free of charge. They sell the Opus3 too if you want to go that way.

Thanks for the feedback team. I've looked into the VPI very briefly @JohnnyCashFan but couldn't find any that fit my immediate budget, that being said I'm doing to prolong my wait and stack more cash if it blows an UD or GR out of the water.

Will check out the Linn's as well. My local dealer was also talking about some new Thoren's tables that may be contenders.

Is the consensus that the Grado carts are more interesting long term fits with the UD than the MasterTracker @HiFi Guy

Vintage Turntables For Sale - Vinyl Nirvana - Vintage AR and Thorens Turntable Sales, Parts, and Restorations what're thoughts around the tables here? Would a vintage table be a compelling option to consider? Looking to hopefully end up with an end-game table here and focus on the surrounding components in the future.

Dave at VN has a great reputation. That said, I think most vintage gear is overpriced.

As far as Grados- they have a special very musical sound like no other cartridge I’ve ever heard. People either love them or hate them. They are prone to hum if the table isn’t compatible. The Ultradeck is very compatible. When I was buying, I knew I’d go Grado, so I made a list of compatible tables and chose from that.

Would probably be a good idea to spend a few hours at Upscale where you could get a demo on the UD, VPI, and Clearuadio in one shot. But for your budget the UD might be your best fit. @HiFi Guy advice is explicit, great setup and support from Upscale and your choice of Grado's . Plenty of good feedback on Dave's builds out there and plenty of them for sale over the years too.

man what the heck is this, looks sweet

@Ghost I have a Vinyl Nirvana Thorens and a MoFi Ultradeck. Both sound great. Dave’s work is excellent and the VN TTs are beautiful. The VN was a little cheaper but I bought it probably 6 years ago so price has gone up I’m sure

VN has gone way up in price. Way way up. I’d pass.

Spotting the mention of the LP12 upthread…the LP12 was what I thought was my dream turntable. Bought one a few years ago. Ended up replacing it with a second hand Technics 1210 which I much prefer.

@HiFi Guy yea I got mine in 2017 and paid $1500 for a customized TD150 without a cartridge. Got to choose the wood for the plinth. I got a cart shipped to Dave and he installed it for me free of charge. Assuming prices have gone up too

@Ghost one detail about the VN Thorens (at least mine) is the dust cover isn’t on a hinge. It’s separate which some people don’t like.

I did demo a 1200GR with a Hana SL side by side with an Ultradeck MasterTracker in a very high end system at a dealership. As @HiFi Guy said, the UD has remained in my system for years since. Nothing wrong with the 1200, the UD was just a little smoother and laidback, which was exactly what I was looking for at that time.