Turntable confusion

Hi Sammyo,

I can only tell you about my experience with my own TTs.
I'm 55 years old and I still have my first TT (and still use it to play specific records). I've idler TTs, DD and belt driven ones. Up to 3 years ago I was happily using a Rega P3 with a Dynavector 10 x 5 through a Rega EOS phonostage. I moved then to a P5 with a Dynavector 17D2 and a DV P75 phonostage and felt the same as you: - was I better off with the P3? After having listened to many different combinations of TT, cartridges and Phonostages I ended up understanding that there was nothing wrong with my P5 or DV 17 D2. The only problem was matching the cartridge with a suitable phonostage. I also discovered that the Dv 17 D2 (now 17D3) is circa thirty years old and that all the initial investements have already been paid for by DV. If they were to R&D this cartrige nowadays its RP would be something like £4000,00!! I found the propper phonostage for this cartridge, the ASR Basis Exclusive. You wouldn't believe the sound I'm now sqeezing off the P5. It's as if my speakers had been covered by blankets and all of a sudden someone just removed the blankets. The rega P5 is very well engineered and beats hand down most TTs at the double of its price. Get in touch with ASR they are really friendly people, very helpful and their products are exceptional and, as a bonus, at real world prices. The Basis Exclusive costs roughly 1200,00£ and beats hands off an Ayre P5xe in all different aspects. Design is their only weakness but a matter of taste. I don't mind it. The phonostage does its job much, much better than it might have been hopped for...
Don't worry be patient and by the way try also a Icon Audio P3 phonostage. It's very good (excelent too) though more expensive and not as tuneable to the cartridge as the ASR. Regards.

 

Hi Sammyo,

I suppose you got this :

http://cgi.ebay.es/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160353108270&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

You've got a very good table there! And an amazing arm! It's a lovey unipivot, and deserves a suitable cart to sing along with. You said your max. budget is around £300. Normally dealers aren't too crazy abot letting you try carts in this prices range, 'cause they must be sold very cheap after that, if you don't like them.
Here are some "subjective" and biased -of course!- recommendations.

You would love a Grace cart (F8/F-9) on your unipivot, if you can find one, or a Goldring. I've got an old G900igc vdh stylus and love it. The Roksan cart is a Goldring too. I'd forget all about Rega or Clearaudio carts, but that's me! Ortofon's 2M is a save choice -not the Rondo- though you can do better than that on a Nima.

Now on to MC's. Many have been quoted, as the Dyna's. I'd pick an Benz Micro MC 20E2 or a Silver (a Gold supposing you can amplify LOMC's). A Sumiko Blue Point Evo III would be fine too.

As for LOMC's within your budget you can also get a Denon 301/304 or an Audio Technica AT-F3 (can be purchased cheap direct from Japan. Check Ebay: Joyful Japan for the At; William Tacker for Denon's)). That's for namig two completely different sonic presentations. AT's trying to tell you everything with a light touch, Denon' trying to lure you on to believe that's the best way of hearing what's on the groove. Not the same.

If you decide to mount a Grado on the Nima, go for a Sonata!

As you can see options a-plenty !

Hope I'm not confussing you. Anyway, you could always search for a low-hours cart and sell it on if it doesn't float your boat.

Once more, congratulations with your wonderful deck. That Nima deserves a top-cart!

Regards,

Vincula

 

LOL Vincula. Thanks for the incredibly hlepful post. I'm embarrassed to say I've already bought an Ortofon Rondo Red - possibly the only one you advised against!

I followed the link in Bottleneck's post above on this page that expressly recommended the Ortofon Rondo Red to go with this TT/arm combination.

Ah well, there's always next time!

 

don't worry - I'm sure it will sound great.

on the not-straight-cantiliver - I would be tempted to play the cart through a test-disc, and make sure it tracked ok..

 

Is it a stupid idea to try to gently push the cantilever back in place?

 

Oh! It'll probably be fine too, sammyo. It's just personal. I'm not too crazy about the Ortofon's sonic presentation, but many are, and you could be one of them! Don't get me wrong, I don't wanna spoil anyone's pleasure.
Do enjoy and don't get too fixed on fiddling. Just keep on spinnin'!

Regards,

Vincula

PS. Congrats again. I love the Roksan/Nima combo. So beguiling...

 

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=64863&page=5

careful !

 

naturlich! who needs anything better than xerxes with artemiz?

 

If you don't already have a significant collection of pre-mid 80s vinyl, there is absolutely no point in buying a turntable. Just about everything recorded since 1986 was digitised somewhere in it's production. What is the point of using an analog source to play what is essentially a digital recording?

Chris

 

I have a significant collection of pre-mid 80s vinyl.

 

And irrespective, some of us prefer the presentation you get on vinyl and enjoy the music more.

I have a decent CDP and turntable. I use the CD Player if playing music while I am doing other stuff, but usually the TT when sitting down to listen.
Digital recording or not, I prefer the sound.

By your same argument ...... what is the point of using a digital source to play what essentially you will listen to using analogue ears?

 

Not really.

Ears are a must for listening and you cannot eliminate them from the chain. Converting a digital file to vinyl isn't necessary, and can only do harm.

 

Well, there is a quality aspect to consider too.

My NAS Mentor/Kuzma/Clearaudio/Ear 834p combo sounds (not suprisingly) better than a straight-up squeezebox 3.

If you blow a load on a good TT, you'd need to blow equally loads on a CDP to get close - for example I like the Opus 21 CD player (but not enough to pay ...)..... or a Wadia 861, and I'm not spending THAT either!

Few of us can have top notch sources of two types from a cost perspective..


NB - I'm hankering after building the twisted pear buffalo dac one day. Anyone got one? Someone on pinkfish has one.. sorry slightly off topic...well way off topic...


Oh yes, forgot to say I've had some great days out going to record fairs and picking up old records. It's a lot of fun, and pretty cheap.

.... I quite fancy also making a DIY wet vacuum record cleaner. I've priced it up at... wait for it... wait for it... £30 !. If I want to ''posh it up'' it will be about £80.

Okay, back to TT's...

 

Rob, I think you may have missed Samantha's point.

 

Agreed, but surely if you have a good quality digital recording, the best way to replay that recording is via a digital player - play it without additional processing or conversions.
That must be preferable to taking that digital master and putting it through the complex process of vinyl.

 

Sounds arguable.

 

Very arguable.
So argue your case

Perhaps get a dedicated thread going on the subject.

 

A very interesting post. Out of interest, what do you use your first TT to play? Do you still use an idler drive? If not why not?

 

No thanks.

Its not "my" case.

I'm just agreeing with Samantha that vinyl gives a very diffeent presentation to cd, full stop.

All this techno babble is I think just complicating matters.

 

I have the original Sabre24 version.

Works really well...

Paul