I have a similar setup in my second system and have a Herbies turntable mat on my aluminum platter and Herbies Tenderfeet replacing the original feet. It seems to make a difference in clarity of the midrange and tautness in the bass. You don’t say what the rest of your system is but my choice for the next upgrade might be the phono amp with more loading and gain options with an eye towards something that creates a path to a turntable and cartridge upgrade in the future. Maybe a Project Tube Box S or DS. They are pretty reasonable used and the tubes, even for an upgrade, are inexpensive.
Pro Ject Debut Carbon improvement possibilities
Good Day All,
In the past couple years I’ve been slowly re-entering the vinyl universe. My current vinyl set up is a Pro Ject Debut Carbon with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge (the turntable came with a 2M Red, the Blue was a marked improvement), a Schiit Mani phono pre, and I also recently changed from the standard issue steel platter to the acrylic one. I’ve noticed a mild improvement with this platter change, most especially in improved bass quality. I have been using the manufacturer supplied cables to connect to the Mani, and I’m going to scrounge around the house today to see if I have a set of Blue Jean cables to swap in, as I use Blue Jean in the rest of my system. So that’s the first possible improvement I’ll try. But where to go from there? I’m consider moving up to the Ortofon Bronze, but what other cartridge choices in that price range should I consider? Will vibrapods be a worthwhile improvement? They are very affordable, and I’ve heard good things. My stereo rack is substantial, home made with solid steel bar and veneered MDF. MC instead of MM? A different phono pre? I listen to a wide variety of music, but what I’m most enjoying in the vinyl realm are jazz recordings, mostly older in both new and older pressings, and smaller scale classical recordings. Any suggestions appreciated, I’m still way down on the learning curve regarding vinyl playback. It’s been a long time since I first dropped the JC Penny’s tone arm onto Led Zeppelin II, and things are a lot better now.
Much thanks,
Dave
In the past couple years I’ve been slowly re-entering the vinyl universe. My current vinyl set up is a Pro Ject Debut Carbon with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge (the turntable came with a 2M Red, the Blue was a marked improvement), a Schiit Mani phono pre, and I also recently changed from the standard issue steel platter to the acrylic one. I’ve noticed a mild improvement with this platter change, most especially in improved bass quality. I have been using the manufacturer supplied cables to connect to the Mani, and I’m going to scrounge around the house today to see if I have a set of Blue Jean cables to swap in, as I use Blue Jean in the rest of my system. So that’s the first possible improvement I’ll try. But where to go from there? I’m consider moving up to the Ortofon Bronze, but what other cartridge choices in that price range should I consider? Will vibrapods be a worthwhile improvement? They are very affordable, and I’ve heard good things. My stereo rack is substantial, home made with solid steel bar and veneered MDF. MC instead of MM? A different phono pre? I listen to a wide variety of music, but what I’m most enjoying in the vinyl realm are jazz recordings, mostly older in both new and older pressings, and smaller scale classical recordings. Any suggestions appreciated, I’m still way down on the learning curve regarding vinyl playback. It’s been a long time since I first dropped the JC Penny’s tone arm onto Led Zeppelin II, and things are a lot better now.
Much thanks,
Dave
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- 9 posts total
- 9 posts total