Need to re-discover analog - please help

Interesting post 4 sure... I'd also call Larry at Hollywood Sound (you can find him here at a-gon). My dealings with him have been right on the mark... not too much or too little for my more modest system. And what I wound up with still astounds me. My particular sale certainly didn't allow him to close up shop for the day, but you wouldn't have know it from the time he spent making sure I bought the right product for my needs and then some.

Likewise I've no affiliation with him, just a customer who's been rewarded with solid help in an area I knew so little of.

Springbok10, we'll all suggest for you a system that will match our respective tastes. I won't be any different. Assuming you're not quite ready to go the all-out route I've taken with a Walker Audio Proscenium turntable and Aesthetix Io Signature phono stage, consider this alternative combination that I've found very engaging and just enjoy those 200 LPs you've inherited without breaking the bank. You'll get a large slice of great analog sound. Later, if you want to take it further, re-sale should be no problem.

Turntable:
VPI Scoutmaster with JMW 9 tonearm - $2400

Cartridge (MC):
One of the following: Benz Glider 2 ($800), Dynavector Karat 17-D2 ($750), Sumiko Blackbird ($750). (Sure, one of the $2-5,000 cartridges will be better, but any of these would be very good. Live with one for a while before moving up market.)

Phono stage:
Your existing Atma-Sphere MP-1, assuming you didn't have Ralph eliminate the phono stage when he built it for you.

Welcome to analog once again!
.

Rush,
I like the budget and simplicity. Would the JMW 9 tonearm mate with the ZYX cartridge? If not, which of the cartridges you mention would be closest in character to the XYX? My MP-1 is linestage only. Dont feel like shipping it back so which Phono preamp has balanced outputs? And is in keeping with budget above?

Fine responses by all the above. I probably have more experience with the ZYX lineup than some others. In the past year I've had the Airy 2, Airy 3, two UNIverses and one non-released model in my system. (Helping Mehran of SORAsound evaluate his product line.)

ZYX's are mid-compliance cartridges, so they're a fine theoretical match for JMW's and other medium mass arms. I've heard them on a Graham 2.2, TriPlanar VII and the Schroeder Two, DPS and Reference. People say they perform well on a Moerch DP-6, Nottingham Space Arm and other arms too. ZYX's are somewhat exacting as far as setup is concerned, so an easily adjusted arm helps. Once set up however, they do not place difficult demands on the arm, which some lower compliance cartridges do.

I'll disagree with Lugnut's otherwise excellent recommendations when it comes to the performance differences between ZYX models. In a sufficiently revealing system the differences are very significant.

There is no doubting the overall superiority of the Airy 3 over the Airy 2. The former's greater speed and dynamics are apparent in just a few moments. I could easily identify one from the other blindfolded in my own system after a minute or two. The Airy 2 has a slightly richer harmonic envelope, but that cannot quite make up for its relative slowness, at least to my ears.

The UNIverse is so far beyond both Airys it renders comparisons meaningless. If the rest of your rig and system are up to it, its ability to transport you right into the acoustic space where the music was recorded is uncanny. As Lugnut said, a UNIverse on an appropriate rig will bury your Meitner. IOW, if you don't want to risk obsoleting your digital source and collection then don't listen to one. Once you hear it there is no going back.

Pair a UNIverse with a TriPlanar VII for the quickest attacks. Pair it with a Schroeder Reference for a richer harmonic envelope. Which is "better" is a matter of taste - I suspect most people would prefer the Schroeder/UNIverse combo. None of the other arms I've heard it on compare with those two for best synergy with ZYX's top model.

Well, amongst the plethora of great equipment suggestions(of which, I am unqualified to comment), there are two big ones that I do have experience with - dealing with Mehran of Sorasound and Larry at Hollywood Sound.

Like you, I am a returning newbie to vinyl and just bought my first system over the last few months. I just bought a ZYX Fuji FS from Mehran last week and as been mentioned above, he is one of the nicest, most thorough, and patient people I have ever dealt with in audio.

He listened to all my beginner thoughts and questions, then walked me through the important aspects of tonearm/cartridge interaction. He never tried to force or even push a sale, just offered advice and suggested I think about it. I must have waffled back and forth several times before plucking out $1k of my hard earned money on a slightly used Fuji. He has checked back in with me since then to see how things are coming along, and with setup suggestionsfor tools and test records I will need to get things right. He just goes that extra mile to make sure YOU are happy with the cartridge.

I also contacted Larry at Hollywood Sound months ago about buying tables after seeing his ads here on Audiogon. He also listened to all my newbie questions and then helped steer me towards choices that best fit my budget and experience. Nothing special there, but guess what?

He turned down a guaranteed sale(I called ready to buy) to suggest that I buy a table from a reputable dealer near me who could help with setup and support. He even supplied a couple of names.

How often does a dealer turn down a "sure thing" to suggest better support from someone else?

Two great guys - Mehran & Larry, you can't go wrong with either of them.