Just retired and want to get back to vinyl listening
As JBHILLER said above, everyone has his likes and preferences, so I won't suggest this or that, other than to say I was just like you - wanting to get back into vinyl. I have a ton of classic vinyl from back in the day but was not enjoying it with my present system. One upgrade changed all of that. I recently installed a VPI Prime TT, with Ortofon Black cart., Lehman Black Cube phone preamp, and well, it has all come alive again. An amp upgrade and possibility speakers later, but this has made a huge difference. I have since ordered several new albums - the first in many years. |
Out of the the turntables considered, the VPI will be impossible to top. The cartridge Id partner a prime with would be an Ortofon 2m black which would be very friendly with the MM inputs on many integrateds. Soundsmith has great moving iron carts as well. For MC a great match would be Ortofon Cadenza Red coupled with a great step up transformer. My VPI dealer is reference analog in Oklahoma. I absolutely think you are on the right path with Luxman. Another almost impossibly musical integrated is the Wells Majestic with 150 watts..... Devialet would be a wonderful all in one choice and so elegant..... Klipsch cornwalls would be my very last choice.........horns are just harsh and I revere everything Paul Klipsch did but audio moved on........you can do so much better in terms of overall musicality and emotional engagement. That level of system deserves more......If you like that high efficiency thang tho look at Tannoy my choices would be: Look at Harbeth 7es3 Look at Marten Django (unbelievably musical) Youd need more watts (used Mcintosh Integrated?) but Magnepan 3.7s would give you the biggest dose of real instruments in acoustic space in a way no dynamic speaker can.....Ive owned mine for four years and Im ridiculously content but they are big....... Be sure to browse show videos on avshowrooms You might consider going to Rocky Mountain next month to hear so many combinations..... The chase should be the enjoyable part of this hobby so listen lots and try not to have any preconceptions about anything......let your ears be the unbiased resource...... ive had a few VPI tables......here is my latest table my first suspended table Oracle Delphi MK Vi 2nd gen https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BF3wnfIAsQk |
If you plan to be playing vinyl, here's a tip: A lot of ticks and pops that are often associated with LP reproduction are actually artifacts of the phono preamp. This is because if the phono circuit is unstable, it can exacerbate a tick or pop event and make it much more audible than it actually is on the LP surface. This has nothing to do with bandwidth or EQ accuracy BTW- it has to do with how stable the circuit is. You will find also that the better phono circuits do not require cartridge loading (assuming you are using a low output cartridge) as well (but just to make things more confusing, high output cartridges like most MM cartridges require loading; I can expound on this if you like). If the preamp does not need loading to sound right with a low output moving coil cartridge, its likely that it will also be more resistant to ticks and pops. Finally, nearly all cartridges are a naturally balanced source, so it is possible to run balanced from the cartridge right to the preamp. This will eliminate the interconnect cable as a sonic variable, in the very best place to have such an advantage- at the input of the system. Good Luck! |
