[mountaineagle]

Time out guys.... ....what about a Denon 103R for a stock SL1210 arm?  Should I get a sumiko headshell or AT-LH18 headshell? The latter is heavier which I am lead to believe is better but one guy says it will warp the record and suggested a stock jelco headshell?

I can get a sumiko headshell in the UK is it heavy enough? Do I need one counterweight or the second one too that comes with the deck?...Flashman thinks it will do the job? 

[doug s.]

oh, one other thing, my present analog front end isn't too shabby - oracle delphi upgraded to mkv specs, with o-l dc motor kit, fed by hewlett packard lab grade power supply.  tonearm is o-l silver taper.  so, i know a decent analog front-end when i hear one.  and, i have also been fortunate enough to hear analog front ends even "higher-end" than what i own.

doug s.

Doug,

  I must apologize.  I was more than a little snippy with my last reply.  I have never heard an Empire Table with a decent arm before.  I simply can not believe that an unsuspended table will have enough isolation to better a high quality suspended table. like your Oracle.   I have been involved in high-end audio since the early 80's and hear so much BS that I often snap.  Again I extend a sincere apology for my words.

All the best,

Michael Mastin

michael, no offense taken.  as wayner says, it's yust someone's opinion.     if isolation is a problem, look for a wintage empire 498, 598, or 698 for suspended iterations.  if isolation is not a problem, an unsuspended deck is fine.  personally, i have always lusted after a verdier la platine, wery spendy, and no suspension, either.  but, i will have to win a lottery or something, for me to ever consider actually getting one.

doug s.

[doug s.]

Doug,

I wouldn't pretend to know anything but isn't the philosophy that you cant get out of the end anything better than you put in at the front?

I deliberately put a ? because I have not heard enough audio to have an opinion on the subject and value yours.

I have heard a point of view that you can just get a SL1210 because the phono stage is more important than anything else.

I wish I knew all the answers as if I did ...within reason I would just go out and buy it.

yes, i have heard that philosophy; seems linn pushed it quite a bit, w/the sondek.     and, i do not disagree; the point i am making, however, is that you really can get excellent performance w/o dropping a huge wad of cash on a turntable.  not yust empire's; there are others.  while i have never heard a modded lenco, that is another that i suspect offers similar performance way above its price.  they are plentiful in the uk; you may wanna check those out, as well.  and, for a reasonably priced deck, i think it would be hard to beat the technics - if purchasing new.  but, if it were me, i'd opt for spending the same cash on something used.

phono stages are certainly important, as well - but again, tho i have never heard them, the jolida jd-9a and the audiovista phono 1, (recently discussed here - special iteration of 100 examples being offered to a/c members), also seem to indicate that excellent performance can be had for a reasonable outlay of cash.

doug s.

[doug s.]

Time out guys.... ....what about a Denon 103R for a stock SL1210 arm?  Should I get a sumiko headshell or AT-LH18 headshell? The latter is heavier which I am lead to believe is better but one guy says it will warp the record and suggested a stock jelco headshell?

I can get a sumiko headshell in the UK is it heavy enough? Do I need one counterweight or the second one too that comes with the deck?...Flashman thinks it will do the job?

personally, i would never put one of those denon's on my winyl, regardless of how they sound.  yust no way i would want 2.5g of conical stylus being dragged across my records.  the newer fine-line contact-type styli offer far better tracking at less weight, and much les actual weight per area of surface contact.  there is a greater area of winyl-to surface contact w/the fine-line type styli, and they go deeper into the grooves.  even elliptical styli offer greater surface area contact, less weight on your records, and better tracking.  however, many folks love these cartridges, and there's a lot of folks that get them re-tipped w/better styli.  here's a thread about it in another forum - uk-based:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3138

re: headshell, it is beyond me how a heavier headshell will warp a record.     all you need is to be sure the counterweight is heavy enough to offset the weight of the cartridge & headshell.  i guess if you had a 2kg headshell w/a 2kg counterweight, you may have to start worrying about the tonearm's pivot bearings, turntable suspension, etc...   

doug s.

[mountaineagle]

Thanks Doug, I have learnt a lot by listening to you guys and its lots of fun    ...has anyone had any experience of the audio vista phono stage? Would consider it if the limited edition has not already gone.

Greg

[Scottdazzle]

Greg, check out this topic for more on the preamp.
Topic: AudioCircle Limited Edition phono preamp   

[doug s.]

Thanks Doug, I have learnt a lot by listening to you guys and its lots of fun    ...has anyone had any experience of the audio vista phono stage? Would consider it if the limited edition has not already gone.

Greg

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=69666.0

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=69781.0

doug s.

[mountaineagle]

BobRex,

Thanks for your advice re the Pure Sound A30. Have you heard this amp? I read a recent favourable review in hifi+ of the amp working in tandem with a Border pwer supply ( I think ) which involved the removal of the 2 middle valves and a fixed electrical connection between the 2 products ( forgive my clumsy rhetoric I know nothing about electronics ).

The A30 is, I believe built, in China but as you say is available in the UK. I have been told by one knowledgeable guy over here that he liked it when he heard it and that it retails for the same price as the Cayin if I buy the Cayin from the European ( German ) distributor. I can buy the Cayin direct from China for almost half the price on www.chinesehifi.co.uk  - which is clearly not a UK website but one operating out of China. I am reluctant to buy direct from China via this website and I wondered if anyone has had any experience of this website?