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Need to re-discover analog - please help

Like the short-sighted, lazy, modern moron that I am, I threw away all my LPs and turntable when I got hooked on my first decent CDP, a Kinergetics Platinum KD-40, 15 years ago. Because it was easier to take care of CDs. Now, my mother who was a musician, and had a classical collection of about 200 really absolutely great recordings, collected from the 1940s til the 80s, has left me her collection. They just have to be preserved, played and savored. I need an analog set-up that will a) do them justice and b) not sound noticeably "worse" compared to the digital set-up I am now used to. My analog set-up that I discarded (I know, I know.........please dont rub it in, what's done is done.) was a Denon 103D and Sony PS-800 linear tracking TT and also a Kenwood marble platter with SME tone-arm and also Denon 103 D cartridge and circa 1980 PS Audio MC phono stage.
The present system, to which must now obligatorily be added a turntable: EMM DCC2/CDSD; Atma-Sphere Line-stage MP-1 MkII, Atma-Sphere MA 2.2 modified (27 tubes each); Kharma 3.2; Indra Stealth i/cs; PAD Dominus i/cs and S/Cs (Rev C & B).

I tried MM cartridges before - Dynavector,Ortofon,Shure V15 iv - but only liked the MC Denon 103D - so would prefer that MC "sound".

I have not kept up with the analog market, nor new equipment, and am totally ignorant about the components but would greatly appreciate input as to what TT, tone-arm, cartridge and phono preamp to get that would neither bankrupt me nor do the wonderful collection my mother left me a disservice, nor my ear that is now spoiled by the pretty "good" digital, ancillary set-up I have. Nor, obviously, sound "inferior" to the CDs:)

What sort of a budget am I looking at to keep the system within the overall quality of the associated equipment that I have, without going crazy, since i will still mostly be listening to CDs (unless i get totally hooked and go bonkers..........)?

I listen to classical 90% of the time and 95% of her collection is classical.

As always, I appreciate your advice.
springbok10
springbok10 OP
711 posts
 
Just as a courtesy to all of you helpful and long-suffering vinyl junkies who helped me, I am following up with the rig I ended up with.
Thanks again for the input.

SOTA Sapphire TT
Origin Live Encounter tonearm
Shelter 901
EAR 824 Phono stage (balanced)
rushton's avatar
rushton
2,445 posts
 
Thanks for the follow-up report! Looks like a nice combination. Hope you enjoy your re-entry to vinyl.
alephman
107 posts
 
I am suspicious of any tonearm maker that tells you to twist the wires in order to have proper antiskating. VPI make great 'tables. Got a HW19 MKIV myself. But I also have a Graham tonearm. I would do something with a Rega.
springbok10 OP
711 posts
 
Further update and question: Now, 5 weeks later, and still waiting for its arrival, SOTA Sapphire V TT, OL Illustrious tonearm, Shelter 901, EAR 824. As some of you wisely predicted, this will not only end up in the main rig (Atma-Spheres, Kharma 3.2s) but will start there. Hence the balanced phono stage. So that I know what to expect, and do not have delusional expectations, will it sound as "good" as the EMM set-up???? Yes, no or maybe:)? Predictions, please. Will I be screaming for an upgrade soon or walk around like a Cheshire cat?
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Spring -- I'm sure your EMM sounds pretty great (for a digital device!) however I wouldn't expect much in the way of good analog sonics until the cartridge has broken in for at least 150 hours; great sonics will take 200-250 hours. If anyone (including the manufacturer) says less, their blowing smoke up your . . . . . . And this assumes correct arm/cartridge set-up and (after break in) your finding the optimum cartridge loading (which based on the 901's 15 ohm coil resistance should be 325 ohms +/_ 50%) Until sufficiently broken in, expect the sound to be bright/thin, maybe a little grainy, with not much bass (even with the above-mentioned proper setting of SRA and load.) So don't do a lot of fiddling around until you know you have enough mileage on it. Premature tweaking is a mistake a lot of folks make. I can't imagine how those magazine people can write cartridges reviews with a straight face!

If you want to speed up the break in period, I suggest you by the Cardas sweep record, which has locked white noise grooves, and just let it run 24 hours a day for a week (when you're not actually playing records that is!) No need to fire up the rest of the system while running the Cardas record, but it's good for it if you want to.

Otherwise, averaging 2.5 hr/day of normal playing time, you're looking at over three months. Personally, I couldn't wait that long! Just as a side note: I bought a Transfiguration Temper W exactly two months ago, and been away two weeks during that period. The specs/instructions say 30 hours break-in. Yeah, right! I figure after 50 days, I've put around 80 hours on it (mostly just playing records) which I calculate by counting the number of records played times 35 minutes. And one can just now begin to hear it starting to go through it's metamorphosis into a really high-end device. I know setup is perfect, and load is set for its calculated optimum of 150 ohms. Recently, over a period of two or three days, the image/soundstage became solid and convincing, bass got tight, lyrics (transient response) became effortlessly intelligible, etc. Now I can only wait and listen before attempting any further refinements.

Have fun!

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