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Brand new to vinyl: Help!

I am brand new to vinyl, but quite established in digital (CDs, lossless streaming, etc.).

I made the first foray to vinyl by purchasing an entry level turntable - Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC Esprit.

I am using an Ayre pre-amp with phono stage and also Ayre amp.

While I am happy I have it up and running, I don’t think it sounds as good as my digital setup (Directstream DAC).

So what can I do to improve, short of buying a much more expensive turntable?

Things in my mind:

1 - Since it accepts DC power, buy a linear power supply

2 - Since my Phone stage on my preamp only accepts XLR three-pin connector, I bought a male RCA to male XLR cable from Amazon, less than $20. Do I need a better interconnect?

3 - Upgrade the cartridge (it comes with Ortfofon Red something)

Thanks!
128x128thyname
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,861 posts
 
I can help too- we produced the world's first balanced line phono preamp.

The advantage is that the interconnect between the arm and cartridge does not contribute or rob anything from the sound of the system, unlike single-ended setups where the interconnect has to be auditioned.

That means that a really expensive cable won't sound any better than a cheap one as long as its wired right. So its worth doing!
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,868 posts
 
Ralph, have you considered offering a stand-alone balanced phono stage? I’d bet you could sell quite a few of them! There are a number of solid state balanced phonos, but no tube (other than the phono stage in your complete pre’s), as far as I know.
hedgehog's avatar
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hedgehog
185 posts
 
A Atma-Sphere phono stage would be soooo tempting...
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,868 posts
 

Right, hedgehog?! One of the most mystifying-to-me things in perfectionist Hi-Fi is why pickup arm wiring and phono amps aren't commonly and routinely done balanced. Pickups are inherently balanced devices, yet that built-in advantage is squandered. Why?!

There are a few designers and companies offering balanced phono stages; Ralph Karsten at Atma-Sphere, of course, and Peter Noerbaek at Liberty Audio (the B2B-1 used in pairs). I imagine there are others. That should change, asap! On the other hand, a fair number of perfectionist arms are offered with their internal wiring terminated in XLR's.

ptss
1,964 posts
 
Best thing is to invest in AC isolation/conditioning. An Equitech balanced power product will put your TT into an entirely different performance level. Address the basics. 
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