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Where to best upgrade - TT, arm or phono stage?

I have a decent analog source (Roksan Radius 5 table >> Soundsmith re-tipped Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood >> NIMA arm w/Incognito wiring >> Bottlehead Seduction w/CS4). The cartridge is a keeper and I must stick to the "MM" paradigm.

I am considering the new Bottlehead Eros phono stage, which I can afford by selling the Seduction and a few odds and sods.

Generally speaking from your experience, at my level of analog gear which upgrade would yield the best bang for the buck:

Table (this seems the most costly to upgrade, but many of you have more knowledge here);

Arm (a Roksan Tabriz ZI is the only true "drop-in" I know of for my table and a used one is available for $750);

Phono Stage (the Eros costs $500 more than the Seduction);
jb0194
curio's avatar
curio
305 posts
 
The best upgrade is the MintLP .. than you can buy or change everything else :-)
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
you're fine.
bdgregory
1,710 posts
 
I don't know if arms other than the Tabriz will drop in. It'd be nice to expand choices that don't require major surgery.
looking at the picture of the Radius 5, it appears to me that ANY Rega form tonearm will be drop in compatible. If you shop for arms, they normally identify if they are Rega, or Linn standard mount (these are the 2 primary standards that have been adopted it seems). In addition to Rega, Roksan, and Clearaudio arms, Bluenote, Michell, and Origin Live arms are all Rega standard as far as I know. This leaves you many choices. I have tried the O/L modified Rega RB300, Tabriz Zi, and Clearaudio Satisfy arms. I like both the Tabriz and Satisfy more than the RB300, though there are many Rega derivatives to consider so my comparison is hardly representative of all Regas.
syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
Phono stage is the real secret, the only component which is able to rate the quality of your Analog components when you do a change or want to rate a recording.
Tabriz ZI is a good Arm,t he counterweight is really good when you own warped records.
cardani
160 posts
 
I own the Tabriz Zi and know very well the Nima. They are just diffrent, the Nima being unipivot, i,ve heard it mentioned as an economic Naim ARO. I agree with some others, the phonostage is your weak link.
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