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Turntable upgrade recommendations, please.

Hello,

I am a bit of a newbie, but have have been chasing the "magic" every since I got started on this journey about 2 years ago. My system currently consists of:

Denon dp-47f w/ a Denon 301 mkII cartridge
McIntosh MAC6700
Magnepan 1.6qr

I am interested in upgrading my turntable, assuming that there are real sonic benefits to be had from a new rig at approx. $2500. I have been looking at the usual suspects from VPI, Rega, Pro-ject, etc. 

I am curious to hear if those of you with more experience can tell me how my Denon stacks up against these and if the view will be worth the climb. To my ears, the Denon sounds good, but I am anxious to upgrade if there are significant gains to be heard.

I am also very interested in a McIntosh MT2, but haven't seen any new info or announcements on the release.

Please share your opinions and experiences. 

Thanks in advance!


sdmbdad71
terry9
2,354 posts
 
Turntable upgrade is always a good idea. You get less noise and more music.

I suggest that you listen until you hear the magic, and buy that item, not one 'just like it', but that exact item.

The reason is that, not only are there manufacturing differences from device to device, but that set up is absolutely critical. Few people, including dealers, set up to anything close to the optimum; the result is, for both reasons, LUCK is one of the biggest factors in a turntable. Especially at your price point.

IMHO
effischer
566 posts
 
I also suggest Sota.  Here's an ad that popped up today:  https://www.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-sota-satellite-series-ii-turntable-with-rega-s202-tonea...

That's a new rig.  If you're patient, you should be able to find a Series 3 Sapphire with a better arm for the same or less money.  Both could take advantage of a much better cartridge.

Good luck & happy hunting!
donvito101
278 posts
 
Check out the Gem Dandy Polytable!
http://www.hifigem.com/polytable.html
sdmbdad71 OP
13 posts
 
For those who may be interested, I spent some time at my McIntosh Dealers shop today and inquired about the soon-to-be-released McIntosh MT2. He called Mc for me to see if he could get a release date and pricing. I was stoked to hear that Mc will likely begin shipping next month, but disappointed to find out that the pricing given at the Munich High End show last May has changed considerably.

It was reported at the show and subsequent publications that the pricing was expected to come in at $2500, which is right in my budget. They were willing to take my order, but the price is now $4k. The price includes a Sumiko Blue Point #2 cart.

So... the search continues!

I did listen to the MT10 today just for grins. Really, really nice!  Just 4x my current budget. But really nice.


sdmbdad71 OP
13 posts
 
Effischer,  I did see that one. Thanks for the suggestion. I think I'm looking for something that will better match visually with my gear.

Has anyone here seen or heard the EAT C sharp?
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