Hi all,
I am new to this circle, but an old fart vinyl lover looking to (slowly and surely) upgrade my system. Most recent purchase was a Pro-Ject X1 with Sumiko Oyster series cart, Olympia stylus, planning to move up to the Moonstone soon. Control and power are through a head-to-toe recapped 1980 NAD 3140 that never seems to quit and still sounds buttery, driving a pair of Definitive Technology DR7 towers with newly replaced drivers. CDs, streaming, and TV monitor audio are purely convenience experiences, i.e., entertaining guests, background during food prep, binging Station Eleven, etc. My personal and focused aural interests, and therefore investments, are in the analog domain with vinyl, alone in a decent acoustic space, at 75-90dB-SPL depending on sources. Okay, I won't lie, momentary peaks are probably a bit higher for stuff like MoFi's OG Crime of the Century or Steven Wilson's remix of Close to the Edge or Analogue Productions' Hugh Masekela's amazing Hope pressing. I also favor AP’s Bluenote reissues and UHQRs and the new Atlantic 75 series at 45 rpm. I am of modest means, so ultra high-end isn’t something I even fantasize about because it’s so far out of my reach. I’m also skeptical my 62 year old ears can discern the difference. Still, my listening sessions are with focused intent, which requires a bit of tinkering with volume while in the seated position to adjust for various mastering gain differences. Of course, the 3140 is sans remote, so I’m constantly getting up and sitting down. And, while the 3140 has a very-enjoyable-for-me sonic signature, it is old. The whole thing is a mess in need of some attending to, which leads me to joining this group.
Thank you for having me.
I’m confident I’ll learn more from you all in these threads than I’ve learned in 50 years of my love affair with reproducing outstanding music in the vinyl domain. I’m also confident there is a modern solution for control and amplification that fits my needs within my 2024 budget of under $2000, knowing there could be another investment round in 2025 or 2026.
Some initial questions that are more about system integrity than what a particular component sounds like: (1) Am I crazy to consider putting all the funds I have now into a new preamplifier (Vision SLR or Transcendence) that plugs straight into the amplifier section of the 3140? The idea is that such a combo could temporarily satisfy my listening experiences until I can save for another round of audio investment for proper amplification. Is that a serious mismatch? (2) Or, should I be thinking of just replacing the 3140 entirely and go for a new integrated (CA1 or SET with external phono stage) and call it a day?
I have many more thoughts and questions but will leave this initial post as is for now. I welcome your responses and look forward to engaging conversations.
Thanks again for your time.
Best,
John