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recommendation for a high end analog system

I never had an analog system until last month. I bought a 1989 SOTA TT with vacuum/Sumiko MMT arm/Dennon 103R retyped with elliptical/sapphire cantilever. My phono is Kitsune MK5 WBT that is amplified by Don Sach 2 tube preamp and Pass X350.5. My speaker are Sound Lab M545 ESL. The TT has been very   well maintained despite its age. It sounded very good until I heard my friend's system which has the same TT but with Lyra Skala cartridge and first generation Triplanar arm (Spectral pre/amp). His sounded noticeably clearer and fuller. What is the best way to get a noticeable improvement in my system without breaking the bank (or before I have to squint to hear the improvement). I would love to hear some wisdom from analog-philes.
128x128chungjh
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chungjh OP
265 posts
 
My friend's system is Spectral DMC30, DMA250 with Quad 2912 speakers (all MIT cables). Actually I haven't decided on my budget, but I want to get an idea of what is available.
bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,597 posts
 
May also want to check, double-check, and try different Impedance and gain settings on your phono pre to make sure you are getting the most from your 103. But, you may have already done that.
chungjh's avatar
chungjh OP
265 posts
 
yes, already optimized impedance and gain. If I wanted to change the tone arm on my SOTA, how would I even do that? I think SOTA has a limited arm choices.
chungjh's avatar
chungjh OP
265 posts
 
Don't get me wrong. My current system sounds very good. But, I realized the difference with my friend's system was not subtle.
bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,597 posts
 
yes, already optimized impedance and gain. If I wanted to change the tone arm on my SOTA, how would I even do that? I think SOTA has a limited arm choices.

Yes, somewhat limited. You can contact them to get a new armboard drilled if required, to a point. For instance, not sure, but I doubt you can fit a 12” arm on your SOTA because of the suspended design. Obviously, easiest to try and match your spindle to pivot distance of your existing armboard if possible. As you say, your friends Triplaner fits his, so you could not go wrong with something similar. But, you may need a new armboard from SOTA.

SOTA can be very helpful in that regard, so don’t hesitate to call them and see what your options are.
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