Do not underestimate the potential of the Goldring decks. provided the idler wheel is in good condition it IS possible, regardless of what other people often say, to have these turntables run as quiet as ANY of the highest end TTs. What is more those wacking big motors that drive them, if in good condition, will give you not only superb torque but the most stable platform for record spinning. Forget belt drive. Evel with the stock arm on the Goldring Lenco GL75, which is a great design for tweaking on the outside but murder to re-wire, just listen to some piano music on it. Okay, with that stock arm, maybe the tonal quality isn't spot on but just listen to the sustains of the notes. They are PERFECT! Not a trace of wobble. If you know the sound of a piano really well, like I do, you will know what I mean. So, personally, I'd keep the L75 for spares to feed the G99. If necessary, contact Technical & General in the UK for a new spindle and bearing and/or idler wheel (tel: +44 1892-654534 - about £20-£30 a piece), mount it in a nice piece of Italian marble (get the local stone mason to make one - cost you maybe £150 if you allow him to use off-cuts) and consider using a RS Labs RS-A1 Tonearm on it ...
System edited: Just updated speakers. Next will be cables, then, full Mods on SCD-1, then, update amp and lastly (is there ever an end?) subwoofers (maybe)
Hi, I second the thought of getting some Vandersteens. 3A Signatures or 5s. If you opt for 3As you should find some produced in the last year if you can. Richard has made a lot of "continual improvement" with them. Especially since he put the anechoic chamber into his facility. The newer 3As are really awesome. Coupled with a pair of subs they're really good value. The flip side is to save up and get the 5s. They really are worth the extra money. I had to make the same decision a few years ago and I don't regret it a bit. Especially since even the new 3As aren't close enough to make me have second thoughts. (I have had both in my system recently.)
Feel free to drop me a line if you want any more input.
Your preamp and amp form the foundation of a very good system. Given your objective to build a high-value system, and your plan to buy Vandersteen subs, you should definitely consider a pair of used Vandersteen 3A's or 3A Signatures. For value, this speaker is very hard to beat, and it will perform wonderfully well with the matching subs. Like you, I have a strong value orientation toward audio and video equipment, and I have been extremely pleased with my Vandersteen system.
rich121 on Ever Evolving