Morning Mark,
In your honor, I suppose, I'm listening to Michael Hedges - Watching My Life Go By, while watching a thunderstorm roll past. George Cromarty - Wind In The Heather will be next.
Yes, I got the adjustable version of the Vision phono stage. I let Frank know I was using a Shure V15 III and did check Shure's specs to be certain it didn't require any special setup, so it's set the way Frank had it set and I'm not inclined to play with it for the time being.
I asked for the MM/MC adjustable version because I didn't want to limit myself in the future. It may be some time before I move to a turntable and arm setup where I could realize the benefits of a moving coil cartridge, but when I do, I'm quite certain the preamp will be more than up to it. I know at this point I'm not really able to hear it fully, but as I've said, even in my meager setup, the improvements have been pretty impressive.
About those cables I modded. Well it would be nice to have a fully balanced system, but I don't. The cables had nothing to do with my normal listening setup, just my recording.
The Apogee Duet 2 is really designed for balanced inputs, so while in software you can make some input adjustments, you still need unbalanced RCA to balanced XLR cables (or an isolation transformer box) to get in the thing. I've been fairly successful with a 2' pair of cables advertised as able to achieve the goal - and to work in reverse just as well - but as I researched how this "last resort" way of connecting unbalanced to balanced works, I came to understand the best way to wire the cables wouldn't allow for "reverse." Several sources said the shield should be grounded on the RCA end, but left loose on the XLR end, so it wouldn't be able to work as an RF antenna. So I had fun re-doing the XLR end.
I try very hard not to claim to hear differences I know I want to hear, so verdict is out on whether I really hear the difference in the cables. I THINK I do, and what I THINK I hear is borne out on the charts I've been pulling. First, it did drop the signal strength somewhat, which tells me I could benefit from a better set of cables, which is my plan. I just wanted to confirm the pinout before ordering. Second, the high end seems to have opened up a hair. Third, it does look as though I reduced low-level RF. Hey, I'm just happy that they work at least as well as before I cut into 'em!
A word about cable selection. I'm not one for exotic, expensive cables, but having worked in TV & radio I do know there are cables that can do the job well, cables that are designed only for certain loads, and there are junk cables. Working with the recording cables yesterday reinforced that I also need to get a decent set to go between preamp and amp. I say that because when I chart the noise floor downstream of the preamp, I see a representation that includes the RIAA curve. I see changes in the curve after modding my recording cables, so I'm reminded that all that the Insight + EC is putting out may not be getting to the amp either. Blue Jeans Cable made me a decent set that I use between the turntable and the Insight + so I'm inclined to have Wayne make sets for all the other components.
As for my overall impression of the Vision phono stage, it, too, continues to improve. Whether I'm listing to very quiet, soothing music in the morning, or putting on some 80's synth' rock in the afternoon, It just delivers so much more than the Sansui did. I think the most pleasant surprise has been how full things seem to be at very low listening levels - which is how I run things pretty much every morning.
You know, if you have the right music on during a nice rain, getting your music balanced with the sounds of nature is a pretty pleasant experience.
Jim
