I have made the plinth and the modifications on the Lenco GL75 myself.  It consists of alternating layers of marine ply and mdf. The top plate was cut and sunk in the plinth. Arm-boards and adjustable legs are custom made from aluminium.

Tonearms in the pictures (on the Lenco) Advanced Analog Mg1 Air Bearing Linear Tracking Tonearm with 
ultra P wand, Linn Ekos Mk1, and (on the Oracle) Rega RB900, static balanced, Van Den Hul Silver rewire, and low center of gravity counterweight.

Wow, I bet that Lenco sounds great. A modified Lenco has one of the best price to performance ratios in my opinion.

That's unfortunate. For that kind of cash I would expect to be able to use 12" arms which I prefer to 10s or 9s. Also, does that mean you might need to throw in a Walker PMC on top?

Yeah, it's disappointing. I prefer 12" tonearms as well.

I still expect it'll sound exceptional with the new 10" edition of the Black Beauty, and I like it when designers engineer the turntable and tonearm together as a whole, but for that kind of dosh there should be more flexibility. I can't help but feel like they could have extended the armboard somehow in the design to allow for longer sizes while keeping the overall shorter length of the table. The more cynical part of me suspects they might have gimped it just to keep the flagship Kronos more attractive. Honestly, who wouldn't spend the extra $7k or so for the bigger model at that level? It would have made so much more sense in my mind to price the Sparta at around $15k instead of $22k.

As for needing a PMC, I'm not sure if the Sparta has no motor feedback or if it just lacks the more sophisticated version in the Kronos with optical sensors. I suspect it might use a somewhat simpler implementation w/o the optical sensors.

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Speaking of 12" tonearms, I came across this amazing combo of the Monaco with Tri Planar's 12" arm with what appears to be a special carbon fibre arm tube:



It's sitting on top of Grand Prix's Formula base. Normally I'm not a big fan of carbon fiber, so it's kind of odd I'd totally melt for what amounts to a entire setup bedecked in it, but that's exactly what's happened. What a svelte looking combo.

Though honestly, I'd probably go with a 12" Black Beauty (which sounds quite lewd now that I type it out...).



...or even a DaVinciAudio Labs Master Reference Virtu, also 12" but without the continuity of carbon fibre.



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Linear trackers still intrigue me. The Bergmann Sindre is a truly exquisite setup, but now Bergmann is selling the version found on the "entry-level" Magne as a standalone.



Its simplicity is very appealing, though if I went that route I'd want to get the matching Bergmann table since it uses the same airbearing ethos for the platter. There's also a new "entry level" linear tracker from Clearaudio, the TT-3, which retails for under $4k USD.



Since I'm a firm believer in synergy, I'd be very tempted to combine it with the Clearaudio Innovation. The TT-3 and Innovation Compact seems like a potentially great setup for under $15k. Which is still a metric f-ton of cash, but not too bad for a complete linear tracking setup with top quality craftsmanship.



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Something occurred to me the other day. It seems obvious enough, but serviceability and support is an important factor to consider. A lot of these smaller companies for instance have already retired models that came out only a few years ago (and don't even update this on their webpage, which they leave outdated). There's something to be said for a more established brand. That being said, some established brands are pretty crappy WRT customer service, and I was really impressed by how accessible some of these 'smaller guys' were. Merrill-Williams, Dr. Feickert, Kronos, Spiral Grooves, Basis, Oswald's Mill Audio, and Grand Prix all respond promptly.

So...




Listened to the Rega RP10 with their new ceramic platter and new RB2000 tonearm equipped with an Apheta cartridge. I was pretty damn impressed by what I heard. In fact, if I had $7k to spend on an entire turntable package (deck, tonearm, and cart) this would definitely be at the top of my list along with the Well Tempered Labs Amadeus GTA and a cart like the Shelter 901 or Miyajima Shilabe.

I've always been fond of higher end Rega decks however, having had a P7 that I traded up for a P9. They're extremely low hassle, easy to use and maintain. Which is something you shouldn't underestimate --- so many people don't even have their expensive turntables dialed in correctly! Owned a Rega comes with piece of mind, as you never have to worry about a lack of support or the availability of parts. And honestly, when it comes to single belt drive, I think Rega are on to something with their low mass approach.

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In other news, I'm really interested in VPI's new Direct Drive Classic. I'm not surprised this model is their new top-of-the-line offering, given my experience with direct drive in the past. Also they have a new 3D printed tonearm that looks neat.



In addition, VPI offer a rim drive upgrade to their HR-X model that was already pretty great in my opinion. Would be really interesting to compare the rim drive HR-X with the Direct Drive Classic.



Speaking of rim drive, Origin Live!'s new flagship models---Venturer and Voyager---use this method to spin their platters. Can't wait to try either. They're both supposed to be the same, just different aesthetic options.

I know you like Regas, but I'm still surprised you've found the all Rega/Apheta combo to be up there with some of the best from the other guys. Or... did you just like it for what it costs? I understand the value quotient with with the lower end Rega tables and Rega arms, no question. However, just as with their electronics, IMO the further up the line you go, the less value you get.

Good, I like being surprising from time to time.

The P9 was a jewel of a turntable in my opinion. The RP8 was more a lateral move, but their new RP10 is unquestionably a step up for me and really the best Rega I've heard. Granted, I've experienced the typical criticisms of overly forward sound that lacks body, yes, but that was mainly on systems that were not synergistically favorable to them. The Apheta really needs 50 ohms to sound ideal, and loading it with higher ratings will typically result in that kind of stereotypical "bad Rega sound." Their IOS phono stage is another good product for the money in my opinion, and while it pairs well with a variety of different carts, it has a special setting just for the Apheta.

Really, you'd be surprised just how many people don't have their high end gear dialed in correctly, and I've heard stuff twice as expensive as the RP10 sound twice as bad just because it keeps going out of spec all the time. I find there's a definite appeal to Rega's ease of ownership. Which brings me back to the statement I made: if I had $7k to spend on a vinyl package right now, I'd seriously consider the RP10 + RB2000 + Apheta at the top of my list. Yes, that's given the budget of $7, though I'd still consider it even if I were spending more (just not as strongly the higher up I go; I'm being practical, not delusional).

New SME Model 10:


http://www.analogplanet.com/content/smes-new-model-10%E2%80%94worldwide-exclusive-first-look

Also there's a Rockport Sirius on Audiogon for 13k - http://app.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-rockport-sirius-ii-turntable-2014-07-02-analog-portugal
Though it looks like it needs some work.

Just want to give a shout out to the Kuzma Stabi SD. It's an incredible turntable. In some ways, I even found it preferable to the Stabi Ref. 2 which costs significantly more and is better than many similar priced turntables IMO. What makes the Stabi SD particularly great is that is can support two 12" tonearms.

That's one thing I really dislike about SME. To even get ONE 12" tonearm on their turntables, you have to pay out the ass.

Having the ability to listen on two different cartridges (especially one mono) is flexibility I will never again forsake.

Cool. What are you using to support it? From what I know of the Stabi S at least, you can't even breathe on it unless you've got something VERY solid underneath.