U- Turn Audio Turntables anyone have one?

gudnoyez

http://store.uturnaudio.com/products/orbit-plus-turntable

Checking out this Orbit plus with a Grado Blue cartridge and cork mat $419 shipped 7 week waiting period they build them after you order them. I honestly think they would be as good as the Projects or the Music Halls in this price range. I would use Signal cables instead of the RCAs they send you. Thoughts anyone?

gudnoyez

The $419 is after the upgrade to the Grado Blue, and cork mat the Acrylic platter already comes with it.

gudnoyez

Been reading some favorable reviews on this Orbit plus model and the Grado Prestige Blue Cartridge.

mhardy6647

Couple of big threads at AK on them -- signal to noise ratio (of the threads, that is!) may leave a little to be desired :-P -- but worth perusal if you haven't -- I'd opine.

I haven't seen nor heard one -- I like everything about the concept, but the execution does seem a little crude (based only on photographs). Perfectly in line with their original price of $150... but 400-plus smackers? I dunno; I'd be looking hard at the 'big name' $500-ish Samoleum competition, too.

EDIT: Oh, the aforementioned threads (and other, smaller ones) definitely paint a portrait of a company focused on providing outstanding customer support and accessibility -- so U-Turn definitely gets points for that.

gudnoyez

Yeah but $150 of that price is the upgraded cartridge and the Acrylic platter. I demoed a music hall mmf 2.2 yesterday and was not impressed at all. I really don't need a table have a few already but wanted something new, having all Direct Drives I figured a belt drive will be fun to toy around with.

Have you ever had a Grado cartridge? I have only owned Ortofon and Audio Technica cartridges.

mhardy6647

I've owned Grado cartridges since 1978 -- I'd been using a Sonus Silver in my first "good" tt (a Philips GA-308 I purchased used from, IIRC, Custom Music in Baltimore). Went to a goofy, very old school hifi store downtown one winter day (the owner was a CB'er - thus did I find the place!). The guy demo'd a Transcriptor Skeleton tt with a Grado cartridge and we were all, like, 'ooo'.

I had bought the Sonus at Soundscape, uptown. Sonus was Peter Pritchard's company, after ADC. The Sonus cartridges sounded great, but were very high compliance and very persnickety (as it turned out). Next time I was at Soundscape, I asked about Grado cartridges. John Dorsey said, "yeah, we got 'em". He dug one up (probably a G-1+, I'm not sure, though) and plunked it an a cartridge sled for a Philips GA-212. Fired it up... and were all, like, 'ooooo' (John included) ;- )

I couldn't afford the G-1+, so I bought an F-1+. Still have it (on my purchased-new Philips AF-877), still like the way it sounds. The Grados are still probably my favorite sounding MM (well, technically MI, moving iron) cartridges. They've got that midrange lushness that makes music sound big, lusty, and real.

I have an FTE-1+, too (which was a $13 cartridge, ca. 1979), which also sounds good... but that's another story :- )

[Deleted User]

Ah, yes sold plenty of Sonus Silvers and ADC 25s which was the first $100.00 cartridge. Everybody said it would never sell being that expensive.

RamZet

I followed them during their kick-starter campaign and I regret not funding them.
I have only heard good things about the product. That for 180 bucks is the best entry level TT out there.

mhardy6647

Kenneth Swauger wrote: »

Ah, yes sold plenty of Sonus Silvers and ADC 25s which was the first $100.00 cartridge. Everybody said it would never sell being that expensive.

Well, the Sonus Blue was the sine qua non at the time... but it was way outta my price range.

My experience with the Sonus-- it would sound good for a few months, then the cantilever suspension would deteriorate or harden or something, then it was time for a new stylus. Hmm... maybe Sonus was just ahead of its time -- sell the hardware cheap and make up for it selling the end-user consumables (like ink jet printers today)! ;- )

[Deleted User]

I liked the Sonus Blue on a Formula 4 tonearm. Also the Grace F9E on a Grace 707 tonearm. Still probably sound good.

xjghost

Been looking around at TT lately. Would be interested in what you find out if you order it.

gudnoyez

xjghost wrote: »

Been looking around at TT lately. Would be interested in what you find out if you order it.

They are 7 weeks out once you order, good deal good reviews on the plus model with the Grado Blue, with the money saved , one could buy a Nitty Gritty VCM, and a portable steamer for Viny maintaince. I'm thinking hard on this one.

mhardy6647

Kenneth Swauger wrote: »

I liked the Sonus Blue on a Formula 4 tonearm. Also the Grace F9E on a Grace 707 tonearm. Still probably sound good.

Classic stuff.

(sorry for the old-guy thread disruption!)