Does a record player make that much of a difference??
Question for all you Audionerds - in your experience, how much of a difference does one record player make over the next compared with the differences that a cartridge, phone pre-amp, and separate head amp make in the signal chain?
Reason I ask: I just upgraded from a MM cart to a MC cart (Dynavector 20x2-low output). Huge difference - the Dynavector sounds much more alive and detailed compared with the MM. I find my current record player (a Marantz TT16) to be a real pain to work with - I have to manually move the belt on the motor hub to change speeds, and the arm is not very adjustable or easy to do so. But, aside from that, it's not terrible. How much of a difference can I really expect if I upgrade to a better record spinner vs the change I heard from upgrading to a better cart?
My next acquisition is a separate head amp to feed the phono stage.
Thanks for all your insights!
Josh
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Seeking out best pressings is more important than upgrading already good cartridge. The difference between pressings can be dramatic. Of course, the table itself is more important than any other element of vinyl playback source, even more important than phono stage. Tonearm cable is the most important cable in the entire system, don't forget to pay attention to it. |
Michael Fremer did a comparison between two turntables using the same cartridge, the same tone arm, and the same phono pre-amp playing the same LP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdLbWQFdsPg Have a listen to see if the differences are meaningful to you. |
@tomic601 I’ve been using a 4point11" & Safir tonearms without the finger lift and yes it sounds better. A bit nerve racking but worth it IMO. Please explain what you hear with the shrink wrapping on the lift vs no shrink wrapping? |
