Audiophilepure

https://www.stereophile.com/content/pro-ject-debut-carbon-evo-turntable

Ultimately, what this record player demonstrated—clearly— is the all-important distinction between sound and music. While listening to it, I was aware of how different it sounded from my much more expensive Garrard 301. What do you give up with a budget turntable compared to a no-holds-barred one? Well, a bit of everything, really—it sounds less precise, less lifelike, less dramatic. But, importantly, while I was aware of the considerable sonic differences between the two turntables, I didn’t really miss the Garrard. That’s because the Pro-Ject was equally adept at playing music.

One of the records I’ve been listening to most is Lou Reed’s New York (1-25829). For me, its exasperated, end-of-the-world mood resonates with the present moment. I started listening to it constantly in the spring, when I was home alone and sick with COVID; something about the ferocity of Reed’s singing and lyrics—some of his best—felt cathartic and freeing. The spare instrumentation—two guitars, a six-string electric upright bass, and drums—allows the lyrics to come to the fore, and the 14 songs on New York unfold like a short story collection. After I lowered the tonearm onto the first track, “Romeo Had Juliet,” I sat down and listened to the entire 58-minute song cycle with my eyes closed, getting up only to flip the record.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/mark-levinson-no5105-turntable

For all the wrong reasons – looks, build quality, ease-of-use – I adore the No5105. Enough for the purists among you to castigate me, perhaps, but my admiration for it would only be meaningless if the sound didn’t match the form. This is a sublime device which does everything you’d want of a deck at its price, while delivering pride of ownership usually restricted to luxury pens and watches. I’m dazzled.