The Audio Technica AT-95E is a fantastic bargain and I've been hearing great things about the AT-120E as well. I like the tonal balance of the Shure M97圎 in the lower price-range. Might be a good match if you like using the auto function. I imagine it only slams the needle down on the record if you hit the auto button and ask it to? The damped dynamic stabilizer brush on the Shure M97圎 will gently lower the stylus into the groove, even if you drop the tonearm from several inches up. Those old Garrards will play music for sure. I'm not even sure how some people hear these subtleties while running a cartridge that's mediocre at best.
Some people think if you're not running the same turntable and cartridge they own, you're missing out on "audiophile bliss". If a used Dual 1229, for example, can be had for $100 or less, and comes supplied with a working cartridge (most likely a Shure model, which will easily blow away an Empire 999), then that offers a really terrific deal, and infinitely better performance than an old Garrard SL-95 with a new cartridge.īelieve it or not, I'm trying to be helpful here, not just critical. I did look, but found no AR turntables, and the Rega models were quite expensive. So, a purchase on ebay isn't always a disaster in the making. The Dual CS-5000 I purchased more recently (for $300)arrived in mint condition, and was very carefully packed by the shipper. My own experience with purchasing turntables on ebay was mixed: the Dual 721 I bought years ago (for $150) arrived in operating condition, but had frayed cables, a worn out stylus, and was positively filthy. I'd be leery about the Technics models, as many are likely to have been used by DJ's who mercilessly abuse them. There are also quite a few Pioneer, Sony and Technics single play turntables available too, most of which would easily outperform the SL-95. Ebay may not be the best place to look, but as of this morning, there are dozens of Dual turntables available at good prices, and with supplied cartrdiges. And last, when using the automatic function, the tonearm "slams" down on the record, as opposed to descending softly as it does on a Dual, or many other units: hardly what one would wish to subject a new cartridge to.Īs the original poster has Hafler electronics and Advent loudspeakers, I felt the SL-95 was a poor match in quality, and recommended a replacement. Next, the cueing system flat out stinks, as it's almost impossible to use it without causing the tonearm to bounce across the record. For one, the clunky, aluminum-trimmed, wooden tonearm just as often as not, sat lopsided on the record. I sold plenty Garrard SL-95's in the late 60's (when the model was new), and remember many truly awful features about it. My suggestion isn't as mean spirited as it may seem.