TT upgrade advice

I bought a Project Debut 3 TT earlier in the year. I have been very pleased with it, but vinyl has become my main source by quite some margin, so I have decided to start auditioning upgrades.

I was looking to spend about £600, and would like something that will offer a good upgrade on the Debut, but with an automatic or relatively easy speed change, as I have a lot of 45 RPM records.

I will also need a phono stage, as I am using the one built into the Debut at the moment.

Any advice appreciated!

 

Secondhand Roksan Xerxes (with an external power supply such as an XPS2) and a Rega Fono should do a very nice job, I would think, and be available for your budget.

 

2nd hand xerxes a good choice.

If you wanted new, I believe Henley (the Pro-Ject UK distributors) are currently doing a deal on the Pro-Ject 2 Experience (nice looking clear perspex jobby, carbon fibre tonearm), complete with an Ortofon Rondo Red MC cart and a speedbox (push button 33/45) - for exactly £600.

Bit of a bargain actually as if you bought all those bits seperately it'd set you back over £900.

 

I'd get a Xerxes. You should be able to get a nice one for 300-500 depending on arm and P/S. A few quid for a set up and bob's your uncle.

 

Don't forget other sh TT out there........MichelGyro/orbe, LP12, Alphason,...but if the xerxes is to your taste its a good one.

 

Xerxes will make you smile and wonder how vinyl could possibly sound any better! There's one on eBay at the mo' with the flagship Artemiz tonearm that just might end up far under value.

Good luck in your search!

Dex

 

Thanks for all of the advice. I am going to check out the Xerxes and others.

What quality stage should I budget for this level of tt?

 

Is the Xerxes a 2 speed player?

Bob

 

Why don't you trade it in for an RPM-9? Plenty around 2nd hand around the £500 mark. Add an MC15 Mk2 and you have a very nice TT for relatively little outlay.

Also definitely look at the Roksan Radius 5 and Clearaudio Emotion. Both should be around £4-500 used and are equally good.

Rgds,
DT

PS, don't forget, if you buy an MC cart, you'll probably need to invest in a better phono stage

 

I have one with an XPS2 power supply and it does both 33 and 45 at the press of a button.

 

X-Demo Roksan Radius turntable with K18 cart fitted £475

Excellent condition and boxed. Superb looking and sounding record player with a decent cartridge already fitted.

moorgate in sheffield, Telephone: 0114 2756048

 

That's a 10 year old cartridge!

Ed.

 

but why is the same one on there twice? Or am I going mad......?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Roksan-Zerxes...5825162551QQcategoryZ3283QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Roksan-Zerxes...5825150605QQcategoryZ3283QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Nah, you're fine, it's eBay that's gone mad!

 

Usual suspects 2nd hand - Xerxes or LP12 are good buys - just need to be careful of the plinth sag on the Xerxes. Not sure you will get an Orbe or Gyro for £600 including arm 2nd hand but you never know your luck.

New or ex-dem look at the project decks as mentioned, Roksan Radius 5.

Also I'd look out for Michell Tecnodec or maybe one of the new Funk decks. Good thing about the Tecnodec is if the upgrade bug bites you can always upgrade the arm/psu instead of just ditching the whole thing.

As for phonos the Graham Slee are popular, the phono from Creek, and if you are feeling plush I seen Trichord Dino go for £195 2nd hand (shadow audio have one on their website for this amount).

 

There is a deal on the new X-Perience deck from Project. They are doing a special package called the X-Pack. It includes the following:

1x Project X-Perience: £600
1x Project Speedbox: £50
1x Ortofon Rondo Red MC Cart: £300

The package is priced at £650 all in and is available to order from all Project dealers. Please ignore the mention of the Ortofon MC15 Super Mk2 Cart, it is definitely the Ortofon Rondo Red which is being supplied by the UK distributors, Henley.

http://www.project-audio.com/main.php?prod=xperiencesp&cat=turntables&lang=en

 

That there is a very fine deck and a very good deal!

I assume it comes with the carbon fibre tonearm?

DT

 

That is one good deal. The upper crust Pro-jects are very good indeed. I 've got that ones big brother, the Perspective. Very nice it is too. Is was my favourite against a couple of others, the baby Roksan and Clearaudios. I'd plump for that. The fact you can change speed easily is a great plus. I have to change the motor on mine.

 

I bnelieve it does. When I mentined it earlier I said it was £600 - £50 out Still a good price for some nice kit though.

 

I heard from a man at Henley Designs that the Perspective will actually work fine with the speedbox (despite what Pro-Ject themselves might say), negating the need to swap motors (which does sound a pain doesn't it).