Well i love my setup, Mofi Studiodeck that is dialed in, Outlaw Audio RR2160MKll integrated amp, Pair of Pioneer CS99-A, Pair of Dahli Zensor, Outlaw Audio Powered Subwoofer for 4.1 Sound. Ordered AudioQuest Golden Gate cables from Amazon that was absolute junk! major hum to the phono stage. Returned those and used the Mofi cables that came with the MoFi. Dead Quiet! My system sounds Amazing to me and my wife and friends. That is all that matters to me. I think people tinker to much. But hey to each there own! I mainly listen for classic rock LP's from the 60's and 70's mostly, some 80's (Queensryche, warning and Rage for Order 1st pressings). Coming from a ATLP 120usb. Best upgrade for me was the MoFi deck. Giving the Audio Technica 120 to my niece who is using a Crosly LOL
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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- 94 posts total
@eryoung2k What cartridge? |
I just want to clarify, my comments above were related to a novice, and upgrading cartridge 1st. After reaching a level of very good sounding cartridge, AND acquiring alignment tools/skills: it's time to upgrade the TT, and deal with the complications of a new arm, (especially acquiring my preference for a removable headshell, so many TT's come with fixed arms). After than, no longer a novice, and acquiring a successful phono stage, it's back to cartridge refinement. |
@OP - is your turntable a TT16 or 15 as I cannot find any references to a Marantz TT16 - perhaps you could post a picture which would allow a more precise response to be given. Answering generically - yes, a better turntable and arm can make a big difference. The Linn philosophy was taken to extremes, with people running LP12s with Ittok arms and cheap K9 cartridges and getting pretty poor sound from a large investment. However, with due regard to upgrading a system in a balanced way, better turntables do make a difference - more resolution, better pitch stability, more bass extension, blacker backgrounds, better control of surface noise etc. |
- 94 posts total