I just found in some old parts a Denon DL-103, which according to the specs should meet the requirements of working with the Tom Evans current setup. I will set it up and test this weekend. Thanks for the information.
phono upgrade vs replacing stylus
Looking for some insight / help with my dilemma. I am building a pure 2 channel vinyl system, after a 30 year hiatus from vinyl and falling away from a true early in life passion for music. I dug out my 1970's vinyl, bought a set of speakers, integrated amp and a turntable and realized I absolutely love the commitment to putting on an album and staying present in the moment. This is a bit tough to say as my company thrives in digital technology. My first system was / is, KEF LS50's, Music Hall Ikara with Ortofon Blue, and a PS Audio Sprout, this is the system that woke me up again. But after a year, I'm wanting a bit more "fullness" of sound. I have purchased a set of used Tyler Acoustics Signature Monitors, 2 Music Reference RM10 tube amps, Lightspeed Attenuator (new),a Tom Evans Micro Groove Plus, (purchased on Audiogon), and am thinking of keeping my Music Hall Ikara turntable. I have a dedicated room 22 x 15. Finally down to the issue, I purchased the Phono preamp with out asking the question of how it is set up, because all the phono's I was looking at had adjustable inputs, I simply did not verify. Okay so down to the actual issue, I received the phono pre, hooked it up and couldn't believe what I heard which was absolute disappointment in what I had done!, I failed to ask the correct question and now need to pay the price to learn my lesson. Should I replace my Ortofon Blue or send the Tom Evans back to the factory and pay the price to have it upgraded, after freight around $450 US. The Tom Evans is currently setup for .2mv 100R, again its the Micro Grove +.
I am truly ignorant to the benefits of different setups and am depending on the reviews and recommendations of the Audiogon community.
Should I send the Tom Evans back to the factory and have it modified to work with my Ortofon Blue and or Upgrade to the new Micro Grove MKII +, or change my stylus to a setup that works with the Tom Evans as currently setup.
Thank You for any and all insight.
I am truly ignorant to the benefits of different setups and am depending on the reviews and recommendations of the Audiogon community.
Should I send the Tom Evans back to the factory and have it modified to work with my Ortofon Blue and or Upgrade to the new Micro Grove MKII +, or change my stylus to a setup that works with the Tom Evans as currently setup.
Thank You for any and all insight.
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- 14 posts total
That Micro Groove + has 112, 140, 187, 280, and 560 ohm settings - I may be missing something, but your Ortofon calls for 47K loading. Also, the Micro Groove + is set up as an MC pre, calibrated for mV settings on cartridges. Tom can build you a Micro specifically for your cartridge. I'd look into that. |
Try the Denon 103 into the Micro Groove into a line-stage preamp into the Music Reference tube amps. Moving-coil cartridges (like Denons - I own several) offer superior sound over Moving-magnet types - but must be setup properly! I prefer a good step-up transformer (SUT) into a full-function preamp (with its own phono stage) over an active stage like your Tom Evans. A transformer has a lower noise-floor and resolves micro-details better than any active device (tube or transistor). I am presently using a Denon 103R into a Denon 320 transformer into an RGR Model 4 preamp. Turntable is a Pioneer PLX1000. |
@roberjrman- There are pluses and minuses to both step-ups and active gain stages. Different strokes for different folks. OP-I can't find an overload value on line, but the input sensitivity of the micro-goove + appears to be 0.4mV. Your cart outputs more than 10x that voltage! OTOH, the peak output of the microgroove is 1.2 volts, while the line stage standard is 2 volts. Your "pre-amp" is an attenuator only, so you might need the gain from an active, even after you get a better match of cart to phono stage. There are potential impedance matching issues between "passive" pre-amps and upstream and downstream components, but that does not seem to be the case here. You did not mention your interconnects, but interconnects longer than about 3' CAN cause a roll-off in the highs, particularly if they are relatively high in capacitance. There is a pretty good discussion of this here: https://www.tortugaaudio.com/articles/what-is-a-passive-preamplifier/ but remember it's from the perspective of a manufacturer of passive pre-amps. Hopefully the Denon will give you some idea of which way you want to go on this; there are a lot of "moving parts" ;-) |
- 14 posts total