2. analog
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Improvements

Hello,

Thanks in part to your help and advice, I am now enjoying the wondrous sounds of vinyl. I expected the music to sound good and warm, but wasn't expecting the additional excitement of putting the record on the player, lowering the arm, watching it spin, etc. Also new is a budding interest in bossa nova, 70's rock, soul, and a renewed love of the Grateful Dead. I'm truly thrilled.

As is my pattern, when I "finish" one project, I ponder the next. So there you have it, my reason for this post.

I'm wondering what you might suggest as a way to improve the sound quality. My system as it stands right now is:
Marantz SR8000 receiver
Parasound Zphono Preamp
Pioneer PL-115d II
And I forgot the name of the cartridge, but the local audio store told me it was a good match for the player and didn't hint at selling me a new one.
NHT 1.8's (and soon 1.5i's!)
Fancier RCA cables and fat gauge speaker wire.

(I love to read rants and raves so feel free to drop your best audiophile humor on my so called "system)

Obviously not head turning stuff, but good for the (little) amount of money I put into it.

If I wanted to put about $200 to $300 into a sound upgrade (used is fine), where would you put it?

For example:
A new stand for the turntable to replace the rinky dink Ikea table?
A heavier carpet for the floor?
More Wall hangings or some acoustic panels?
Thick curtains or drapes?
Record cleaner?
A fine bottle of wine?
Cotton swabs for my ears?

I'd love to know your thoughts.

Enjoy the Super Bowl.

KB
karlrborne
jpv
23 posts
 
Buy yourself a Radioshack SPL meter for $50.00 and down load REW at Home Theater Shack (free) and do some measurements. Learn what your system is really doing. Then add some acoustic panel and see how much better your system will sound. Dollar for dollar the best money you can spend on any system.
gumbydammit
186 posts
 
Mount it on the wall, save your money, add another few to it...then buy a used Rega.
kbarkamian
647 posts
 
The dinky dink Ikea table I think your turntable is probably sitting on - Lack? Corras? - is actually pretty well regarded by a lot of turntable guys. Leave it alone for a while IMO.

I'll go with a lot of the previous posts and suggest a vacuum cleaner. I use a KAB USA EV-1 and a hand held steam cleaner. The KAB was about $170 and the steamer was about $30 or so. There's nothing like a good clean album. If its not squeaky clean, it doesn't matter what gear you're running.

The cleaning matters even more if you've got old vinyl that's been sitting around and/or you're buying used stuff from local shops or garage sales.

Other than that, get more albums, beverages, and time to enjoy your music. After you've got a lot more disposable money, then start upgrading. Not that this stuff has to be expensive by any means. There is some great gear out there for not a ton of cash, regardless of what some people here may tell you.
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