KAB modded TT for under $1k? Any experience here on what mods work best?

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eric the red

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Looking hard at ditching my cdp and spending $1K on a TT and the KAB Technics modded tables look pretty promising. Am wondering what the best way to spend $1k is on a modded KAB 1200. If I go the KAB route I'd like to get the Ortofon cartridge on it and that's about as far as I got on KAB's option list. Any suggestions on what other upgrades that the KAB 1200 TTs benefit the most from? Is his TT pretty easy to set up? TIA

TheChairGuy

Why ditch CDP altogether?  Maybe it's not musically engaging like vinyl is, but you might one day miss the convenience.

I traded down to a $39 player (from $4K) and it's satisfactory for mostly background music - so I understand where you're at in your thinking  :wink:

Ortofons are pricey now as they have MAP's (Minimum Advertised Pricing) and no discounts.  The KAB Stanton is a better deal, likely, a lots cheaper.

eric the red

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According to the KAB website, the Champagne finished 1200 with arm damper, power socket, strobe disabler and Ortofon cartridge plus RCA plugs upgraded to bullets would still get me in under $1k after the package discount. I'm going to ditch my cdp, get an elcheapo for the 100 cds I save for my truck cdp and get a squeezebox for everything else. Oh and sell the Apollo while they are still hot... :green:

Psychicanimal

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If you're buying from KAB, get the rewire taken care of and then, if funds allow, the power supply.

lcrim

If you purchase the TT from Kevin, he thoroughly checks it out first.  The tonearm damping tray and the arm rewire w/ Cardas Litz would be next in terms of priorities.  Power supply upgrades would follow and then things like strobe disabler.  The threaded clamp probably would be near the bottom of the list for me.  I also highly recommend the isoplatmat (it really does work), there's a thread in this circle about it.
As far as cartridges are concerned, its taken me a number of tries to find one that was fully satisfying.  I prefer LOMC but they do require more gain in the phono section but this is a fair tradeoff to me.  I run mine in an all tubed system w/o noise problems.  I am BTW not a big Ortofon fan but others seem to like them.
I have a SB in both my sysytems for Redbook, I don't think of it as background music and the convenience is terrific.