Time to upgrade my turntable?
I listen to classical music and jazz.
What would you suggest? I might prefer to stay within the Pro-ject line as I could reuse the acrylic platter (if one is not provided with the recommended turntable). Perhaps the debut pro or X1?
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And my $0.02 … I do think your system is pretty well-balanced, which is a 2-edged sword … makes it hard to get a big improvement for $1000. Others have said this. I don’t THINK your stylus is worn and needs replacement, but then I don’t know how/if you clean your stylus and records. Best to examine it. If truly warn, then yes you can get a decent margin of improvement with a new stylus … believe blue is the end of the line with that body and need a whole cartridge to get to bronze or black, so that also opens up other possibilities. I would suggest you consider SoundSmith Carmen … it is really good, at your $1000 budget, AND they will retip for only 20% ($200) so you can double it’s life. If stylus is good, I would save up more for next component, and I think preamp or phono preamp would be next. (Or by that time, it may be replacing your entire table, but I do think otherwise you have other weak link(s), and wholesale table/arm/cart will put you in the $3k range unless going used. Again, FWIW and YMMV |
Stylus life! This "article" above is nonsense, because each stylus profile is different, we have Conical and F.Gyger and the life span difference between them is HUGE! CHECK RELIABLE SOURCE SoundSmith: "We believe that styli should be checked carefully by microscopic exam by someone who knows what to look for at 1000 hours, as that is the typical maximum life for a properly aligned stylus before record damage begins." Apparently according to Jico (manufacturer of the highly regarded SAS stylus), the amount of playing time where a stylus will maintain its specified level of distortion at 15kHz is as follows:
"This is not to say that at 500 hrs a SAS stylus is "worn out" - but at that stage the wear has reached the point where distortion at 15kHz surpasses the level specified by Jico for a new stylus. (Which I believe is 3%). Some manufacturers have traditionally defined a stylus as being "worn out" when it starts to damage the record... in these terms the figures provided by Jico can at least be doubled, and in some cases quadrupled. In pure sonic terms on pristine vinyl a top notch elliptical can do as well as all but the very best Line Contact / Shibata styli, but will ultimately be surpassed by the better MicroLine styli. However in terms of reduced wear on both stylus and records - the entry point is the Line contact / Shibata category. In terms of playing back worn vinyl line contact stylus types also have an advantage in that they can contact "virgin" unworn vinyl. Narrower side radius = improved tracking and reduced high frequency distortion." |
@chakster , Can't argue with any of that. Somebody should make an inexpensive cartridge distortion analyzer. You can see the distortion headed upwards and know that it is time to replace the stylus before damage sets in. You'd buy one in a heartbeat if the price was reasonable. Probably could do it with any computer, a program and the right interface/ADC. I bet it could be done for less than $300. @ozzy62 , no, you are definitely not a wet behind the ears noob. Dry behind the ears maybe. @mr_m , Sorry but I have to disagree. That was 3 cents worth. @artemus_5 , you should be be so negative about DSP. You will also be using it eventually. Actually, you already are. Every recent recording you have was manipulated by DSP. Ignorance is bliss. |
Many different angles given here all valid given certain circumstances. I'll offer another alternative. Why not just go with an MC? There are better turntables than the Pro-Ject Debut, but its not bad by any means and I think your tone are may handle MC; just verify that you can adjust VTA and Azimuth. I'd recommend the Hana SH (High output MC). With 2mV output you can plug right into your MM port. Sound quality improvement will be significantly noticeable for $750 and will buy you time to research all the options. I enjoyed the Ortofon 2M Blue, was more impressed with the 2M Black's detail and deep bass capability, but found the nude elliptical on the Black to be very unforgiving and best used only on pristine vinyl. My vinyl collection varies. The Hana SH is even more detailed, natural then the Ortofon 2M Black and unlike the 2M Black, more forgiving on worn vinyl. When you get ready to move on a new turntable you can transfer the Hana over as it will pair well with much higher level tone arms and turntables. |
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