I have no experience with the JC3 junior but the JC3+ is very good. It is dead quiet and dynamic. I also have a Modwright PH9 and it is just as good as the JC3+ but a little warmer sounding.
Phonostage/preamp recommendations. Parasound JC3 Jr.?
Hello all. After searching for hours and not quite understanding if I’m processing the information right, I figured I would sign up ask the question directly with my specific information. Obviously new to home audio so please go easy. I bought a "new to me" Sota Sapphire with a Sumiko Premier FT-3 tonearm and Dynavector DV-10X5 cart. I leveled it out and set up the arm. Hooked it up to my Denon DRA-800H receiver (which says it has a phono input) paired up with Polk RTI A3 bookshelves. Everything "works" fine. Highs are clean and crisp. No funky sounds or anything like that so overall success. My issue comes with the overall loudness of the playback (having to almost max the volume at 70 before achieving listenable levels) and the lack of bass and overall dimension in the music. Not having a sub and understanding they are only bookshelves I don’t expect the world of them but I was thinking it should sound better than my bluetooth Bose Soundlink? Being an MC cart the person a bought the turntable from suggested I could benefit from running a dedicated phonostage before the Denon. The Parasound Jr. looks good giving the option to switch from MM to MC and seems to have a good fanbase. Am I on the right track to a decent starter system? Any recommendations? looking for something I won’t have to upgrade for a while, but not looking to sell my bike either. Please help school me on this rabbit hole I’ve ventured into! Also not opposed to tubes, but I’m sure that’s a whole other world I shouldn’t be exploring quite yet. Thanks in advance.
Recap on what I have:
Sota Sapphire
Sumiko Premier FT-3
Dynavector DV-10X5
Denon DRA-800h
Polk RTI A3
Recap on what I have:
Sota Sapphire
Sumiko Premier FT-3
Dynavector DV-10X5
Denon DRA-800h
Polk RTI A3
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- 37 posts total
Parasound seems to be getting a lot of love overall here. That Zphono XRM looks interesting at the price point. Especially for my setup I currently have. Later on I would like to upgrade to some nice floor tower speakers and a better amp. Truthfully I really want to go tubes when the big upgrade happens. No particular reason I guess I really just like the old school stuff. Really love the look of Decware for the endgame system and love that it's made in the USA. But for the time being at $600 it would seem I would be getting a very good product from a reputable company that I would probably be very happy with for a few years until funds become available again. I did a search last night for real audio shops in CT and found one on the Berlin Trnpk that's not too far from me. The Audio Store? Anyone ever heard of it or anyone form CT that might know of a good place to go listen before you buy? |
Personally, to simply solve LP volume, tomorrow in time for the holidays, and make big changes later, I would change to a MM cartridge, powerful output, this one is 4.5mv. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-Myu1lZdgw0w/p_057VM520EB/Audio-Technica-VM520EB.html?XVINQ=GLX&awkw=374031561037&awat=pla&awnw=g&awcr=194311404237&awdv=c&awug=9003512&gclid=CjwKCAiAluLvBRASEiwAAbX3GUWE3pfOsKffbKGTNY-oG7J6q_OLbWhNKOFK1qj40Fa4qvuvqfyvKhoCiAsQAvD_BwE Your Moving Coil is high output as noted, for a moving coil, however, it's 2.5v is not enough for your Denon, your current problem. Any new high output MM cartridge will be your base of comparison in the future. I have supposedly better, both Shure and Audio Terchnica micro ridge stylus/cartridges, I prefer the Shure 97xe, elliptical like the one above. Shure is out of the cartridge/stylus business, so the price went up, which is why I did a quickie search, the Audio Technica came up. Later, I would encourage a new amp, and a new preamp. Using MM rather than MC will both widen the preamp choices, and lower the cost, new or used. I would also recommend you try tube preamp with good MM phono first, and then, depending on your speaker's efficiency (high please) try tube amp. ..................................... If you take the 'change only phono cartridge now' approach, I am sure members here can suggest alternates to the one I quickly found (never heard it, but like other AT models I have owned). Best of luck, |
- 37 posts total