Need advice for upgrading my analog setup

That's an excellent combination you list! Go for it! 

My experience has been that turntables require appropriately high quality phono stage to sound their best. While I have not heard the Darlington Labs MP-7 phono preamp, I have doubts that it would be up to the sound quality of your intended new turntable. My general rule of thumb is a very carefully chosen phono stage in the same cost range as the turntable. Whenever over the last five decades of me violating this I later found the Phonostage was significantly compromising the sound quality of my turntable.
 

There are many excellent used high end phono stages on the market. 

"I’m using a Darlington Labs MP-7 phono preamp that I’m happy with and don’t plan on replacing."

It will serve its purpose, but to get the most of the proposed setup, consider $3-5K in a "proper" phonostage.

You won’t go wrong with that setup!

It looks like you have done your homework. I would not mind you upgrading a notch to The Voice. Best high output cartridge made IMHO. 

@mijostyn - I had not heard of this cartridge but I'll look into it and consider it. Truth be told I'm not in a super huge rush so delaying the build a month or two to fund that cart doesn't seem like too bad of an idea.

@ghdprentice and @tablejockey - What are some worthy phono preamps in this price range to consider? It's possible I'll save that upgrade for further down the road to keep my upgraditis satisfied.

The Voice is the next and last cartridge up the Soundsmith high output series. It has a Ruby cantilever and Soundsmith's best stylus. 

Going with the SOTA eliminates a need for expensive or additional isolation.

I have a SOTA Sapphire with an Origin Live Silver tonearm and SoundSmith The Voice cartridge. Love it. The Silver is one step down in the lineup from the Zephyr tonearm.  I need to upgrade my phono preamp. 

@thefrator hello I also upgrading my vinyl system and I agree with @ghdprentice phono stage and cartridges are equally important just like the table. I tried over 10 different brands over the last 2 months (half of them auditioned in my own system) and I found Parasound JC3+ a good contender in its price range. Enjoy ! 

Your choices are excellent. I would also consider the upgrade of your phono stage also. Now do not forget to upgrade your cables to !! Good luck

I would not worry about the phono stage.

If it's no match for the new TT, you will start looking for one anyway.

How do you like the looks of the SOTA Sapphire?

OK ~ I’ll be that guy 😉

No disrespect intended, just an option for maximizing musical resolution, image bloom and all around enjoyment with inherent isolation much improved over your existing Pro-Ject.

If you’re married to the Darlington Labs MP-7 phono preamp (not knocking it!), I’d suggest the best Grado High Output pickup you could afford after acquiring a Technics 1200G. Toss the current tungsten polymer record mat from Luxman on it followed by your favorite records.

While not sexy by audiophile standards, it would serve up the goods and the Americans who import these Japanese products are great guys.

@needfreestuff is correct to mention phono cables 👍 lots of good inexpensive solutions (such as Mogami) on this forum.

Thank you all for the input! I really appreciate it.

@grislybutter - the looks of the Sapphire is what drew me to it. With the solid wood finish and its physical size and weight. I'm a fan on turntables that don't look like they belong in a laboratory or in a space shuttle.

@boothroyd - thank you for being that guy! I like to see what options are out there and I had not considered Technics deck or Grado carts.

I think you should stop and audition some alternatives. Vinyl can sound dull and lifeless or unbearably shrill, or full bass, or lush midrange, etc etc. Find out what you like and choose your cartridge accordingly. Just my $.02.

Good luck!

A great choice with the SOTA. I have a Star Sapphire with vacuum hold down, an SMEV arm and a Kiseki Blue cart and it’s magic to my ears. Once the SOTA is setup it’s pretty much play it and forget it. Great isolation and speed stability and the table just rocks! I also have a nice VPI setup but I like the SOTA more overall. Just make sure your phono stage and cartridge are up to the challenge or your overal happiness with the table might suffer a bit. It’s worth the best you can afford to throw at it.

As others have mentioned I'd strongly consider upgrading your phone stage as well. You can get a new Musical Surroundings Nova III for 1500, used even less. Dead quiet and linear. Great piece. There are others in that price range that will be a huge upgrade as well. I'd almost suggest you upgrade the phono stage first as you'll likely be surprised how much better things sound and then when you do your big upgrade you'll get the most out of it. That's a great table/arm/cartridge combo. I'd also suggest you look at clearaudio's performance DC table maybe with their tracer tonearm and a hana cartridge like the ml. The symmetry in that setup when I had it was trwndous. 

I've had a SOTA  star sapphire cocobolo since 1992. Works perfectly, never had any problems just twist the feet to level the turntable and enjoy.

No disrespect to others, but kindly disregard the advice of those who suggest that the amount you spend on a component (phononstage) should serve as the reason to replace a phononstage you already enjoy. Having been playing with these toys for 40 years, I’ve certainly learned that MSRP has no bearing on system sound quality in your room. 
 

You’ve identified an outstanding front end. Select a good phono cable (quite happy with my Morrow cable) and enjoy your system. But please disregard those who contend that you’ve not spent enough on your preamp. 

Concur and amplify the focus on the phono preamp then preamp first. My personal philosophy is that average turntables with good isolation is all that’s needed (It’s simply a level rotating plane - that’s all) - focus on the cartridge. Think Rega RP8 not 10.  Pro-ject higher model  from the Evo would do. 
 

I’ll diverge on constant upgrading of the phono stage though. Get a quality adjustable one with two inputs and call it good. I might upgrade one day long in the future - gold note ph-10 is absolutely amazing with XLR outs and the equalization (RIAA, Decca, Columbia) options are simply now table stakes for me. Applying the proper output equalization has such a meaningful impact it would take an article to elaborate. 

I can't speak to the arm and cart but the SOTA is a great TT, I've had mine for over 20 years. I did upgrade it to the magnetic bearing and new control board recently and it's better than ever .

@chocaholic you've obviously not listened to the difference between a $500 phono and a $2-$3k phono if you're recommending someone to stay with what they have. Especially when they're moving up the ranks big time from an entry level table. 

In all honesty @thefrator my phonostage and turntables have been my best and most enjoyable upgrade. Phonos definitely need not be insanely expensive but the Musical Surroundings recommended above is great advise. Or hunt for a used Manley Chinook. Haven't heard SOTA or the Soundsmith, but I've gone through a few upgrades of tables, carts and phonos and you're in for a treat. 

@j-wall Mr. jaywall, I’ll have to respectfully disagree with your incorrect assumption. What my experience tells me is that a price tag is not an upgrade criteria. Rather, the perceived SQ and enjoyment in your own listening room is far more logical. The OP likes and is happy with his phononstage. Whether he chooses to upgrade will depend on his experience with his new ‘table. But it should not be because he simply hasn’t spent enough money on his phono section. That is just ridiculous.

@chocaholic you're sorely mistaken if you think a $500 phonostage will deliver the capabilities of $1,500 cartridge. That phonostage is entirely built to budget, which is fine for those with bare bones entry level gear that don't want to spend the dollars. But this gentleman is looking to upgrade for better sound, so your entirely baseless and incorrect assumption that he doesn't need to upgrade his phonostage (when he's already asked for phonostage advice) isn't helpful. And he definitely should upgrade. Phonostages do wonders!

@j-wall Once again you seem to read things that are not there. From his original post:

“Oh and I'm using a Darlington Labs MP-7 phono preamp that I'm happy with and don't plan on replacing.”

How you’ve interpreted that as a request for phono preamp advice is a mystery to me. But feel free to carry on. You’re on a roll.   

@chocaholic feel free to read more than headlines and you’ll learn a lot. You can do it. You’re smarter than you think!

A "need advice" thread that's going sideways...

Imagine that!

"Having been playing with these toys for 40 years, I’ve certainly learned that MSRP has no bearing on system sound quality in your room."

Buy a $6-8K setup, play it through a $700 unit and NEVER hear what the cartridge is capable of. 

Great advice

Too bad he didn’t pay $5k for his $700 phononstage. His system would sound so much better to him that way.

You guys rock!

the phono stage arguments seems to have descended into a bloody bar fight, I must ask: how about speakers? Do speakers matter more than the phono stage?

(I know it's not a "more" type of riddle. But still) 

There are many great phono stages at far less than what some here recommend. Let’s see...the Graham slee Era Gold V....the one Fremmer drooled over...it’s a grand! How about the Ear 834p? How about the pro ject tube box ds2? All raved about in countless reviews. Then there is the ifi phono3....a grand....even the cheap musical fidelity lx lps is a fantastic phono preamp. 

I am conscious of the price disparity I am planning between the table, tone arm , and cart AND the phonostage. I'm a younger dude with a lot of life (and audio) ahead of me. So that gives me plenty of time to one day upgrade the phonostage when I see fit and not divert funds away from the deck and cartridge.

I've experienced the benefits of a phonostage upgrade when I went from the Schiit Man 2 to my current Darlington MP-7. Some of my records sounded harsh with the Mani while I haven't encountered such a sound with the MP-7.

Phono stage will most definitely make a huge difference. Write to Dan Wright of Modwright about a demo price on his PH9x. Super quiet and black background.

serious question: with all the recommended phone stages, what amp/preamps are acceptable choices?

let's say 

Parasound JC3 or any @audioguy85  listed

I think you have found a good bang for the buck set up.  The phono stage should work OK for that cart.

"I’m a younger dude with a lot of life (and audio) ahead of me. So that gives me plenty of time to one day upgrade the phonostage when I see fit and not divert funds away from the deck and cartridge."

Wrong again, @j-wall.

@chocaholic , no point in a logical back and forth with him. I tried it. He is impervious to facts.

@thecarpathian wow I really hurt you didn’t I? 🤣🤣🤣

Also, you're agreeing with a guy that says a $500 phono is sufficient for a $1500 cart. Lol. 

Oh, j.

As was stated in a previous thread, you are merely a mildly amusing, irrelevant distraction. You shall continue to be so until you are mature enough in your reading comprehension skills to understand basic facts lying within English language sentence parameters.

Now, in the spirit of not derailing this thread, I shall rid myself of any thought of you.

As an older dude, recommending something to a younger dude. I would spring for the better phono stage before investing in the expensive turntable. 
 

This way, when you make a change you get to hear it. 

@ghdprentice is it ok with you if I message you with a question about phono stages?

Of course. 👍

@ghdprentice Is it possible that his existing phono stage may benefit from a better performing table setup? I ask because your suggestion would indicate that you believe his current preamp is “maxed” out and is incapable of sounding better if fed a cleaner signal. (Ignoring that he likes his phononstage and prefers to save that upgrade for down the road.)

@chocaholic 

Sure. I assume you mean setting up the VTA… etc. We are all guessing to some extent. Hoping to identify the weakest link that will bring the greatest improvement for the investment. 
 

I guess one of the best things is that even if you identify the wrong thing and upgrade something that is not the weakest link, it’s still going to sound better. Provided you don’t get something that is just plain not to your taste or is incompatible, you win. Next upgrade you’ll probably pick that one and get a really big gain.

Sounds like you received some great advice.

If you love vinyl and really want to get the most enjoyment from your system, become a “student” of the hobby and read, discuss with others about proper set up and room acoustics.

1. Learn how to use (or get a friend to help you with) a Smartractor. Getting proper cartridge alignment will solve many issues.

2. Watch Michael Fremer’s YouTube video on setting VTA with a mini microscope. It gets you close to 92 degrees then you can finish by ear.

3. After about 50 hours on your new cartridge, adjust the VTF.

4. I’m still not good at this, but read about best practices for setting Azimuth.

5. Watch Art Noxon (Asc, Acoustical Sciences) videos about proper room set up and acoustics.

Hope this helps! Enjoy!! 

+1 for the Technics 1200G. It is definitely a buy once table. It looks great in person. Would love to see it go head-to-head with the SOTA. If I didn't get the Technics, I would have gotten a SOTA.

While I’ve been away from this thread from work travels, I notice a lot of discussions regarding the pairing of cartridges to phono preamps concerning price ratios.

IMO, such discourse should mention the output of the phono cartridge being suggested.

While I’m not intimately familiar with the OP’s Darlington Labs MP-7 phono preamp, I feel an expensive high output cartridge can yield positive results when used with a modest phono preamp better than opposite scenario with low output pickups.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Although the OP originally stated he did not want to change his preamp, seems that suggesting an upgrade to match the level of his turntable and cartridge is simply trying to help him achieve better sonics. Pointing out weak links in the audio chain seems helpful and not disrespectful of his original position.  Respectful criticism with the intent to help the OP seems like a good thing.