To Jason Thorpe,

I just wanted to thank you for your thorough review of both the Pro-Ject RPM 9.1 and the 10. It really helped to make my decision between the two for my husband's birthday.

He has been really getting into listening to music in the evenings and has done a phenomenal amount of work to his "man room" with wall treatments and improvements in his speakers, system, and "where" his chair is located. I'll admit I don't know much about turntables (and I hope you don't roll your eyes at this), but we both loved the look of the record player in the movie The Mechanic with Jason Statham. I did some research and came across your review. I wanted to make sure it also sounded great.

We live in Mississauga so I'm going to e-mail the Canadian distributor you listed (Essential Audio Corporation) to see what they have available.

If you have any other recommendations (including recommendations of some great albums I can pick up to go along with his gift), please let me know and thank you again!

Sarah

Thanks for the note. It's always gratifying to hear from people who've read my articles, and even more so when I find out that I've managed to help.

The 9.1 and 10 are great 'tables, and I'll be the first to admit that a TT's gotta look cool, so you'll get no eye-rolling from me. I still have my RPM 10, and I think it'll be in residence for a while yet.

You'll need a cartridge for that baby, and I know from personal experience that Ortofon carts make a great match-up. Kurt at Essential Audio can certainly point you in the right direction when it comes to a match.

Music? Well, that's another story, and the choices -- and my recommendations -- could go on for pages. I suggest starting with some classic jazz: Coltrane's Blue Train, and Cannonball's Somethin' Else. And you've got to have some Tom Waits in there: why not start with Real Gone?

Your husband's a lucky guy. Tell him I told you that! . . . Jason Thorpe