2. analog
  3. 136998-6720

Help me pick a phono, pre and cart

Hi all,
My WF spending restraints are going away so I’m going to upgrade my system.
I primarily play CD, but also have an MMF-5 with Glass platter, Golding GX1022 cart going through a Clear Audio Nano to Ayre Ax-7e to Sig 2 Ce’s.

This year I’m going to Quatro CT’s and upgrading my vinyl pre and source side. Next year I’m upgrading my main pre and power amp.

I’m looking for help in picking a phono player pre and cart. My musical taste is pretty wide: female vocals, rock, blues, jazz; not much classical on vinyl. Think Amy Winehouse/Cold Specks/Pixies/Weezer/Jeff Beck/Johnny Winter/Winton Marsalis and Maynard Ferguson for you other old timers. LOL
My budget is about $8-10k

Right now my main thoughts are VPI Prime Scout or Prime with Grado Statement series cart, and an Ayre Px-5e pre.
In addition to specific item recommendations, I’m very interested in how to split the budget item wise. In other words more or less on player vs cart vs pre, I.e. Scout with Statement2 or Prime with Reference2 for example. Or go higher than 20-30% on the pre?
I lean towards spending the most on what’s least upgradeable - sorry if that’s too general or obvious.
Thanks much
Jim

jetson
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@atmasphere 

Yes- new tubes. We don't recommend NOS tubes for either the output tubes or the phono tubes. In the case of the latter, its just too hard to find NOS tubes that are actually in fact quiet- those were sold off the shelves decades ago and all that are left now are the dregs unless someone got extremely lucky. So we don't recommend NOS tubes for our phono sections- we encourage people to use new tubes if they want the best noise floor and lowest microphonics.

Most of the reputable tube dealers manually tested each NOS tube for low microphonics, low noise etc. Lucky people knows the difference between new and nos when it comes to the great tubes. I bet you have some decent NOS tubes yourself. 

Anyway it's a good news that your or herron preamps works great with stock new tubes. 

BTW i really like the design of Atma-Sphere MP-1 and MP-3 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,849 posts
 
Most of the reputable tube dealers manually tested each NOS tube for low microphonics, low noise etc. Lucky people knows the difference between new and nos when it comes to the great tubes. I bet you have some decent NOS tubes yourself.

Anyway it’s a good news that your or herron preamps works great with stock new tubes.

BTW i really like the design of Atma-Sphere MP-1 and MP-3
Thanks!
Actually I don’t stash NOS tubes and I don’t use them. My thinking is I should be able to make it work with the garden variety of what’s available. Further, we usually find that the tube dealers really don’t have tubes as quiet as the new ones (we have found this out when customers have sometimes ignored our advice and tried to use NOS tubes). So I really mean it when I say we don’t recommend NOS tubes in our phono sections.
joey54
434 posts
 
“I was just at John Rutan’s a couple of weeks ago, listening to the new Ayre EX-8 integrated.
As far as TT’s go, he carries VPI, and Clear Audio, which is the reason I was considering a Prime TT. It seems difficult to find places where I can audition A/B comparisons on turntables. Never mind cartridges.”

Audio Connection also carries Rega, AMG and Music Hall TT’s. For vinyl I would talk to Nick, he’s the analog guru there. Nick will let you try some phono stages at home as well.
joey54
434 posts
 
I meant to add that I don’t think they have any VPI’s, set up at Audio Connection, though I know they recently sold a few Prime’s. 
jetson OP
140 posts
 
@joey54 Thanks, as I recall he has blonde hair and glasses.
I figure that I’ll buy my phono pre and so I can audition with my amps.

I would appreciate if anyone can comment on the tables these brands offer as I’d like to buy from Audio Connection; both because I like John, and because he’ll give me a discount since I plan to buy Quatro CTs at the same time.  Although that doesn’t mean I’ve decided against the Technics SL1200G or a different used TT, although again, I hesitate to buy used since I can’t audition, although I guess I could re-sell. Thanks 
More to discover