Trying to match or better the Nagra/Burmester setup will take more than a Luxman 151. Look into a Feickert or SOTA or Basis or Kuzma or SME. To make it even simpler mate with their own arm. Lots of choices that if done and setup correctly will put a smile on your face.
Guidance on cartridge options or new table
How much is too much? I own a Luxman PD 151 Mark II turntable and a Luxman EQ500 phono preamp. I purchased from a dealer end of December and it has about 100 hours on it. I have the Luxman cartridge that matches the system and goes for $2500. I have them connected using XLR’s. My system consists of Burmester 218 reference amp, 088 pre amp by Burmester, Wilson Alexia V speakers. For streamer I have a Grimm MU1 and a Nagra Tube dac with separate power supply. After acquiring the new amp and pre amp in February my digital side sounds terrific and find my analog set up to be the weak link. Based on this set up where do I reach a point of no return purchasing a better cartridge? Should I be looking at a new table and cartridge? Would a new cartridge significantly improve the sound? I primarily listen to Jazz and some classical music along with rock.
Thanks for your assistance!
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@tablejockey Thanks for your comments. You make great points. |
Personally I don't think your turntable is up to the rest of your system. So rather than try other cartridges I would suggest considering a complete upgrade, depending on budget. However, given the quality of your Burmester 088, I would invest in the Burmester phono module ( MC ) for the 088 and ditch the Luxman phono. I suspect this would be a significant improvement even with your existing front end might be a good first step before you upgrade the TT. The Burmester MC phono module in the 088 provides much more flexibility in cartridge choice than the Luxman phono which is quite limited. Of the turntables mentioned above I like the Kuzma R or M with 4point9 or 4point11 tonearms. Outstanding performance and more importantly the Kuzma TT's and arms a very easy to set up. I prefer them to the SME's ( I've used both extensively ).
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- 13 posts total