Allright, who has a turntable or is going to buy one soon?

mcrespo71 · « **on:** 3 Sep 2003, 07:27 pm »

I'm just curious. I have a Rega P25 with an RB 900 arm, Benz Micro Silver High Output MC cartridge, and Heavyweight counterweight for arm. Also, modified table to make the damn thing run exactly at 33 1/3 RPM (it was 1% fast) and replaced the standard feet with vibrapods, black diamond racing cones, and place the whole thing on top of a bright star sand box.

Sounds pretty ****** amazing, though I know my cartridge could be upgraded. I bought this table 4 1/2 years ago to replace a Rega P3 and it was really THE table to own around the low 1K price point. Now there are tons of tables at this price point, with a Teres or VPI Scout being some of the more interesting ones. I don't know if I'll ever upgrade, but if I did, it would need to be a big step up. At the minimum, a Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck or a 200 level Teres.

Ok, this may not exactly be about the Reference 3a per se, but both products are eminently musical and I like to tout the greatness of vinyl every now and then, especially if you have used LP stores! You won't believe some of the ridiculously cheap deals that may be found on used vinyl if you look!

Marbles · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 Sep 2003, 08:32 pm »

Teres, SME IV arm, Symphonic Line RG8 cart. Pre production CI Audio VPP2 phono pre for low output MC carts. Bolder Nitro phono cable.

Beezer · « **Reply #2 on:** 3 Sep 2003, 08:54 pm »

Nottingham Interspace table, Bluenote Borghese arm, Dynavector 20Xh cartridge, Neuance shelf on Atlantis Reference 3 stand, AES PH-1 phono stage with Auricap upgrade. Oh yeah, a Herbie turntable mat.

Also sounds pretty awesome, although I'm sure it's not in the Teres league...

Beez

Brad · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Sep 2003, 09:06 pm »

Music Hall MMF-5 with stock cartridge

mgalusha · « **Reply #4 on:** 3 Sep 2003, 09:12 pm »

Music Hall MMF-5 w/damping mods, Grado Statement Platinum, DIY cables w/Silver Bullets, Herbies TT mat, Hagerman Cornet.

It sounds pretty good but I have Teres lust.

HarleyMYK · « **Reply #5 on:** 3 Sep 2003, 09:26 pm »

Thorens TD-160 Super with Grace G-707 arm and a Grace F-9 cartridge. I thank this forum for encouraging me to get it out of the box it has been in for 9 years and five moves. I was surprised how much more engaging it has been compared to playing CDs.

skchow · « **Reply #6 on:** 3 Sep 2003, 09:35 pm »

Music Hall MMF-7 with stock cartridge hooked up to the phono section of the NAD c160

Sunny.

cyounkman · « **Reply #7 on:** 4 Sep 2003, 06:42 am »

I have a VPI HW-19 Jr w/ RB300 and an ADC XLS cartridge.

It sounds great, though hardly state-of-the-art.

HERESY ALERT:

I am planning to sell it. The sad truth is that 99% of the music I listen to on a daily basis is on CD; I bought the turntable basically as a dalliance, and though I've amassed a couple hundred lp's, only a few compel me at this point to clean and play them.

Since CD replay has matured so much lately, and since there are so many relatively easy ways to 'fix' redbook's worst problems, it makes more sense to focus my efforts (read: money) on optimizing a single source.

REMORSEFUL GENUFLECTION:

I acknowledge that vinyl is innately higher-resolution (I'm crossing myself as I say this), and if I win the lottery I hereby pledge to buy a Rockport Sirius 2 and maybe a TNT HR-X for the bedroom system, and tithe 10% to Linn.

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #8 on:** 4 Sep 2003, 03:15 pm »

Quote

I am planning to sell it. The sad truth is that 99% of the music I listen to on a daily basis is on CD; I bought the turntable basically as a dalliance, and though I've amassed a couple hundred lp's, only a few compel me at this point to clean and play them.

NOOOOOOOOO!

Just kidding- do you have a record cleaner? I found that I listen to way more vinyl since I purchased one.

cyounkman · « **Reply #9 on:** 4 Sep 2003, 03:32 pm »

Uh, no... I clean 'by hand' which I know is a bit mediaeval.

You have room for a record cleaner in Manhattan?

I guess the corollary to all of the above is that I'm trying to simplify and try to avoid equipment running me out of house and home.

Marbles · « **Reply #10 on:** 4 Sep 2003, 03:38 pm »

Try this one, it's easy, relatively cheap, very effective, and pretty small.

http://www.garage-a-records.com/spin.html

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #11 on:** 4 Sep 2003, 05:28 pm »

Quote

You have room for a record cleaner in Manhattan?

Yes, I use a Nitty Gritty 1.5 Fi on top of one of my racks. It is pretty compact. I couldn't fit a VPI 16.5 on my rack, or I would have bought that.

The record cleaner changed my life as far as listening to vinyl. I used to use Last Record cleaner on my vinyl, which was OK but completely too slow once I started to buy tons of used records. Now I can buy like a 100 used LP's and clean them before I play em to check if they are OK. If they are, I put them in rice paper and file em away. I also clean an LP on the Nitty Gritty before I put it on the table. It's quite fast and the record sounds great after a cleaning on the 1.5FI.

I understand simplifying, but you actually have a decent amount of records to just abandon the medium completely! Are you going to ebay the records?

Michael

gja · « **Reply #12 on:** 6 Sep 2003, 01:06 pm »

Grado Reference/VPI TNT HR5/Audible Illusions Modulas 3a...soon to be replaced by Cary SPL98. NO DIGITAL !!!! It's been about 10 years now and I still don't miss it!

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #13 on:** 6 Sep 2003, 05:45 pm »

My GOD you have a sweet analog front end!!!
What do you think about the AI Modulus 3A? Do you have the gold phono board? I've always considered buying one of those.

Michael

gja · « **Reply #14 on:** 6 Sep 2003, 05:58 pm »

I have the AL3a with the MM phono board. I've enjoyed its natural and open sound for about 5 years now. Before that it was the 2C. It will be very interesting to see how it compares to the Cary. (If I like the Cary, the Audible Illusions will be for sale!)

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #15 on:** 7 Sep 2003, 03:49 am »

^^So do you feel like the MM De Capo I's are allowing all the resolution of your sublime turntable to shine through?^^

If I had your table, I would probably drop digital as well, but then, I listen to too much rock n roll to survive on vinyl only releases. Sure, I may get the White Stripes and Radiohead on vinyl, but I couldn't get every release I want on vinyl. If I listened to only classical, I'd be pretty satisfied with just vinyl. I have not purchased much classical on CD, as many of the performances I am interested in were originally released on vinyl and, frankly, CD remasters of Living Stereo's or Mercury Living Presence performances are a far cry from the original vinyl pressings, if you can find them.

One interesting thing to note is that I added the Expressimo Audio Heavyweight to my RB 900 arm and the MM De Capo I's allowed me to clearly hear the changes for the better (better bass, smoother highs, and slightly more depth- just more organic sounding). These speakers seem to resolve just about anything in my system. While my Rega P25 has the PRAT thing down pat for rock n roll, I'm a bit dissatisfied with it for classical. It has a more forward presentation that doesn't allow for as much soundstage depth as I've heard from VPI's. Of course, some of that probably has to do with my small ass room and the fact that I can only have the MM De Capo I's out about 2 feet 7 inches from the back wall, but it is still annoying to attempt to hear the true continuousness that a symphony has to offer with this table. I hear some violins in discrete layers on the left, the cellos and upright bass on the right, and some resolution a little further back of the woodwinds, but not like the symphony. Some of it clearly has to do with how it is miked. Sometimes the symphony will sound proper, but then some violins get too close to the mike and take up the entire soundstage between the speakers. Ditto for big drum whacks. I hear the foundation in the symphony hall, but more from the rear. On my stereo, they are front and center- very disconcerting and I doubt it's the fault of the P25, but there is some foreshortening of the stage with this table IMO.

gja · « **Reply #16 on:** 7 Sep 2003, 01:12 pm »

I have been able to find most of what I want on vinyl, that said, I mostly listen to vintage jazz and classical. It also helps that I live 1/2 hour drive from the Princeton Record Exchange - this keeps me away from e-bay.

The deCapo's seem to resolve what my front end throws at them. Prior to the deCapo's I had Acoustat 3's with American Hybrid Technology servo amps. They revealed no more than I am hearing now, except for the lower octive(s?). They also afforded a higher level of dynamic. The problem was in my small room (17x11x8) their staging was limited. This is where the deCapos really sing.

It seems like there is always some kind of trade off. I guess you just have to work on what's tickles your monkey bone (to borrow a favorite phrase from a retired high end reviewer).

Red Dragon Audio · « **Reply #17 on:** 9 Sep 2003, 06:06 pm »

Project wood classic with Grado Red cartridge and Radio Shack battery powered phono preamp.

cyounkman · « **Reply #18 on:** 9 Sep 2003, 06:32 pm »

Has anyone else experimented with battery-powered phono amps (or anything else)?

I know Sutherland is selling a battery-only phono stage these days... I was wondering if I could [get my technically-oriented friend to] cobble together a battery-based power supply for my little Musical Fidelity X-LPS; I am currently just using the pathetic, unupgraded little wall wart.

I have experimented with running various pieces of my system off of the internal batteries in my UPS units; the results are mixed, often slightly lowering the noise floor while reducing dynamics.

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #19 on:** 9 Sep 2003, 10:46 pm »

No batteries here, but I have read great things about the Phenomena and Camelot phono stages that are battery powered. I think in theory batteries are a great idea, but I don't know if I'd want to keep replacing/recharging them. Who knows maybe it's as easy as taking care of tube equipment, which some people are freaked out by.

Michael

Poll

Do you own or plan to own a turntable?

Allright, who has a turntable or is going to buy one soon?