Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Goldring Golding GR1.2 Turntables by StylinLP

Model:	Golding GR1.2
Category:	Turntables
Suggested Retail Price:	$420.00
Description:	Budget turntable and cartridge
Manufacturer URL:	Goldring
Model Picture:	View

Review by StylinLP ( A ) on August 03, 2005 at 12:58:35
IP Address: 206.132.94.6

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for the Golding GR1.2

"What has been done will be done again, and what has happened will happen again, and there is nothing new under the sun"
Been waiting for a chance to say that *grin*.
I was looking for the cheapest table to get me by until my Teres project table is finished this december. Looked all over AudioGon and Ebay for a used Rega P2 or Pro-Ject table. Pickings are slim at best lately with the bids rising way to high. Then I read about this semi-clone knockoff of the P2 by Goldring. After some searching on the net I came across a dealer selling this brand new table with warranty for less then these other tables selling used. I figured if I didn't like the table or didn't have a use for it later then I could allways recoup my cost by selling it.
Questions asked on this forum had mixed responses until a Rega distributor posted the differances between the Rega P2 and the Goldring GR1.2 which I quoted down below.
QUOTE---------------------------------------------------------------------
Main bearing: This is a lower grade, smaller item than that used on the P2. Consequently the inner hub also uses a different spindle.
Arm bearings: These are the same type of bearing; however, they are again of a lower grade. Arm bearings contribute in a major way to the sound quality of a turntable as any investigation of our more upmarket tonearms will reveal.
Motor (and related): Everything to do with the motor is different. The motor itself is a completely different unit to that used in the P2, along with the pulley and the electronics. Even the belt is different!
Plinth: This does not feature the same grade of board that the P2 does.
Platter: Again, a lower grade of material is used.
Lid: Even this is different, using polystyrene as opposed to acrylic.
Is a picture beginning to emerge yet? Yes, that's right, the Goldring turntable is not by any means an "el-cheapo" version of the P2; it is a completely different turntable that should (hopefully!) outperform anything else in it's price class.
I hope that this helps underline what the differences are between the two decks and don't forget if you want a Rega, our entry level model is a P2!!!"
I hope this helps inform your decision on which of these products will be right for you.
Kind regards,
Chris Keeling.
UNQUOTE------------------------------------------------------------------

Sure enough, I recieved the table fast and started to unpack it. First thing I noticed was that it was by no means packed as well as any other table I've purchsed. The Pro-Ject 1.2 was much better packaged than this. It was almost as if I bought a used table and the seller repackaged it. But all the red tape was holding all the right pieces. The plastic bags was sealed with original factory tape. It seemed to me that this must have come this way from the factory. Fortunately, the table arrived unscathed.
I removed the lid in pristine new condition and carefully set it aside. I noticed the hinges were not the metal hing type. But the weakened plastic bending kind. I've never been too concerned with covers.
The feet under the table looks like miniature upside rubber cones much like the Linn Basik table but smaller. They don't level adjust by hand. Just screws to turn with a screwdriver.
The plynth looks and feels alright to me. Maybe a little cheaper in quality than an Rega P2. I do like the rocket type power button. Its solid enough.
The largest differance is the platter. Looks like some sort of weak mdf. Very light and rigid. Fit and finish of the platter was roughly cut. But with the thin felt platter pad over it you really can't see it. I am assuming that upgrading to an Acrylic platter would be beneficial to this table.
The inner platter which is plastic came allready installed with the bearing. All I had to do was place the platter onto the inner platter. Simple :) Using a Shure stylist weight scale I mounted the metal counter weight setting it for 1.9grams. The tonearm looks pretty close to a RB250 except the anti-scate is a plastic switch that lets you choose 0,1 or 2 grams(I set it at 2). Not the normal dial on the RB250 arms. I would assume that the internal wiring is probably equal since the original RB250 arms are not known to come with quality wires anyway. The cartridge came premounted from the factory so I didn't need to adjust that. But the table did come with a paper protractor which I checked the results to. Everything looked good! :)
The interconnect cables are cheap metal rca connectors. Nothing special there. There is no grounding cable either. The instructions say that the ground is thru the interconnects. It works. I got no humm.
As everyone knows its best to mount tables like this on something light and rigid. Sure enough the instructions say to do so. Not to place it one something heavy. So taking advice from AA forums I went down to IKEA and got myself a $12 Lack end table in black. That table impressed me. Its solid, light and rigid. Perfect. Plus the table looks great on it. Almost looks like a complete unit from a distance.
Drilled some speaker spikes into the legs and placed on the carpet with no problems. At least the speaker spikes are level adjustable.
Then it was time to relax and see what this table can do. I played
George Bensons "Breezin" MFSL
Willie Nelson "Stardust" original pressing
Steely Dan "Aja" both MFSL and Japan versions
Alan Parsins Project "I, Robot" MFSL
Fleetwood Mac "Rumours" original pressing
What I have owned before:
Pro-Ject 1.2 new
Music Hall MMF-5 friends
Linn Basik w/ Basik Plus arm
Linn LP12 w/Basik Plus arm
Nottingham Interspace with Hyper platter.
Technics SL D5-free table
Auditioned: Rega 3, Rega 12, Gryodek SE, SME20
Finally! I now can listen to music the way it should be again! Its been along dark year having to listen to that Technics SL D5 pile of junk. I can hear what I have been missing all this time. When I had all those better tables a few years back I got jaded by what I was used to. Then when I switched to the free Technics I lost all what we want to hear in Vinyl. So now that I'm listening to the Goldring I can hear it again! What is truely amazing is I just discovered Willie Nelson "Stardust" and I can actually hear the room around his voice. Hear his voice echoing off the recording studio's walls. I also got my bass back. Fleetwood Macs famous emotional bass can be felt and heard again. Admittably not as deep and powerfull as I had it with my LP12 and Nott tables but at least its back.
I still have my Goldring Erioca MC cartridge and wanted to mount it on this table. Needed to know what size washer to use for this table. I wrote to Goldring themselves and this is what they replied.
QUOTE--------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello David,
The Goldring GR1.2 turntable is sold complete with the Elektra cartridge
which is well matched to the arm. The arm bearings, etc, may not give ideal
results with the Eroica. However, the cartridge height difference is
1.5mm.(related to the 9" arm length, is less than 0.5 degree.)
Regards
John Rudman
UNQUOTE-------------------------------------------------------------------
hmm...I really like how this table sound with the cart its installed with. Maybe I don't need to upgrade it anyway. There is some amount of grain in the sound but I'm sure its going to smooth out after the 50 hour breakin period. I think the only thing I probably will notice is avoiding some noise on the not so pristine albums I may have. Other carts can go deeper into the groove and minimize noise due to wear and dirt.
But thats why I only buy MINT condition records and clean each one with my DIY vacuum cleaning machine.
To wrap this up. I am quite happy with my purchase. For under $300 I got a table that outperforms the Pro-Ject 1.2 and lets me enjoy vinyl again while waiting on my big table to get built. This table may not be built as well as a true Rega P2 but it sure plays like one.

Product Weakness: Build quality. Is not capable of doing more than its made for. Cannot support a better cartridge. Not as detailed and has asmaller sound stage than what the big boys can offer.
Product Strengths: Pacey, fun, energetic, tonally balanced
Very low price for this quality of sound.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Rotel RB980 5x100 watt
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Rotel RSP965-DD and DTS
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Goldring GR1.2-HTPC computer
Speakers:	Mirage 490i tower speakers
Cables/Interconnects:	AudioQuest/ DB-Labs
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	LP-Smooth Jazz, classic rock
Room Size (LxWxH):	30' x 20' x 10'
Room Comments/Treatments:	JR Bass Traps, JR Room Lense
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 day
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	IKEA lack endtable w/speaker spikes
Type of Audition/Review:	Home Audition

Product Weakness:	Build quality. Is not capable of doing more than its made for. Cannot support a better cartridge. Not as detailed and has asmaller sound stage than what the big boys can offer.
Product Strengths:	Pacey, fun, energetic, tonally balanced Very low price for this quality of sound.