Seeking Advise on New TT/Cart Purchase
Hello all. I’m looking for a new turntable for my vintage stereo system. I have been doing some research and note that many of the audiophiles who respond to such threads want to know what the current system specs are of the OP. So, this maybe a long thread but hope to get it right the 1st time. I believe the components of interest would be the following. CONTROL/ PRE AMP: Yamaha C-85, 1988 $765 ; POWER AMP: Yamaha M-65, 1988 $720 ; REAL TIME SPECTRUM ANALYZER/EQUALIZER: AudioControl C-101, 1988 $430 ; LOUD SPEAKERS: JBL Control Monitors Model 4312, 1990 2@ $840. These components have had the best of care & although I couldn’t guess the hours on them they have never really been cranked up volume wise due to living arrangements. Since my TT had been stolen in ’87 they have probably had a 100 hours of use. See below for specs.
I’m looking at investing around $5K including cartridge and have familiarized myself with the following companies and models within that price range: Clearaudio, Rega, Music Hall, Project, Linn, VPI. I have also looked at several others not mentioned here. I have looked at some Cartridges but feel I need to decide on a TT first. I’m not in a big rush and would consider used (TT and/or Cart) but I really think it would have to be a guaranteed deal (possible demo, open box, etc.) from trusted known individual/dealer/certified rebuild to greatly lessen chance of fraud (however that could play out). Going the new route is simply safe but…. At this point in my searching I’m looking at the VPI Prime and something like the Zephyr MKIII Cart (read review using it) or Ortofon MC Quintet Black, but hope to avoid having to alter the stock tone arm because Cart requires a different “head shell”. Seems most recommended Carts for the Prime are also MC not MM. From my reading it also seems of benefit to go with the “Periphery Outer Ring Clamp” to this VPI Prime (saw this clamp available aftermarket cheaper).
Lots of questions but think my system needs to be evaluated by some of you experts as to what a good match would be, maybe I’m overshooting, and won’t benefit from spending this much? I have over 300 albums in excellent shape to which I stopped buying after my Pioneer PL-71 direct drive with Stanton EEE was stolen in 1987. At that time to now I have continued my music collection but on CD’s, not duplicating my albums. I would like to start playing my collection and buying vinyl again.
Besides the numerous number of TT’s & Cart selections out there since I last shopped this category I see other things. Most notable is that direct drive seems to be too expensive now and/or belt drive simply is the best option in my price range. I see in the reviews most TT’s are also coupled to a “Phono Stage”, another pricey item, but do I need this with my Yamaha Pre Amp? Then the cable questions, I have RCA jack gold plated monster cables through out my system will these suffice?
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YAMAHA C85 CONTROL/PRE AMP SPECS:
INPUT SENS/IMPEDANCE.
Phono MC 100 uV/100 ohms, 1 k-ohms
MM 2.5 mV/100 ohms, 47 k-ohms
(220, 330 pF)
CD, VIDEO, TAPE, TUNER 150 mV/47 k-ohms
OUTPUT LEVEL/IMPEDANCE.
Pre Out 1.5 V/47 ohms
Rec Out 150 mV/600 ohms
THD (20 to 20,000 Hz)
Phono MC to Rec Out, 3 V 0.001%
Phono MM to Rec Out, 3 V 0.001%
CD, VIDEO, TAPE, TUNER, to Pre Out, 3 V 0.001%
FREQUENCY RESPONSE
CD, VIDEO, TAPE, TUNER 20 to 20,000 Hz
(Tone By-Pass On) +0 -0.2 dB
RIAA DEVIATION
Phono MC, MM 20 to 20,000 Hz +/- 0.2 dB
Phono MC, MM 10 to 100,000 Hz +/-0.5 dB
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO (IHF A Network)
Phono MC (500 uV, Input Shorted 91 dB
Phono MM (5.0 mV, Input Shorted 95 dB
CD, VIDEO, TAPE, TUNER (Input Shorted) 106 dB
PARAMETRIC TONE CONTROL
Frequency Low 31.5 -- 800 Hz
High 800 -- 20 kHz
Level Low, High +/- 12 dB
Bandwidth Low, High Q: 0.3 -- 3.0
POWER CONSUMPTION 30 W
++++++++++++++
YAMAHA M-65 POWER AMP SPECS:
MINIMUM RMS OUTPUT POWER / CHANNEL
20 Hz -- 20 kHz 0.003% THD, 8 ohms 170 W
0.007% THD, 6 ohms 195 W
0.02% THD, 4 ohms 230 W
AUTO CLASS A OPERATION ( 8 ohms ) 20 W
DYNAMIC HEADROOM ( IHF, 8 / 6 / 4 ohms ) 1.76 dB/ 2.08 dB/ 2.18 dB
DYNAMIC POWER 1 kHz, 8/ 6/ 4/ 2 ohms 255/ 315/ 320/ 450 W
POWER BANDWIDTH ( 0.03% THD, Half rated power/8 ohms 10 Hz -- 60 kHz
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION
MAIN IN to SP out, Half rated power/8 ohms 0.002%
IM DISTORTION RATIO ( 8 ohm) 0.003%
DAMPING FACTOR ( Speaker A, 1 kHz, 8 ohms 130
FREQUENCY RESPONSE ( 20 Hz -- 20 kHz) +0, --0.3 dB
INPUT SENS/IMPEDANCE 1.28 V/20 k(ohm)
SIGNAL to NOISE RATIO (IHF - A - Network)
(MAIN IN Shorted, 5.1 k(ohm) )
CHANNEL SEPARATION (Input shorted)
40 Hz/1 kHz/10 kHz 106 dB/89 dB/70 dB
POWER CONSUMPTION 520 W
++++++++++++
AUDIOCONTROL C-101 EQUALIZER:
DISTORTION: < 0.25% ( @ 1 volt from 20 Hz to 20 kHz)
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: From 3Hz to 100 kHz, +/- 0.75 dB
HUM & NOISE: Minus 90 dB re 1 volt, minus 96 dB re 2 volts, ( 10kHz bandwidth)
MAX INPUT: 7 volts
MAX OUTPUT: 7 volts
INPUT IMPEDANCE: 100 K(ohms)
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 150 ohms
CONTROL BANDWIDTH: (,,Q"): 2.5
CONTROL CENTER POINTS: 32, 60, 120, 480, 960, 1920, 3840, 7680, 15.5 kH
CONTROL RANGE: +/- 12 - 15 dB
SUBSONIC FILTER: 18 dB/ octave Tchebychev alignment
SUBSONIC ROLLOFF RATE: -1 dB @ 25 Hz, -3 dB @ 20 Hz, -21 dB @ 10 Hz
THANKS, Robes-
