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Need some turntable guidance

Hi,

I'm new here, so let me give you some background.

I'd say I'm more of a record collector than audiophile.  About 15 years ago, life happened and I had to re-purpose my dedicated listening room, so I put most of my gear in storage.  I now have my listening room back and I'm putting my system back together.

Here's what I have:

TT 1: VPI TNT 4 with TNT 5 bearing and flywheel, Eminent Technology ET 2.5 Tonearm, Supex SDX-1100 cartridge

TT 2: Denon DP-1250 with Magnepan Unitrack tonearm, Grado Reference Series cartridge

Phono transformer: Supex SDT-722

Preamp: PS Audio 5.0 preamp

Amp: Bryston 3B

Speakers:  Apogee Duetta II

The Denon was used to evaluate the condition of new purchases and some casual/background listening, so I'll probably leave that alone for now.

I'd like to "modernize" my system a little bit, but as a record collector, my initial focus is on the turntable.  I've been looking around, and seems I have several options.

1. Leave well enough alone, keep the table and arm as is.

2. Upgrade the VPI, I see there's an inverted bearing and platter upgrade available for TNT models, and sell off the current platter and bearing.

3. Sell off the TNT, and get something a bit less fussy as leveling the air suspension can be a bit of a pain.

If I sell, I'll probably want to keep the ET.

I'd appreciate any guidance I can get on this.

Thanks,

Ctor


ctor
elliottbnewcombjr
5,471 posts
 
I luckily joined the forum, started learning about playing Mono lps with a real mono cartridge (definitely better), then decided I wanted to try a long arm, and wanted to get to quartz locked direct drive.

long and short of it led me to this large dual arm plinth, 1 arm mono cartridge or MC cartridge (SUT with bypass); long arm stereo, fixed cartridge.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS881US881&sxsrf=ALeKk01z8qSpwytB1W4QD6B0AlagLefr8g:1594902892333&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=victor+cl-p2+plinth&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwif5-Si5NHqAhXSZTUKHSqDCaEQjJkEegQICxAB&biw=1707&bih=888#imgrc=hu6FokQZ0vOUpM

have a look at it's construction, not 4 layers glued, 3 special layers, total 7 layers, 70mm thick.

It's big, but smaller than two TT. Of course modern versions exist, I just feel so lucky to have joined the forum and the advice I have gotten here.

I used to use my McIntosh Mode switch to play 'Mono' mode using a stereo cartridge. I played an old (young Lois Armstrong among others) Jass LP. It was not very involving, more like a history lesson. Played it using my Grado Mono cartridge, behold, very involving music. Others are not as dramatic a change, but in all cases, mono lp sounds better. Starting ___? quality mics, recording machines, recording techniques were quite good before stereo, surprisingly good.

So, I never wanted a two arm table, but, to have Stereo and Mono cartridges mounted, calibrated, mix mono and stereo lps in a listening session at the instant turn of an input dial is fabulous. Just saying.
ctor OP
23 posts
 
Sorry I kind of left the thread hang, but I had to deal with Uncle Sam's yearly extortion payoff.
solypsa:
I'm not into vintage for the sake of vintage, most of my stuff was fairly current when I bought it (been doing this a long time).  I wouldn't be looking to ditch the VPI for older DD or idler wheel tables.

chakster:
Thanks for the info.
  
richmos:
I love the duettas.  Since I acquired them in the 80's, I listened to a lot of speakers, and nothing I heard at (almost) any price compared, to my tastes at least.

mcmvm:

Yeah, I think I'm leaning in that direction.  The Bryston has served me well over the years including as a subwoofer amp for my home theater system, but with the Apogees, they sound a bit hard.

elliottbnewcombjr:

I have 4 arm tube assemblies for the ET2.5.  Swapping arm tube assemblies is simple once the cartridge is initially set up, so I have no need for additional arms.  I do have some mono records, including a bunch of 50's and 60's rock, jazz and some classical, and have thought about mono cartridges over the years. I even have a mono integrated tube amp still in storage that I was going to restore and use if I ever did get the mono cartridge.
elliottbnewcombjr
5,471 posts
 
The modern mono cartridge feeds the signal, (vertical vibrations totally ignored), to both channels, so it goes to a standard stereo phono input and your existing stereo amp. You get full room sound, dual mono, frequency balanced as you have already solved. 

So, using the mono amp might be fun, but not needed, and send the cartridge dual mono output where, how to a single mono amp, then to a single speaker? Unless you get a vintage single channel cartridge.

Not being critical of your idea, just letting you know my experience.

I have a pair of tube mono blocks (and spare), but far from integrated, they were made in 1958, so power switching, input switching, speaker out/in, all had to be independently solved. It was fun to have these 35 wpc tubes beat my 305 wpc McIntosh SS EVERY TIME! I sold the SS Preamp and Amp and got tube tuner/preamp from 1962 into modern integrated tube amp.

Another advantage of not using a stereo cartridge to play mono lps is that the grooves are different, and Mono cartridges are conical or elliptical, modern microline stylus are not 'right' for those grooves.
ctor OP
23 posts
 

elliottbnewcombjr :

OK, so two channel mono (?) with a modern mono cartridge can be solved two ways:  One is a Y adapter, and the other is just use one channel off the cartridge and load the other with the recommended impedance.  The second method is probably preferable, as the differences between the two stereo parts of the chain could possibly introduce unwanted channel differences.  The one channel then stays mono straight to a single speaker.
xaak
43 posts
 
I'd like to hear more about your DIY speed controller.  How did you do that?
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