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Buying a new TT today

So I’m pretty hellbent on buying a new TT today! Or should I be?!?!? 
I started off kind of sour on vinyl several years back when I ignorantly bought a cheap TT that had a built in phono stage.... Talk about a disappointment! And a buzz kill for vinyl!
Anyway a year or so later I bought a Project Carbon Debut and it blew my mind!!!!  The step up in most aspects of the TT, carbon fiber tone arm/heavier plinth/much heavier platter/motor and remote position/better cartridge in a Ortofon m2red, along with the fact the it was now running through my Integrated’s Phono Stage was just such a leap in sound that I never expected, that now I’m looking for yet another leap like that again lol
Anyway, with pocket flush with cash and headed to two hi-fi shops I pause....
In my new price range, $2,000 or so, should I be looking for a new TT? Or a new cartridge for the TT I have ?
thoughts.
264win
sokogear
1,121 posts
 
hshifi - 

I don't think anyone cares about a stock cartridge being on a turntable unless it is a really inexpensive rig (if you want to call it that) when they are looking to buy a used table. If the one that comes with it is OK with you, you might as well just keep it and play it. If you want a better one, buy it and I guess hold on to the old one, depending on the cost of the new one.

You can always replace it, or get a new stylus or the cartridge serviced to original specs.

My $.02
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Chakster - "It is not about saving as you can see, but when it comes to the price for some new equipment it is simply insane (a cartridge for $5k for example or even higher, a phono stage for $10k, a turntable for $20k ... etc)." 

As I said it is not about savings, but value. Just being a little nit picky on verbiage, but I think we are saying essentially the same thing.

You must be an active seller on Audiogon with all those cartridges and tables going in and out of your hands.

Yeah, i'm still waiting when I'll be rich, but it never happens because when I sell something I buy something and the rest is for records. 

sokogear
1,121 posts
 
I’ve probably spent roughly the same on hardware as software over the years. How about you?
cakyol's avatar
cakyol
940 posts
 
About 80% of the time, the stylus profile makes a bigger difference than both the cartridge and the table itself at the price range you are considering. Try getting something like a shibata or line contact type of stylus to get the best out of vinyl.

Get a Technics SL1200 series DD TT which will serve you perfectly with many years and will not suffer belt drive issues which usually plague most belt drive TTs after about 2-3 years.

As for the cartridge, try a Nagaoka MP300/500 (about $500 on ebay) with a Schiit Mani phono preamp (about $120 new) and you will be more than satisfied.

No need to spend more on a slowly dying technology....

vinylshadow
533 posts
 
"No need to spend more on a slowly dying technology.... "
Which technology? Direct Drive?
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