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Technics SL-1200MKII and AT-440MLa, very good

This may have been posted before but I just wanted to let others know my experiance and setup that has worked out great. Now after 50 hours of playing time the soundstage has really started to open up and I'm starting to hear some very good depth to sound. AT really have done a good job with the AT440MLa cartridge and I thought I would never hear a cart in this price range sound this good, not only match well with my Technics SL-1200MKII but also with my Electrocompaniet ECP-1 phono preamp that I upgraded a few years back and is just finally breaking in also. The recordings I have done to CD on my computer have come out really nice and sound better than the store bought ones, more real. This is my secondary system in the room but I would like to try the Technics and AT440MLa on my main system or even better with the Teres 255 I have with the ET2 arm, I have a ceond tonearm for the ET2 and I may just do this. I used to own a Technics 1600MKII back in the ealy 80's and right up to 95 then I bought the Linn LP12 then Teres255, but I never thought the Technics SL-1200 could sound so good but I do remember on some material back when I had the 1600MKII that the sound was really nice. I going to do a side by side comparision with the 1200MKII and Teres 255 both with the AT440MLa cart just to see how close they come or don't to each other. This could be very interesting.

It was really a great buy and I will be getting more of the AT440MLa's
coouugar
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
The TT will not need break-in, but the cables will. Also, make sure the bearing has oil all the way to the top. Even though the manual states oiling should be done every 2000 hrs, there is a BIG sonic difference when the bearing is completely full.

Viridian is right about the Shure. You need a better cartridge. I use an Ortofon X5 high output MC and a KAB modded Stanton Groovemaster.

***
perfectionist
197 posts
 
I'm wondering if I'd benefit more from a cartridge upgrade or an external phono stage?
opalchip
355 posts
 
Perfectionist - No matter what, you really need a better cartridge before you can make any other equipment decisions. As others have said, the M97 is "ok" for $60, which just means it doesn't outright suck. That's about it - all the music is there but the excitement isn't - hard to figure why that would be, but we seem to have some agreement on that. I tried one myself and it's no match for other MM's that can be had in the $180 range like better AudioTechnica or Ortofons.
perfectionist
197 posts
 
I've also got a thread running here...
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1173920079&openmine&zzPerfectionist&4&5#Perfectionist

Trying to narrow my choices.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
To Perfectionist: I just got a Technics SL1210 M5G (Grandmaster), and also got a Shure M97xE because of all the buzz. I also had an Ortofon OMP 10 lying around, so got a second headshell and 1/2" cart adapter. I much prefer the Ortofon. It has about as much slam, but is smoother through the midrange, has more inner detail, and just "feels" better when I listen with it. The Shure by comparison gets congested and hollow-sounding in the midrange when things get busy (i.e., crescendos bringing in lots of instruments/voices).

Also, this humble rig has had no trouble smoking the CD/SACD players I have in the house. It's certainly as dynamic, bass is fuller, and the timbres are much better fleshed out. I have an Amber 17 preamp, and maybe it's spoiling me. If you're plugging into a phono section in a receiver, that may be why you're underwhelmed.

Also, experiment with the Shure--try it with the damper brush up and down, and with different tracking forces. I also tried it with both the extra headshell weight and the extra tonearm counterweight to increase tonearm mass. That seemed to open up some detail, but I still prefer the Ortofon w/o the extra weight.
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