I have this monster Turntable connected with XLR to my C5000 preamp i just love the sound of this beast,,,, life is short enjoy best of tbe best...🎸 🥁 🎺 🎹 🔊.

Hi Gene, I've seen my fair share of videos on your Audioholics channel but I have to say that this video is loaded with information. You asked Mr. Kumazawa some very useful and pointed questions and his explanations were excellent in my opinion, given the condensed length of the video. Having grown up with vinyl since the early 70s and having read many objective technical reviews (with measurements, of course) from major magazines, my impression is that the GT-5000 definitely stands out among most turntables in today's market, regardless of price. The bulk of today's turntables, including fairly expensive ones, are in many respects stripped down versions of designs from the 80s and are technically inferior; not this turntable! I wanted to address some of the points mentioned. Sorry for appearing preachy and being long-winded. Take it for what it's worth. 1) The Straight Tonearm Design Mr. Kumazawa hit the nail on the head. All else being equal, straight tonearms can trace grooves more accurately. The laws of geometry dictate that curved arms add mass and instability. Lower mass increases the ability to track and a straight tonearm increases rigidity to reduce resonances. This has been proven in a laboratory study performed back in the early 80s on tonearm mass. It was determined that the lower-mass arms could track better, especially when dealing with warped records. 2) High Density Base (or Plinth) By employing high-density fiberboard, the base is using what is known as "mass loading" to absorb and dissipate extraneous vibrations in the form of acoustic feedback (vibrations from outside vibrations like footfalls and loud music from speakers) 3) 3-axis Vibration Controlling Feet The 3-axis vibration control from the feet may contain springs, according to my understanding of Mr. Kumazawa's explanation. If this is true, the turntable is also employing spring suspension to also accomplish the same objective as #2. Traditionally, turntable designers have opted for #2 or #3 but not both. This is unusual but can be extremely effective. 4) Moving Coil (MC) vs. Moving Magnet (MM) MC cartridges are revered by the majority of vinyl audiophiles. Mr. Kumazawa references one of the reasons but doesn't get into the nitty gritty: the response. MC cartridges have extended high end response that typically reach anywhere from 30kHz to all the up to 80kHz. While there's very little musical signal in this area, it may be comforting to known that well-pressed LPs can contain all the extended highs in this range if it is also on the master tape. MC cartridges also tend to excel at transient response. You'll notice this on music with a lot of percussion. The starting and stopping of transient sounds are usually razor sharp and lends a sense of realism. There are a couple of disadvantages: The cutting stylus used on the original lacquer or copper (in the case of DMM - Direct Metal Mastered) discs have extraneous vibrations in the neighborhood of 37kHz to 42kHz. If the MC cartridge reproduces this resonance, it may modulate with the actual musical signal. This can lead to a sense of "airiness" and "openess" in the high treble. It can sound pleasant, though. The other issue is that the vast majority of MC cartridges have a peaked high-treble between 10kHz - 20kHz amounting to several dB. This can also lead to the same false sense of "airiness" or "openess" in highs. 5) Belt-Drive System Objectively, all else being equal belt-drive hasn't been proven to be superior to direct-drive. The most hardcore technical reviewers have performed measurements and listening evaluations and have not been able to draw any clear conclusions. The surprising point is that audiophiles have traditionally chosen belt-drive while Japanese manufacturers have introduced direct-drive back in the early 70s. So the GT-5000 is unusual in this respect. The motor design hasn't been mentioned in the video but the specs on Yamaha's website reveal that it is a very high-quality and costly design. The AC synchronous motor uses the 60Hz line frequency as a speed reference while the number of poles for the motor contributes to more consistent rotational speed. Lower-priced motors employ as little as 4-poles. 24 poles is extremely good but....costly! In any case, it contributes to lower wow and flutter and mitigates any motor cogging (unwanted step-like movement typical of lower cost motors). 6) Warped Phil Collins LP And Vibrating Woofer Woofer vibration as a response to playing a warped record is a direct result of less-than-ideal cartridge/tonearm resonance. It was caused by the interaction of a cartridge with higher-than-desirable compliance, given the effective mass of the tonearm. A lot has been written about this issue throughout the 80s but only hardcore vinyl audiophiles from yesteryear would be aware of this. Every stylus has a suspension system. The vast majority of MC cartridges have lower compliance (stiffer suspension) than their MM counterparts. If the effective mass (measured mass at the point of the stylus tip) is high, then a cartridge's compliance should be sufficiently low. There is a range of frequencies that the cartridge/tonearm overreact to when playing LPs. Preferably, the amplitude of the resonance is 10dB or less within the optimum range of 8Hz to 12 Hz. Warps tend to reside in the 5Hz to 6Hz range and this is where the excessive and lower-than-desirably placed cartridge/tonearm resonance resulted in the inaudibly vibrating woofers. This results in wasted amplifier power as well as possible modulation with the bass in the music. If the warp is bad enough, it can even cause extra flutter caused by a back-and-forth scrubbing action of the changing VTA (vertical tracking angle) of the stylus as the effective mass of the cartridge/tonearm dynamically change as stylus travels through peaks and troughs of record warps. It can be directly addressed by fixing the issue at the source (using a less compliant cartridge), using a turntable that uses a vacuum hold-down system to flatten the record as it is being played or inserting an infrasonic filter in between your phono preamp and amplifier (indirect approach). 7) Well-Produced Imaging Much of this can be attributed to a well-centered recorded and/or a sufficiently long tonearm. When spindle holes are off-centered (there are a lot of them!) the direct result is eccentric wow (slow variations in pitch). This can be mitigated somewhat by a tonearm that is long. The GT-5000's tonearm is 9 inches which is average length. Longer tonearms describe a shallower arc so they will produce lower eccentric wow and the left/right grooves will be played more in synchronization for more stable imaging. Of course, the longer the tonearm, the higher the effective mass. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Only two turntables ever made have mitigated this issue: the Nakamichi TX-1000 (1982) and Dragon CT (1985). Both were direct-drive designs that employed a double-platter and both re-centered the top platter to eliminate the eccentric wow. Both were also extremely expensive. The poor man's alternative is to use a turntable with a removable spindle to allow the user to re-center records manually. Many old record changers of the 70s and 80s have removable spindles.

I love Yamaha products...always ❤

Looks like a nice turntable. I'm a guy who was a teen in the 80s. I love the fact that vinyl is on the comeback and manufacturers are making serious turntables again. What I don't see and wish that I would see are some throwback's to my generation. I personally am favorable to belt drive turntables. If Pioneer or Yamaha would cater to guys like me and offer a belt drive turntable, that has a strobe for pitch control, a level adjuster bubble, you know, things that let "me" control the sound and the level adjustment of the chassis, versus some stupid circuitry monitoring the rpm, i would be all over buying one. Everything today is self this, auto that. I don't want that. Give me a turntable that I can control with my eyes and brain and I would be willing to buy. Don't cater to the young because I really don't think they are the ones buying vinyl. I think most don't even know what an album is. Just saying.

I’m happy seeing the technology chosen in this design. In the past, I thought curved tone arm was best, but now I am rethinking this premise. Thank you for sharing this insight. The whole system is so well thought out in how every component piece works together, it makes me want to get the entire set. I think each piece is strong by itself, but I think the high end shopper should get them all to experience the full set together.

Nice! Beyond my system, space!, and budget but my brother loved vinyl and i appreciate it. Gene does such a good job, i watch even the stuff i can't use or afford. ❤

Thanks for the review! I've been reading some of your online reviews, and love that you do measurements too and check things deeply

With my headphones I enjoyed the sound.

Beauty 😍

Would love a complete 5000 system. To die for audio

Nice table, but why does the record suddenly start playing backwards at the beginning? 😬

My dream set up

More turntable content please!

I wish they’d do a metal finish like they do on their amps. I have an old Yamaha turntable that looks like it’s made of aluminium. Still looks nice. (Although I think it’s really made of coated plastic)

Nice, but $8k? Ouch!

I'm A Big Yamaha Fan

$8000.00 gives many options. How much of the Yamaha here you will appreciate is a you thing. This is not a me thing. I would be happy with a direct drive Technics, much more bargain solutions. I appreciate what Yamaha did. Just isn't in my reality. If I am doing that much money, I probably would be doing Master Tapes and 2 track Reel to Reel at that point anyway. That is my ultimate goal any way as vinyl is allot of work and maintenance to keep happy. Tape is more robust. No RIAA curve. It is easier to keep going. You have 2 flavors of EQ. NAB, or IEC. Simple.

If you can, visit the Yamaha Innovation Road in Hamamatsu. It's an hour by Shinkansen from Yokohama. You get an idea of the work they do.

In a way, aren’t turntables and vinyl kind of like snake oil? They add noise, and measure worse than digital yet command crazy prices. I own a vintage Denon turntable with a FuFu British cartridge, but I’m not sure it’s smart that I do. Thoughts Gene?

Another reason to buy this turntable 5:59 😃

Hi Gene. I would like to know what Dolby Atmos MT is and what receivers do I need to get it . And is available on Yamaha receivers. 5.2.2. Speakers set up.

I have the Yamaha y-p800 from the 70s 80s. Grace carriage

Does the GT 5000 go faster than a regular turntable?

My dream system😂😂

I LOVE YOU

Nice table but I’ll keep my 1210GR thanks.

Gene..."What does GT mean in Japanese" Susumu..."Godzilla Terrible"...

I'm sorry Gene, but the geometry of that PU arm is just wrong. This is why: - This can't go unchallenged. A straight arm without the cartridge angled is a terrible idea. I have no idea where this nonsense is coming from. The geometry of PU arms has been settled for generations. An arm can be straight as long as either the headshell, and therefore the cartridge is angled, or the arm and head shell are straight, and the cartridge angled at the end of the arm. What can NOT happen is that the arm be straight and the cartridge also be straight in line with the arm. If the arm has the correct geometry and set up, with the cartridge at the correct angle with respect to the arm, then the maximum tracking error is 2 degrees, creating maximum distortion due to tracking error of 0.75% at the point on the disc where tracking error is maximum. Best practice is to set for zero tracking error on the inside grooves where tracking is most problematic. If on the other hand you ignore correct geometry and do not angle the arm, headshell or cartridge then tracking error will vary between -6 and +17 degrees depending on position on the disc. This will give rise to distortion from tracking error of at the worst stylus position on the disc of 6.7%. That is absolutely awful. I have no idea where this stupid idea has come from, but it is just wrong and thoroughly bad engineering. I addition I note that this turntable is actually a crib of the first good belt drive turntable, the Thorens TD 150 and the later TD 160 series. The platter arrangement is identical. Those turntables also use a synchronous motor timed from the AC supply. Thorens had the motor sourced and built for them by the Swiss firm Papst who were leaders in these motors. I have a low serial number TD 150 bought in 1966, and it is still in regular use. As far as MC versus MM, I have to say there are good versions of both types. Over the years in double bling listening tests there has been a slight bias in favor of MMs over MCs. For one thing MMs always score on compliance and difficulty tracking difficult highly modulated records. As far as preventing low frequency oscillation causing excess woofer travel, the best place to handle this is at the PU arm. Shure developed a damper for the V series, and SME included a silicone damper bath in the arm base. Both are highly effective and actually synergistic. So I have not suffered from this issue. Lastly I have a concern that, that straight arm, will cause increased record, and stylus ware due elliptical styli being miss aligned in the record groove to a vastly excessive extent. This turntable in my view is ruined by that straight arm which is contrary to correct geometry to an alarming degree. Gene I'm afraid you have been duped by a some snake oil here, and harmful snake oil at that.

8k and made in china .. sorry not for me

Something fishy about this spinning platter. It plays satanic messages.