Before I upgraded my TT I bought a Hana Cartridge to replace the Grado. Great improvement. Hana has option for your MM phono stage starting about $450 to $1250.
Help Upgrading My Phono Chain
Hi good people of Audiogon.I have been slowly upgrading my system, in all respects except for my phono chain.Here is my current system:
Bluesound Node (Amazon prime)=>Border Patrol SEi DAC =>Shindo Partager=>Quicksilver Mono 120 Monoblocks (most recent version running KT150 tubes) =>Vandersteen 3a Signature speakers with two Vandersteen 2WQ subwoofers.Cambridge Great British Sound Digital player.Interconnects are Audio Envy and speaker cables are Rocket 88 Audioquest.
My phono is a Rega Planar 3 with the stock Elys2 MM cartridge.I also own a Quicksilver MC=>MM step-up transformer
(SUT).Now that I have a great phono preamp in Partager, I would like to see what I can do, perhaps incrementally.I realize that neither the table or the cartridge is at the level of the rest of my system and am trying to choose between the following strategies:
1) Just replace the cartridge now and see where it gets me.Replace the table later.
2) Replace the cartridge and the table together now.
I realize I have a choice between MM and MC cartridges, and wonder if I should go with MM (or high output MC) because the Shindo is set up for MM.I can always use the Quicksilver SUT, and I know that the Auditorium 23 SUT is often recommended for Shindo.I would be happy to invest up to $800 on the cartridge now, if it would inform me of the potential of the rest of the phono chain, and then upgrade the table later.The total I want to invest in the entire phono chain is $3,000.
I realize that there are a lot of variables to select from here, and appreciate any wisdom that can be offered.
Thanks,
Mike
Bluesound Node (Amazon prime)=>Border Patrol SEi DAC =>Shindo Partager=>Quicksilver Mono 120 Monoblocks (most recent version running KT150 tubes) =>Vandersteen 3a Signature speakers with two Vandersteen 2WQ subwoofers.Cambridge Great British Sound Digital player.Interconnects are Audio Envy and speaker cables are Rocket 88 Audioquest.
My phono is a Rega Planar 3 with the stock Elys2 MM cartridge.I also own a Quicksilver MC=>MM step-up transformer
(SUT).Now that I have a great phono preamp in Partager, I would like to see what I can do, perhaps incrementally.I realize that neither the table or the cartridge is at the level of the rest of my system and am trying to choose between the following strategies:
1) Just replace the cartridge now and see where it gets me.Replace the table later.
2) Replace the cartridge and the table together now.
I realize I have a choice between MM and MC cartridges, and wonder if I should go with MM (or high output MC) because the Shindo is set up for MM.I can always use the Quicksilver SUT, and I know that the Auditorium 23 SUT is often recommended for Shindo.I would be happy to invest up to $800 on the cartridge now, if it would inform me of the potential of the rest of the phono chain, and then upgrade the table later.The total I want to invest in the entire phono chain is $3,000.
I realize that there are a lot of variables to select from here, and appreciate any wisdom that can be offered.
Thanks,
Mike
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- 10 posts total
- 10 posts total