As far as the Garrard TT is concerned, I know that it is a piece of Dreck! But it is free and spending about $300 on a cartridge and phono preamp that can be used later on lets say a sub $1K Pro-Ject debut or Rega TT is worth it to me.
GARRARD ZERO 100 CARTRIDGE UPGRADE
In addition, the next major purchase for my system will be an upgrade from my Parasound A21 amp to something in the $4K-5K range, probably a used CJ or Pass amp. My issue with buying a high end TT is cost (the set up that I would like to have is the music hall MMF 7, pro-ject tube box IIse and Virtuoso or Maestro Cartridge) and the fact that my 300 or so LP's are in poor shape from my college days. I have no illusions of grandeur about the sound. I certainly appreciate you being blunt and I agree with you. Sorry to be so blunt, but Garrard is a name for which I once had, and no longer do have any respect. To be even more blunt, adding a Garrard model - any Garrard model - to one's lineup of equipment is like adding a Nash Rambler to one's "classic" car collection.
GARRARD ZERO 100 CARTRIDGE FOR FREE
A Garrard sales manager actually gave me one for free in an attempt to sway me over, but after a quick listen, I packed it up and gave it back. I can remember the GT-55 model - the supposedly "corrected" and "improved" version of the Zero-100, and how shunned it was by most of the industry. line, the only successful Garrard models were the real cheapies, and the new distributor, Plessy, direct from England, despite herculean efforts to improve the quality of Garrard turntables, never achieved much success with the Garrard name. Garrard enjoyed tremendous business in the U.S., largely due to the successful business relationship between British Industries and Lafayette Radio, but once British Industries brought about the B.I.C. lineup of belt-drive automatic turntables. distributor, British Industries, dropped them in favor of the far superior B.I.C. The 630 was a fairly cheap model made by Garrard after their U.S. The 770 model was a less expensive version of their once touted, then universally panned Zero-100 model, but leaving off the "tangential" portion of the massive (most decidedly NOT "low mass" tonearm). "Cheap" hardly begins to describe them, and they certainly don't belong in the roster of fine equipment listed in your profile. That being said, I don't understand why you're even considering either of these two turntables, even for free. From your previous posts on this forum, I get the impression you are a serious listener, and want equipment that will provide you with decent performance and good sound. I had to jump in here and add my two cents.