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Analog Upgrade Suggestions Welcome

I am thinking of making several upgrades to my current analog rig.

Current system: click here

First, I am thinking of upgrading my VPI HW19 MKIII to the MKIV. I would like those with first hand experience to tell me if the upgrade is worth the money, and what I can expect to hear in improvement. I am currently using the SDS and SAMA modifications.

Second, I am thinking of upgrading my cartridge. My Sumiko Talisman Alchemist IIb is almost 15 years old and is ready for retirement. Some A'goNers have recommended the Shelter 501. I didn't want to spend more than $1000 for a cartidge as the majority of my listening is still redbook CD. I am open to other suggestions. I want the best cartridge for the money. Also, I am leary of buying such a fragile item used. I have heard others on A'goN say they'd never buy a used cartridge. Please share any experiences out there; good or bad.

My current cartridge has an output of 2.0mV which I assume means high output. Will I need a step-up transformer for a low output cartridge? Is the Shelter 501 at 0.4 mV considered low output? My Classe Six preamp has a phono section. The preamp comes with resistors that the user can change out to match the volume control knob position to the level of line components. I assume I'd need to change the resistor I'm using with my current cartridge. Otherwise I'd have to turn the knob way up to get enough gain with a cartridge with an output that's 1/5 that of my current cartridge. Is that correct?

Thank you all for your help and suggestions.

Cheers!

Mark
mstram
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Mstram,
If I'd known you were ready to jump in the 901's direction I'd have offered to lend you mine at no cost but shipping. You could have made a decision based on your own ears. I'm sure you'll enjoy the cartridge, which is a pretty good one. Good luck in your analog adventures.

MSiebers,
FWIW, I have heard systems with cart/arm resonances above 12 Hz. IME the bass response of those systems was sub-optimal. There's a reason most people prefer a range of 8-12Hz, with 10Hz being optimal. It works a little better.

A Shelter performs well on your WT arm? That's great, but Mark doesn't have a WT arm. A Shelter also performs well on a modded OL Silver and even better on a mass-matched Schroeder Reference. What does any of this have to do with Mark's SME 309?

Slipknot1,
Strangely enough, Raul has made the same 10Hz recommendation that I did several times on other threads. Clearly he is disagreeing here just to be disagreeable. I interpret this as his cry for help.

Raul apparently believes that tearing someone else down builds him up. His world must be a starkly unfulfilling place. Imagine living life in a zero-sum game, with no way to increase your own worth but by reducing someone else's. What a pathetic and loveless existence. Such a person must either discover a new path or go mad.

PsychicAnimal's or Cello's prescriptions might help him. Finding God might help him. Raul has yet to discover the courage within himself to trust anything beyond himself. I hope someday he will.
msiebers's avatar
msiebers
22 posts
 
Mark, good luck with your cartridge. We are all lucky to have so many good choices.

Doug, the original poster asked about the Shelter 501, and I was attempting to shared my experience of how it sounds. I believe the character of the sound will be essentially the same on his equipment. I tried to include the equipment I used at the time to give the context of my experience with the shelter. I apologize if this was confusing.

Doug, I feel you have misjudged my post. It was not a personal attack, but a request for you to share your experience. I asked for the basis of your opinion because you have presented your conclusion without detailing the experience that led to your conclusion. I have been following the discussions of resonant frequency on the vinyl engine and AA by headshell/hybris. He has stated several times that a higher resonant frequency is desirable, and that has matched my own limited experience. I feel that tracking improves with a higher resonant frequency.

What is the bass frequency that is affected ? If it is the low bass (20-40 Hz), that would explain why many would not hear the impact, since most systems Iincluding my own) do not reproduce this range.


Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
13,049 posts
 
Dear Doug: You read in the " book ": 8hz to 12 hz, and I agree with that. ***" Clearly he is disagreeing here just to be disagreeable.....": Come on, Msiebers is talking about 12.6hz that's why I'm in agree with him:
Doug don't tell me that you or anyone can hear the difference in sound reproduction between a tonearm/cartridge with a resonance frecuency of 12hz ( right on target )against the same combo with 12.6hz?. This is why I don't agree with you in this particular subject.*****"with no way to increase your own worth but by reducing someone else's. What a pathetic and loveless", fortunatelly I don't need to increase my worth, please speak for your self and don't be angry when I call you inexpert ( I'm inexpert in several audio subjects, like anyone ), maybe the problem is that you think that you are a whole expert and that any one can be free to disagree with you. Doug, do it you a favor: try to learn with " live experience ", if you do that then you can grow up with less mistakes, less time and less money.
Regards and always enjoy the music.
Raul.
shasta
155 posts
 
I did the the III to IV and also own a 309. Even w/ occasional use, 15 yrs is quite a long time. Um, have the headshell lead connections been cleaned during that time? --grin--

Cart is a Clearaudio V. Wood, not tweaky weird about setup, reasonably tough and durable - within limits.

I've eliminated the word 'best' from my audio vocab, and for carts, buy to a price point, and maybe occasionally sneak a peek at a review. Nearly impossible, AFAIK, to borrow and audition a cart, let alone buy one w/ a MBG.

The III to IV jump is an OK improvement, but certainly is not cheap. No experience w/ the SDS. Actually, record cleaning effort and procedures are producing nearly the same improvements...
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
Raul has yet to discover the courage within himself to trust anything beyond himself. I hope someday he will.

Dougdeacon

Raoul,

You really need to address some *issues*. Estás patinando en seco...

***
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