Price Paid:  $995.00 from audio adviser

Summary:
THIS IS A QUESTION FOR ART S. BELOW I HAVE THE HW-19JR.
WILL THE TWEAK ABOUT REPLACING THE SPRINGS WORK FOR ME AS WELL? THANKS.

Price Paid:  $1200.00 from Audio Advisor

Summary:
I owned this table for almost a year now. This review is in context of my whole analog system... VPI HW-19 MK III, Audio Research PH3 phono preamp, SME 309 tonearm, and Benz Micro Glider. Before buying this system I listened to various models from Rega (Up to the $1200 price point), and RB300/600 tonearms fitted with Blue Point Special. That setup did not give me what I was looking for. I think the cartridge was to blame.
Then I decided to order from Audio Advisor. Had the local dealer fit the Benz and when I went home it was audio heaven. Immediately I started to regret all the money I spent on my digital playback system. I started withrawing from my cd collection. Even my wife now enjoys listening to Stan Getz's Bossa Nova and Frank Sinatra's A Man Alone Album. Like I said, this review describes the sytem as a whole mainly because I cannot pinpoint which part of the system is doing what to produce this wonderful sound.
Review:
The sound is so natural and lifelike. It isn't bright but sweet. Vocals are just amazing and well rounded. Bass is solid and well rounded even when I turn my subs off. The midrange is so clear and right there everytime. From Jacinta's Danny Boy to Patricia Barber's Com'n Baby Light My Fire. The most rewarding part of this is: I now have around two hundred pieces of records from Pawnshops and second hand record stores. Meaning I didn't spend much for my music collection which is still growing. My only brand ne LP's are Jacintha's and Barber's.

Rest of the system:
B&W CDM7SE speakers
Velodyne FSX12 sub
Audio Research LS8MKII preamp
Rotel RB1090
Monster Cable 2.4s

Strengths:
Solid buil and solid sound

Similar Products Used:
Rega planars

Summary:
This 'table is the best-sounding, best-value deck on the market in it's price range. Actually, ANY of the HW-19 series 'tables are a great value, and you can upgrade part-by-part as you see fit. Much better sonically than the Linn Sondek.

To Tim below - one modification you can do to your '19, you don't have to worry about the springs, and you can actually HEAR an improvement:

•Place the unit where the springs won't be neccesary (a very stable stand and not on a bouncy wooden floor).
•Remove the spring assemblies entirely with a screwdriver.
•Get some Navcom Silencer pucks or their equivalent, or some people use Black Diamond Racing cones.
•Place the pucks/cones in the same spots where the springs were in the corners, on the braces that reinforce the base.
•Carefully set the plinth on top of them, as it would normally be.

You'll notice an improvement in the sound immediately- it will be more solid and focused. Notice, for instance, that the VPI Aries doesn't have the spring assemblies, but is a rigid design. If you don't like the results or if you need the suspension for placement in a different location, you can always re-install the springs.

The above mod creates an improvement to the overall sound of the HW-19's that I would say is equal to or greater than what you get with the PLC power supply. I have the PLC installed as well, and it does help to stabilize the soundstage and imaging, as well as making the bass response slightly deeper and noticeably tighter.

I haven't yet obtained the SAMA, but soon will. I'm sure that will make as much of a positive difference as the PLC and removing the springs did. Then there will be no motor vibration transmitted to the plinth/arm whatsoever.

Yes, the HW-19 Mk III can be bettered, but at a much higher cost. However, in it's price range, to my knowledge/experience there are no other 'tables that can touch it, and therefore gets a high rating from me.

Strengths:
•The Mk III platter reduces background noise to near inaudible levels.
•Solid design.
•Accepts just about any tonearm in existence.

Weaknesses:
•For the price, there are no real weaknesses.

Similar Products Used:
•Do I have to list ALL of the analog front-ends that I've had over the years? Forgeddaboutit!

Summary:
For the most part this is a solidly built turntable with good attention to the important aspects of turntable design: heavy, well-machined platter; good bearing; stainless/acrylic sub-chassis; adequate motor. The sound is very good for the price. I have installed on this table a SME 309 arm with a Monster Cable Sigma Genesis 2000 moving coil cartridge. This is quite a formidable combo and provides for some very good LP playback.

However, one problem I had during setup was nowhere in the instruction manual was there anything written about the foam pieces that were placed inside the coil suspension springs were to be left in place. I had removed them not knowing this, thinking they were there as packing material. I had to remove the sub-chassis and insert the foam "damping" pieces back into the springs then reinstall and level the sub-chassis. I was not real happy about having to do this. The manual could have stated the reason for the foam pieces and that they should remain in place as part of the suspension system.

Strengths:
Solid build quality

Weaknesses:
Acyrlic motor cover is cheesy (poor finish)

Similar Products Used:
Thorens 115C

Summary:
No question here. It's terrific. But...the little counterweight you add to the motor shaft rattles like hell on startup, and wobbles like a cheap tire that's out of balance on reaching speed. I don't use it. The logo on the motor shaft cover is cheezy; take some 600 wet sandpaper and cut down the hard edges on this piece for a more finished look.
I've had the SAMA too long to recall any audible differences. Can't pretend to recall what something sounded like 7 years ago...