If you had $12k / £10k to upgrade your analogue front-end...


Hi all,

I am upgrading my system in my listening room bit-by-bit. This room is for focused listening of music only. No movies. In the future I will be looking looking to upgrade my analogue front-end and am thinking of a budget of around $12k / £10k for a turntable, tonearm, cart and phono stage/pre-amp. I listen to all sorts of music from electronic, bass-heavy vinyl, jazz, hip-hop, rock (new and old), ambient (Cinematic Orchestra, Nils Frahm etc...) and lots of soul/funk type tracks. So quite varied.

If you had $12k/£10k to spend, what combination of turntable, tonearm, cart and phone stage/pre-amp would you go for? I'm looking for suggestions to help with my research. I'm unsure what the balance should be between them. For example, should I go for a Rega Planar 10 with Aphelion 2 cart (£6,840) and give myself just over £3k to spend on a phono stage. Or spend less on the cart (Rega Planar 10 with Apheta 3 is £4,950) and get a more expensive phono stage.

Turntable brands I've been thinking of are Rega, Clearaudio, Technics, VPI, AVID, Thorens, Michell Engineering, VPI, SME etc... but don't really know where to start.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

cainullah

I’m not going to recommend a brand-- there is loyalty among those satisfied with what they arrived at- but instead, suggest some considerations:

1. Can you change arms. How good is the arm that comes with the table (if so) and what is its range of utility -most will accommodate a range of what are considered fairly high compliance cartridges- the cantilever motion is easily triggered- but there are cartridges that like more mass and a few (though largely out of vogue) that want to see less mass.

2. What is the turnable’s ability to self isolate. I have a few tables, one is massive but it could not be isolated effectively without extremely costly add-ons. How does the turntable, as delivered, isolate (both self-noise and environment).

3. I tend to break down tables into their component parts- the turnable with motor and controller; the arm (or arms) and the cartridge (leaving aside the phono stage which is an integral part of the phono front end).

4. Your budget could get you some bigger league stuff if used. There are enthusiasts who shy away from TT in particular as used items because they are more mechanical and wear, misuse or damage can be a real issue. So who you buy from, on what terms, is important.

5. it is really hard to demo (evaluate) turntables, tonearms and cartridges. Like almost impossible. But it may still be of value to get eyes if not hands on with various tables (and arms) to better understand what they are doing. Living with a unit is a whole different thing and depends a lot on very precise set up as well as voicing that makes the system sound better. (I’ve heard profound differences by changes in cartridge or the rectifier tube in my phono stage).

Where you are, geographically, may also be a factor in terms of availability, price and support.

Can you listen to several of the Moon phono pre's? Since you mention a pending Moon upgrade I am guessing you can. Even if you end up preferring another brand, you can get a sense of what happens as phono pre improves.

If you see a second hand STST Motus DQ grab it!

Also look into PTP Audio

Rega P8 (I prefer it to the P10)

Rega Aura phono stage (among the best I have heard at any price)

Ortofon Cadenza Bronze

 

 

 

 

If your not adverse to used, a SOTA refurbished table from the company is a great buy and will hold its own for quite a while. I have a Star Sapphire with vacuum hold down, an SME V arm and Kiseki cart all for about $7500. Added a Fosgate Signature tube phono stage and I’m done. To me a very fine sounding analog setup.

+1 @lalitk

Find the best tt/arm and then the road is easier.

I assume that you live in the UK, just to add one for your nice headache, you can check Bauer Audio DPS 3. Could be your end of the road tt.