[MaxCast]

I wasn't going to respond because I have not had any experience with any phono pre but the Vista I.
But, if I were to buy another pre I would get the Vista II set up to the table/cart I am using now.

Sorry to hear about the TV.  Check the sweet deals circle for some great deals.

[Ericus Rex]

I haven't heard this unit but it is supposed to sound pretty good.  Price is right too!  You can still afford to get your TV fixed!!!!

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=117486.msg1232940#new

[btrain]

So, I've finally made some purchases...

Pro-ject Debut Carbon
Cambridge Audio Azur 651P Phono Preamp
Audioquest RCA interconnects

Everything listed should be shipping in the next day or so... The Zu Omen DW should be shipping this week  (just over 5 weeks after placing order)

My question is revolving around the interconnects and the Manley Stingray amp---The back of the stingray requires a very WIDE 'Y' shape to plug the RCA connections into each channel. For example, each RCA connection would need to be approx 18" apart to comfortably plug into the Aux inputs on the back of the stingray....I think the Audioquest RCA connections are maybe 2" apart or so (not positive though).

Would something like these work as an extension to bridge the gap between the RCA connections on the back of the Stingray:

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-splitter-female-15-24cm-cable/dp/B000BATDZ2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=25NRK56D586DA&coliid=I356KBWNUF4FE2

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-splitter-female-15-24cm-cable/dp/B000GUSQJG/ref=pd_sim_e_1

I know these are only 6", but I'd rather chain a couple together and make it work if i need to.

I'm going to be pretty upset if I can't listen to the new TT because my RCA 'Y' isn't wide enough, so I'm trying to preempt that possibility by buying something to extend ASAP

I hope this question makes sense.

Thanks for any feedback/options you guys may be able to provide
 

[JackD]

Pairs of IC's are not bound together like the cheap red and white stuff that comes with components.  Each cable is a separate run for each channel. You shouldn't need anything other than what you have.

[btrain]

so, this is what I bought---(not from amazon though)---I bought a 1.5M and a 2M

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Evergreen-1m-3-28-feet/dp/B005T44LES/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1373422524&sr=1-1&keywords=audioquest+RCA

The picture looks like they are split and then combine into one cable very shortly thereafter---is that not the case?

[genjamon]

Not much product info on that listing, so it's hard to say. But hat photo does suggest what you're saying. That design would work for many if not most audio electronics. But I know the Manley gear has its left/right connectors on opposite sides of the chassis, so if he design is like you suggest, you'll need different interconnects where left/right are totally separate cables. Many many inexpensive options exist. Blue Jeans is a well built cheap brand to look into if you want something cheap for now while you look into your options up the price ladder.

[jarcher]

Congrat's on the TT + preamp choice!

I'm doubting those AQs are gonna work : with my stingray you need a good 1ft+ of separation, and those seem to be fixed at the y point.

If you can cancel the order or return, I would honestly recommend an entry level Wireworld interconnect over the Audioquest.  I started out trying AQ & Monster Cable budget cables, and they were pretty bad.  If you still want to shop through Amazon, I suggest the following:

http://www.amazon.com/Wireworld-Audio-Interconnect-Cable-Meters/dp/B00C7YB3XK/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1373426434&sr=1-2&keywords=wireworld+luna

They look attached, but each run can be separated from the other.  I have a pair or two of these + higher end WW IC's.

You can also get them in various lengths from www.thecableco.com or local dealers.  The Cable Co I think is pretty good about returns / exchanges / etc.

I guarantee you'll like the Wireworld Luna better than the Audioquest Forest, or I will buy it from you. Even the blue jeans cable IC's would be a better choice.....

[dlaloum]

Here is a budget suggestion for you...


There are a number of very economical phono pre designs that are in fact very good, their biggest weakness is the power supply - building a high quality Power supply is quite expensive...

Examples of this genre include:
ART Phono (various models)
TC Phono stages - also various models, TC750, etc...
Rolls/Bellari VP29

and others...

These are all basic opamp based high quality circuits, with the weakness being the wall wart power supply that powers them.

BUT there is a very very simple solution - a battery. - Give them a battery as their power supply (all of these run off 12V DC) - and suddenly they are competing with phono pre's costing 10x their price.

They use very little power, so a battery can last a long time - don't go for tube versions as tubes use a LOT more power (for no gain at this level).

You can even get rechargeable batteries for bicycle lights and use those (for a grand total of around $18...)

As soon as you try to build a PSU with the level of filtering required to match a basic battery, your pricing rapidly climbs into the $00's if not $000's - but a battery can be a perfectly good solution, if not very fashionable!

bye for now

David

[btrain]

Thanks!---I went ahead and cancelled the AQ RCA interconnects and ordered a couple of the Luna 7's from the cable company. 

I did, however, already order an AQ RCA to mini cable for playing music through my Ipod. It has already shipped along with one of these splitters from my earlier post.

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-splitter-female-15-24cm-cable/dp/B000GUSQJG/ref=pd_sim_e_1

The RCA to mini cable I ordered is 8M long---I needed a long cable, and the price point is more than acceptable. Will I be able to get the length I need by plugging the little splitter into one input on the back of the stingray in order to bridge the gap? I figure I will just try it out and return the items and continue the search if needed. I just glanced at the Blue Jeans cable RCA to mini option, but it doesn't appear to come in two separate runs. It appears to be similar to the AQ cables at the end.

So, if anyone has a good suggestion for a rather LONG ipod cable, I'm all ears.

Thanks! 

[jarcher]

I tried a Monster Cable mini plug to RCA I have, and though it's very tight, I can just barely get the RCA plugs into the "CD" inputs of the Manley (which are the closest together at the back of the manley). 

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-MON129340-iCable-1000-iPhone/dp/B002E9HHZ6/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1373472368&sr=1-3&keywords=monster+cable+ipod+3.5mm+to+rca

If you want to add length to the mini plug / RCA cable at the RCA end, I suggest an RCA male to RCA female cable vs a splitter.  Splitters like the one's you've mentioned are usually where you are going from mono to stereo or vice-versa.  E.g. splitting a mono subwoofer RCA out on a receiver to a subwoofer that has L/R RCA inputs.  Or vice-versa : an older vcr that has only a single mono RCA output to the stereo L/R inputs of a receiver.

http://www.amazon.com/Cblwhl-Male-Female-Cable-Extension/dp/B000I1GZ0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373471764&sr=8-1&keywords=rca+male+to+female

Even though they appear attached in the photo, with these kinds you can pull apart the red & white runs from each other.

Some other suggestions though to get the best sound quality from the ipod to the Manley from ok to best:

1.  Mini plug to rca : ok
2.  30 pin (on bottom) to rca : better
3.  30 pin (on bottom) with a dock that has digital out : best

Many folks here on AC (including myself) have and love the Pure I-20 dock, which is not only the cheapest ipod dock with digital audio outputs, it also has a decent built in DAC.

http://www.amazon.com/Pure-i-20-30-Pin-iPhone-Speaker/dp/B0049MOK92/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1373472035&sr=1-1&keywords=pure+i-20

It has many advantages for ipod playback:

1.  It has standard RCA out's, so you can use whatever higher quality RCA cables you want.

2.  More importantly, it has a good (better than ipod) internal DAC, so the sound quality out of those RCA outs is going to be better. Most ipod docks do not have a built in DAC.  They just pass through what comes out of the ipod's dac.

3.  It has optical + coaxial digital outputs, so in the future you could add a DAC and have even better sound quality.

4.  It has a remote, so you can control the volume, track control etc.  Of course with the screen far away, it hard to see the ipod screen for track selection.  But once you've chosen the album on the screen, you can move about the album.

I know $90 is a lot more than a mini-plug to rca cable, but I think the merits make it worth it.  I use one as part of a bedside system and can not only select whatever music or apps (pandora etc) are on the ipod, but also through the music app on the ipod I can access my shared itunes library on my computer and have access to all my music without having to load it on my ipod.

Best of luck!

[btrain]

Thanks so much for the information. I believe I looked at that monster cable, but I needed something much longer...hence the 8M AQ cable. I was hoping that I could find a better quality cable to make the extension work for the sting ray (Male RCA to female RCA)---doesn't seem like a better quality RCA extension is readily available.

That dock seems pretty amazing! Definitely very interested in owning one.

[jarcher]

Yeah, I don't really see any "premium / audophile" rca extension cables out there.

Best of luck w/ the TT rig.  Make sure to put at least 20-30 hrs on it (cart / preamp / interconnects) before "critical" listening or before starting to come to a conclusion - especially with the cartridge.  I think some people prematurely dismissed the 2M Red as being too bright because they didn't break it in long enough.  Based on personal experience, the first 10hr's it sounds pretty shrill, but gets a lot better after that.

[cheap-Jack]

Hi,

I realize now that I need a preamp for the turn table. I keep coming back to the Bellari VP130 by Rolls. I am pretty lost when it comes to the preamp. I am coming back to this one because it has a tube, and the manley is a tube amp. It is also, again, in my price range and looks good!
 

After my decade of vinyl listening, tube is my only choice for phonostages sheerly for sonic reason - a good one sounds so soothing, engaging & emotional.

Please don't be mislead by the label on the Bellari "tube" phono-preamp, the only one twin triode tube used is strictly for its O/P stage - half triode for the O/P stage of each channel. The crucial RIAA phonostage still used a linear SS chip which accounts for its selling price being so affordable!

Try it out if you like the hybrid SS chip+tube sound! After all, it only asks for $250!

Technically, strictly one single tube phonostage is possible & in fact I design/built one using only ONE twin triode tube, i.e. one half tube for RIAA equalization preamp for each channel. That's it.

A truly one tube phonostage which I have been using for 3 years now, driving direct my 35W+35W triode PP tube power amp. Excellent sound! It delivers tremendous clean low bass when working with my 100W 10" active sub.

Listening is believing - less electronics more music.

c-J

 

 

[btrain]

Jack,

Thanks for the clarity on the Belari. To my novice eyes, it had a tube, so it must be a tube preamp. not correct--this site proven to be very helpful thus far. Thanks to everyone that has responded and given this newbie some insight.

I went ahead and ordered the Cambridge Audio Azur 651P. I assume I will want to transition to a true tube preamp when the opportunity presents itself. The greatest barrier is price point at the moment. After all, I do need to have some cash left over to start amassing a vinyl collection!

[btrain]

Finally have everything set up! Thanks everyone for your input

Stingray + Zu Omen DW + Pro-ject debut carbon +  Cambridge Audio Azur 651P Phono Preamp + Wireworld Luna 7 RCA Interconnects = Happy!

Now to buy as much vinyl as my bank account will allow

I'm absolutely amazed at how much richer the sound is versus digital.

Thanks Again

[MaxCast]

Congrats on the completed set up.  I've listened to my digital about 3 times in the last year or so since my new needle.
Yep, now is time to start buying vinyl.  Hopefully you have some record stores in your area.
Do you have a cleaning system?

[btrain]

I'm in downtown Atlanta so there are enough record stores to get by. I have noticed that the record you want never seems to be readily available in the store. I assume I'll be placing some online orders as well. No cleaning system at the moment. All I have are 'new' records. I don't really know what to look for with regard to buying used (i.e. when to NOT purchase a used record due to the record failing to meet certain criteria) Nor do I have a clue about cleaning vinyl.

Just another part of the journey, I suppose.