[nickspicks]

or perhaps better said, I need some "been there, done that" stories.
I've always been anti-analog, but must admit enjoying my friends stuff.  One of them went as far as to lend me a table to get me started. 

My goal is to buy myself a nice starter deck.  I could buy what I've got, at a good price...but I sort of want to go on my own path instead of one that I've already been down, in a way.  I'd like to try Music Hall...but i'm told they are not that great until their higher end tables and at that money I could do better. 
Any way, my current inventory:
thorens 160
grado gold cart
camb. aud 540 phonopre
silver clad millspec ICs.
sounds great in my system thus far...though I'm going to be putting it to the test against my digital setup as soon as I build a little switchbox as my amp only has one input.
system is
PC based (and bit perfect...no resample) Toslink output 24bit / 96kHz capable >
CIA VDA-2 >
Odyssey Cyclops >
Hydra-Audio silver clad speaker cables (shotgun) >
Martin Logan Sequal 2s.

so, should I decide that analog is where I want to go, ..... where do I go?

I don't really want endless tweaks, and would rather make a single investment that will keep me satisfied.  I'd also like to stay under $2k for the entire setup.  Recommendations?

[woodsyi]

I have this set up as my second analog rig and I can recommend it highly. http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1177068170   The table has one of the better bearings and the arm mates very well with any of the Benz Micro Carts. I would go with a Glider but you can start with an Ace.  Mate it with this Graham Slee phono stage http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preaphon&1178215522and you would kick some butt of more expensive set ups.   aa

[woodsyi]

Ha! I made an offer on that Graham Slee within the first five views of the ad. Offered full price and seller's terms, and I still didn't make a deal for it (sale pending according to the seller). Thus far, I've missed out on four of these Graham Slee Phono preamps in the last four weeks.

What's with that?  You can ask this guy if he wants to sell just the phonostage. http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1178037783

[TheChairGuy]

Nick,

Looks like a pretty nice system you have already.  My (albeit, limited) experience with Grado's are that they thrive with damped arms.  That fatty, deep bass gets considerably more toned with damping in effect. Once you have a damped arm, you eliminate all that cartridge/arm matching mess - one less tweeky thing to contend with. The van Alstine Longhorn stabilizer turns the Grado into a much better tracker - and improves a whole host of performance parameters.

Make sure you have the geometry right on your table (and level by bubble levelling the platter - mucho important with suspended decks), use some Tufoil in your main spindle bearing (awesome tweek on my old TD-316 - the best thing I ever did for it), and make sure it's on an inert platform/shelf and you should handily exceed your digital rig for musicality...tho not convenience.

A vacuum cleaning machine, cheap or expensive, really helps in the enjoyment department, too 

You're pretty much at a level of quality already that you are now chasing that elusive last 10% of performance...and it will now cost you-a-plenty to reach it 

If I had to pick out one weak spot with what you now have - it would be that Thorens arm.  Isn't it removable in the TD-160 series?     

[Scott F.]

Hey Nick (Love your site BTW),

I have to second woodsyi's recommendation. That system would absolutely kill. I'm a huge fan the Slee phono stages. Simply put, they are the best sounding phonostages for the price on the market. The Era Gold is phenomenal and a steal at $500 bucks. I've got Grahams latest incarnation in house now for review at ETM.

That Basis table with a good isolation shelf coupled with the RB-300 should be an excellent combination. Toss in the Benz cart and I'd bet you'd likely never want to upgrade your analog rig.

Essentially, I've been there done that several times over. Knowing what I know now, this system will give you everything you are looking for and loads more. I've got a similar 2nd table setup (Audio Note TT-1 with a modified Rega Arm and the Slee phonostage).

Could you do better? Sure, but to do so I had to drop some serious coinage to do it.

[woodsyi]

Hey Nick (Love your site BTW),

I have to second woodsyi's recommendation. That system would absolutely kill. I'm a huge fan the Slee phono stages. Simply put, they are the best sounding phonostages for the price on the market. The Era Gold is phenomenal and a steal at $500 bucks. I've got Grahams latest incarnation in house now for review at ETM.

That Basis table with a good isolation shelf coupled with the RB-300 should be an excellent combination. Toss in the Benz cart and I'd bet you'd likely never want to upgrade your analog rig.

Essentially, I've been there done that several times over. Knowing what I know now, this system will give you everything you are looking for and loads more. I've got a similar 2nd table setup (Audio Note TT-1 with a modified Rega Arm and the Slee phonostage).

Could you do better? Sure, but to do so I had to drop some serious coinage to do it.

Scott,

I read your review on the droplet LP5.  Well, you bought it -- that's all I need to know. 
Now can you get one of these to review.
 
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1178360501 
I have been eying these just biding time for a deal I can't refuse to come up.  I would love to read your review on it. 

[Scott F.]

That would be cool too but how about one of these instead.....


http://www.audiomeca-hifi.com/Belladonna.htm

This should be showing up in a month or so 

[lcrim]

I'm certain that the previous rec's would both sound and look terrific.  As far as been there, done that my rec would be a Technics 1210M5G w/ the tonearm fluid damper installed from KAB.  This gets you to just over $650 and has somwhat better wiring.
I have come to like the Jolida JD-9 phono section very much.  It has plenty of gain and there are enough cartridge loading and capacitance settings to fit just about any cartridge.  Its quiet but uses 12AX7 tubes so you can try out tube rolling.  Response Audio carries them and the damage is about $450
For a cartridge, there are as many options as members to give recommendations.  A very poular cart is the LOMC Denon DL-103.  Its been in production since the '60's and was the broadcast standard.  It's a low compliance cart that has a reputation for being highly musical.  William Thakker on eBay from Germany has them @ $148
Chair Guy's suggestion of a vacuum cleaning record machine should be taken seriously.  There is a current thread over on the Vinyl Circle on this subject.  http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=38000.0
Without cables you are @ ~ $1250.  You can save more by going used but a TT is a mechanical device and as such usually doesn't improve w/ age.  That must be why I own 2 used TT's.

[nickspicks]

thanks guys.
there are some damn'd sexy tables out there!

I'll be surfing around to see what I come up with.  I'm really interested in finding a used MMF7 to play with.
but this here deck isn't disappointing me.

[TONEPUB]

There are probably a number of good table/arm/cart phono preamps
if you are going to spend 3K, especially if you are going to go with some
used stuff.

I just started reveiwing the AQVOX 2c phono preamp that is solid state
and offers balanced inputs as well as the RCA.  So far this is shaping
up to be quite nice for $1000.

While not terribly sexy or trendy, Ive had great luck with the Rega P3
or P25 along with a few of the groovetracer mods and perhaps a
Sumiko Blackbird or the Dynavector 17D3, or even the Shelter 501,
depending on how your system sounds...

Others in this price range really like the basic Scout from VPI too and this
also has a pretty long upgrade path.