Tardcore

I have a VPI 16.5 that I really like. The Okki Nokki has been more readily available in the US in the past few years and seems pretty comparable and a little cheaper (maybe that’s the $500 option you are referring to?) I have always wondered how much the lack of a full(ish) sized platter impacts the usability of the record doctor. You should consider trying to get a demo at a local store if you have one available

I like my Marantz TT15-S1 (rebadged Clearaudio Emotion with some upgrades) I got mine for $1000 from MusicDirect as a Marantz B-Stock. (Mine had some marks on the underside of the acrylic platter). If you search, there are one or two older threads that discuss options in the $1k range.

Gotcha. I wasn’t sure if you had moved on from the Rotel as well.

What are you driving them with?

I had a passing interest in the Clearaudio Nano a while ago. My thought process was that it is likely designed to work well with the entry level Clearaudio tables/carts and hence should suit the Marantz package. I’m pretty satisfied with the on board phono section in my PM8004 though.

I bought a floor model Marantz PM8004 for $500 a few years ago and have had no issues. My favorite feature is the amp-only mode which allows me to use the amp in my AV setup to power my fronts and then just turn the pre-amp back on when I want to listen to music.

You know what they say. If the music’s too fast, you’re too slow! #nothelpful

It will probably smooth out over time. You can just give it a gentle spin when you start it up if you want to avoid the slippage or just wait until it gets going before dropping the needle.

Speakers don’t have to be large to be high quality and quality does not equal loud.

Some unknown force sucked me back into Diablo 2 after like a decade.

You’ll probably get the most bang for your buck with an amp/speaker upgrade—depending on your budget.

I have one scratched Fugees CD. Some of the songs skip but Killing Me Softly still plays fine. final offer.

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Do you know how much space you’ll have? Martin Logan? Magnepan?