2. analog
  3. 130665-98156

Your choice - TT, Arm, Stage, Cartridge - $5000 budget

So imagine you were just given ~$5000 and told to buy your ideal analog setup within that budget.

What would be your choice for turntable, arm, phono stage, and cartridge be? Any other accessories to consider?

How would you spend it?


Obviously I’m looking to upgrade my analog setup and am focusing on the essential components at this time. Curious how you would spend my money haha.

My current gear:
Amp - Primaluna Dialogue HP integrated w/ KT150 power tubes, Mullard and Cifte preamp tubes.
Loudspeakers - Tekton Design Double Impact

For sound,I like the idea of a balanced overall sound, and a big soundstage. But what I really enjoy most is the idea of exposing the holographic image in a recording.




128x128whacky
nkonor
635 posts
 
Plenty of good suggestions here.

Think about a vinyl collection.

Guys like me; have been picking the used market for years. Still; as someone posted on another thread; guys like me are coming to the end of our life span. Wives will sell our collection for next to nothing. 

Get in the game; the future is waiting for you.

Fine collection, well cared for, (2) TTs, Five (5) phonostages, VPI and US cleaners and a D'Mag, plus a load of other accessories.

Find lower high end for good prices and keep an eye out for the mother loads of records and equipment that are coming in the near (Gulp !) future.
effischer
562 posts
 
Here's a very good way to go:  https://www.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-sota-series-v-star-2017-07-24-analog.  Buy a new dust cover for it if you like, get a good LOMC with a Sutherland 20/20 or similar and you're off an running.  The table is bullet-proof, very high performance and easily serviceable.  You can switch out the arm later on for something that has VTA on-the-fly to really extract maximum performance.

Auditions are always best if you can swing them, but this is one of the few alternatives that will do well in almost all cases.  Good luck, happy hunting & happy listening!
jperry
2,453 posts
 
 Agree with inna that you will need to be patient, and decisive. If you see a great deal on an item you have been tracking it will not last you need to be prepared to purchase.

hifishark.com is useful and you can set up searches that will generate an e-mail when an item you are looking for comes up for sale. 
whacky's avatar
whacky OP
53 posts
 
@inna what kind of British brands do you look for? 

Lots of good input here. Gotta love the hunt. 

Whats the general consensus about a tube phono stage? 
terry9
2,353 posts
 
What I did was:
1. Spend the least possible on things that are controversial, like cables and power cords.
2. Good record cleaner. 
3. Good setup equipment. VTF gauge, protractor, torque screwdriver.
4. Turntable is most important, then tonearm, then cartridge. I did it the other way, against expert advice, and paid the price.

Good luck, and good hunting!
More to discover