Is this why my analog rig isn't so hot?

Dear George,

I try to refrain from recommending any specific brands to people, its never that simple. What good is anyone's recommendation without a reference point when you have none?

The brands that you mention is a starting point to educate yourself, especially since they're from very different schools. Check and see if either one is closer to your ideal sound. If working on your own this is a difficult journey but one worth taking, otherwise if you want hand holding, find a good dealer (they exist!) or an experienced fellow audiophile with the kind of sound that you want, to show you the ropes. You need to hear these things for yourself!

Whatever problems there might or might not be with your arm/cartridge and the rest of your system is secondary. You need to start with a reference point and build up from there, the turntable is the foundation of your source. You'll never be able to figure out the arm/cartridge/phono without this reference.

Mama

Dear George: Tks to Ken for to open the window.
Now, I can think that you have to try with other phono stage and this can help to solve the problem. If everything is like Ken told us then the others links in your audio system are ok because you are very satisfied your digital rig, correct?.
BTW, the Benz Glider is not the best top performer but you have to hear it with another phono stage.
I'm sorry Ken but you say that George has to solve the problem at the source. What does that means, the analog source: turntable/tonearm/phono cartridge/phono stage, any of these are very important at the sound reproduction but the phono stage has a extremly critical responsability, it needs to be accurate and dead flat on the RIAA equalization any minor deviation from this RIAA eq. and you have problems and with the Phonocube, additional, there is the impedance issue, so here is where I would move in, not at the table.

Ken when I say " 70% to 80% ..." I refer between the three parts: turntable/tonearm/cartridge, not the whole audio system reproduction.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear George

As Raul has stated ans so have I your problem is the internal impedance or the Glider. Regardless of Basis being an overly warm sounding table the Glider is not short on high frequency extension. An open bodied cart like that has less mid-range warmth than a Ruby 2. I have owned both. My suggeston is try another cart with a lower impedance because no matter what table you end up with your Glider will still never mate well with the Phonocube because of the impedance issues.

FYI the review that Steve Rochlin wrote that is available at Sakuara Systems website explains the whole impedance thing very well.

The 47 Labs Phonocube may have a bit of warmth compared to other phonostages, but I really do not feal I am being short changed at all by it sonically.

Paul

Once again, I'm deeply humbled by all your replies. What can I say except to say I feel very lucky to have come across you all and reading your input.

Thank you!

What's surprising, though, is the Teres - or the non-recommendation of it. This is indeed a sought-after table right here at the Audiogon. If I remember right, this is the second time that I've heard someone giving it a thumbs-down. He had a Teres, tried everything to build around it, and finally, to his dismay, had to give up the table. He settled for a Mitchell.

So now I'm back to square one and don't mind it at all. At least I could read up on all the tables recommended and audition them with an open mind (and ear). And telling myself the most popular (or prettiest) isn't necessarily the best one!

Regards,
George

Raul said "I have more than 35 years in testing analog rig and, beyond what Ken told us, the 70% to 80% of the quality of the sound reproduction comes from the tonearm/cartridge combo"...

I would have to side with Ken on his interpretation of this one. That is, it spoke volumes about Raul's point of view.

As far as i'm concerned, changing the table that ANY arm / cartridge combo is on will alter the tonal balance, harmonic structure, noise floor, sense of timing, steadiness of pitch, etc... These all have to do with the support structure that makes up the plynth, the mass and resonant characteristics of the table on the whole, the accuracy and steadiness of the motor, the play in the bearing / platter, etc...

As you might surmise, i disagree with Raul's comment whole-heartedly. With that in mind, i can see why we differ on our thougths about the Denon 103 series of cartridges. We obviously have very different experiences and ways of looking at things.

As a side note, the Stanton 881S has a compliance rating of appr 35. It is obviously best suited for a low mass arm. Sean
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