The best TT system for under 30K

uwiikz

Plugged into my C22 I have to crank the volume to 12 o'clock position for any decent volume, mismatched gain? The sound however was night and day, it's a lot more real and improvement was everywhere, background was pitch black ...

As long as your preamp can drive your amplifier to maximum or desired output, the position of the preamp's gain control is irrelevant.

Dear @uwiikz : Good that like it at your place even with out the K300.

"   Kerr Acoustic K100 to arrive. "

You said in other thread that you want it a 3-way speaker as the K100, good.

Now the K100 is a passive speakerand has a litle " problem " because its crossover 370hz and that means that that woofer is handling at the same time bass frequencies as could be 20hz ( example only. ) where the woofer has excursions/osciations that does not stop immediatly and at the same time is reproducing vital frequencies from 100hz to 400hz where those woofer 20hz-40hz excursions affects directly the quality level performance of the upper frequencies handled by that same woofer.
So exist a high IMD and obviously a high THD in those vital frequencies, vital for quality levels to achieve top quality levels.
In the other side the speakers will be connected to an amplifier that too is handling all the frequency range.

Look at this agoner room/system:

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/615

which are the mains differences with yours? you can think everything, well yes but the main differences are: a very high audio/MUSIC knowledge levels of its owner and that those speakers are active ones. Let me explain on it and what I said it before:


in a home audio room/system the MUSIC belongs at the bass range frequencies as better the this frequency range as better the whole room/system quality levels no matters what.

Each one of the speakers in that link comes with a self powered subwoofer where happens many good things:

first the woofers where designed to handle exactly the very demanding frequencies below 100hz, this is that the woofers/drivers are dedicated ones for those specific frequencies that gives you a lot lower THD and alond IMD.

The amps inside those woofers are too designed/dedicated to work in precise way for those bass frequencies and for those woofers it self. Again lower THD/IMD.

No one " universal " amp can handle in more precise way the subs woofers as its dedicated amp that was  builded in specific to that kind of task. This means that no matters which amp or amps will be handled the K100 just can't do it as well and with that quality levels as the subs does and obviously that the K100 woofers can't do it against the subs ones.

If you don't mind my advise is to buy a pair of K300 along two self powered subs with high-pass crossing at around 80hz to the K300.
In this way that crucial bass range will shines enough and permits to the other frequency ranges performs better than ever trhough the K300 main/satellite speakers.

Even not only will outperforms easily to the K100 but any other price no object passive speakers.

Using subs in a MUSIC room/system is not for augmernt the bass response but to lower DISTORTIONS down there.

Looking to your room is evident for me that either with the K100 or the K300+subs that room needs a room treatment including floor and certainly a TT better position and if you can that screen/TV must goes out.
Last and not the least important issue is that after the first overall system set up you need a room measurements frequency response. Today almost all subs comes with this facility.

That's what I will do it if I was you that I'm not.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Nice to hear that the Kuzma sounds so good in your own home. That’s the critical test - when you can take your time to determine what you really like.

@cleeds is right, as long as your volume control can deliver as much volume as you want, and noiselessly, then it doesn’t matter where the control indicates. My own volume control on my DIY preamp, usually resides at 3 o’clock - sometimes 1, sometimes 5 - designed that way. I have enough gain for a low output MC, enough sensitivity for a MM.

There is a current thread on US cleaning: Ultrasonic cleaning before and after.

If you have time and are interested.

@rauliruegas , thanks a lot for your take on the Kerr K100. Having heard the K300 a few times I actually thought about what you said, not about the in-depth knowledge you just taught me which obviously I know nothing about, I was simply thought that if I already love K300 so much why take a risk with another more expensive model which I cannot audition before buying anyway. Do you have experience with Kerr Acoustic? It’s very hard to find a post or in depth review about the brand. 

When you say to add subwoofer and to cut the K300 at 80hz high pass crossing, it means that I need to have an EQ/Cross such as Accuphase DG-68 correct? I have JL Audio F113 V2 as consideration. 
I understand that the tables on the pictures are way far from ideal, apologies for the hasty mess but these were temporary. New custom made table with stillpoint should be ready in two weeks or so before I can actually arrange things properly. Room treatment including floor is on my list of priority but not on top of the list. The reason for delaying room treatment is because I had MEN220 before (I returned it a few days ago) and I can never get room correction percentage above 6%, therefore I assume my room acoustics problem is not that severe and treatment can wait. I know I should’ve prioritize room treatment but I like seeing new gears  more than seeing new acoustic panels LOL 😆. 
Thanks so much and please keep it coming.