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My wife finally got it

My dear spouse has never objected to my audio expenditures and has tolerated the hobby with an occasional "roll of her eyes". Last night, after dinner, I went into the music room, and put on an LP; as I do many evenings. It was the Sheffield Labs/Los Angeles Symphony/Eric Liensdorf Firebird.
My 5 year old daughter and our dog were in the room in front of a toasty fire, the lights were dimmed VERY low (I need to set the mood:)). I was completely immersed in the music. My wife was moving around the house, but mostly doing something in the adjacent family room. When the stylus hit the run-out groove at the end of side 2, she walked into the room and said: "That sounded better than ANY CD I have ever heard. That was beautiful!" Light dawns over Marblehead ladies and gentlemen! She followed up by saying: "Now I understand." We have been together for 10 years, and that is the first time her equipment comments have not been on the order of: "that was nice, but I can listen on the boombox in the kitchen". God, I LOVE that woman!
slipknot1
slipknot1 OP
1,423 posts
 
TWL-
If I decide to keep the ProJect and upgrade the cart, I might be looking at something on the order of a relatively HO moving coil or a high quality MM. You had answered my thread earlier on the output voltage of the Denon 103. I have followed your responses in the past on turntable threads and respect your opinion. The ProJect 6.1 I currently have was near the top of their line a few years ago and is a good table, with a great arm (for the $ anyway). Any replacement opinions for the Blue Point? I don't want to send my wife into sticker shock, and I'm afraid I might if I spent the money required to get a large jump in performance over what I have now...
twl
3,251 posts
 
Slipknot, If you are looking for a good high-output MC for a reasonable sum, go for a Dynavector 10x4 MK II. It retails about $450, and sometimes you can get them for less. It is a really good high-output MC for the money. It will definitely stomp the BPS. Medium compliance and weight, it matches most tonearms well. Below that price there is nothing in a high-output MC that I feel is worth looking at, except maybe the Ortofon X5-MC which has a 2mv output, that might work in your phono stage, depending on the gain it has. The Dynavector has a little more, with 2.5mv. It your phono stage is weak on gain, less than 40db gain, then stick with a MM with 4mv or greater output.

For a MM cart under $400, I have always liked the Goldring 1042. Linn and Audio Note have versions of this cartridge made for them on an OEM basis by Goldring. It's a good MM for the money.
slipknot1 OP
1,423 posts
 
TWL, what do you think of the Clearaudio Aurum series, specifically the Beta S? 3mv output MM. It's kind of heavy at 10 grams, but would work in my ProJect arm. Too bad the Denon 103 has such a low output...I used a Denon 300 MC for a while in the 1980s and loved the way it sounded.
twl
3,251 posts
 
I know I'll get alot of flak for this, but I am not a fan of the Clearaudio cartridge line. I think the Dynavector beats it hands down. I generally prefer the Japanese MC cartridge sound.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I have the Dynavector 10X4 mk II, a very nice mc for the price. It may sound like a $450 cartridge, but the actual MSRP is $350. I also prefer Dynavector over Clearaudio. As for the 'table, you may also want to check out the VPI Aries Scout. Some dealers are throwing in a free Dynavector 10X4 mk II with the purchase of the Scout/JMW-9 arm.

John
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