Best investment; cartridge or line stage?
Alrighty fellow hifi aficionados, I tried to find a sub on this topic but failed. Here is my bang for the buck question: assuming money spent on either option will be within spitting distance of each other, where am I likely to get more bang for my buck? By investing in a new line stage or investing in a new cartridge. I am currently running a Sutherland TX vibe line stage with a rega aria cartridge on a rega p6 turntable. Appreciate your input! Current system is McIntosh MA252 integrated, rega p6 tt and Martin Logan Vantages.
@milo0812 Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water ... Another county heard from. Everyone hears differently. I think that you should listen to other systems and other components as much as possible - but you already knew that. One last piece of advice - don't hurry! Good equipment will still be available in 6 months or a year. |
@terry9 yes indeed, I'm not sure crossing the street in heavy traffic is wise 😱. @elliottbnewcombjr So the interest in moving up the Sutherland line comes from a conversation I had with the owner (we both live in KC, go Chiefs) when I bought the TZ vibe. He said the difference in the TZ and the little loco was significant. Different tech. He advised I go straight to the little loco instead of buying then taking a hit on resale of the little loco, but my wallet did not support the thought at that time. Before I made that jump, I thought I better consider cartridge vs phono stage. |
btw, Those speakers are 92 db sensitivity, and the bass is self powered: thus not needing a lot of power. You might someday consider going all tube, i.e. sell the McIntosh Hybrid. Perhaps get a Stereo model that can also be used as Mono, so you can double your power in the future if you fall in love with some inefficient speakers (don’t even listen to inefficient speakers if you know what’s good for you). And, the speakers are 4 ohm nominal, if you ever change to all tubes, look for an amp that doubles it’s power for 4 ohms. |
@terry9 I am really looking forward to your first attempts at producing a cutting edge design Mycelium / Soya Resin Impregnated Wand. The world of Soya Resin is quite established, with the world of the 'Myc’ being the one that is fast closing in. I have now found Speaker Cabinet/Enclosure produced from 'Myc', as well as Acoustic Panels, the usage of this material is ’mushrooming’ 😁. |
