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What to upgrade/do next?

Hi everyone,

I posted a while back and this forum was incredibly helpful! Not sure if I am in the right category, but I thought I'd start here. I am wondering what to do/upgrade next with my setup.

Here is what I am currently doing.

I have a Music Hall USB-1 turntable
That is going into a NAD326BEE
I then have paradigm Monitor series 11 v.5 speakers

Not really looking to upgrade the NAD or the speakers at this point, since I just purchased those not too long ago. The turntable is a starter, so I could upgrade that if it is what everyone thinks I should do, but I am wondering what else I can add into this setup to make it better.

Given the NAD not having a phono input, I am also not running phono. Should I start upgrading there? Although, I think the turntable has a built in phono preamp. I'm sure I could do better.

Anyway, just not sure where to go next in this new found hobby.

Thanks!
rootsrockreggae
truemaineiac's avatar
truemaineiac
249 posts
 
How much are you budgeting for the upgrade? I am also unclear about the statement about the phono. It seems like the front end, TT, cart, phono would be your best area of focus if you like your speakers and amp. You can probably get a very good lift in performance.
goheelz's avatar
goheelz
297 posts
 
Rootsrockreggae: judging by your moniker, you're going to want a subwoofer at some point, so that is something to consider, probably even before you get a stand-alone phono stage. The Hsu Research subs are excellent and affordable. Longer term, I'd say you'll be hankering for an amplifier with more (reggae) grunt than the NAD can provide.

Give an idea of the budget you've got in mind, and you'll get more specific suggestions.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
It looks like the Music Hall has a built-in MM Phono preamp, and as you say it's a starter table. The question is if you were to upgrade the TT, are you prepared to also buy a phono preamp which is required to boost the signal of the cartridge? This would be a major upgrade in sound, but you need to tell us your budget as this may not come cheap.

Goheelz has a good suggestion in adding a subwoofer. It would add some bottom end to the sound as well as increasing performance of your monitors by making them more efficient. I've found that adding a sub makes for a much more dynamic listening experience.
rootsrockreggae OP
18 posts
 
Thanks everyone for the responses.

To address some of the questions...

If I run my turntable on "line" through the NAD I can definitely get it up loud enough. If I switch it to phono, it still comes through the speakers, but incredibly quiet.

Won't I get a better sound quality if I get a phono preamp?

To answer the question on budget... I'm not exactly looking to do this tomorrow. I'd be willing to spend $500 to a $1000 for a significant upgrade in quality for my next purchase. But, I'd also be happy spending less to tweak some things.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
Yes, you would get better sound with a dedicated phono preamp rather than the Music Hall built-in pre. But to make a significant upgrade in sonics, I would suggest a better TT, cart and Phono Stage. It would cost under $1000 and the improvement could be huge. There are some package deals online.

I'm sure that you can get some suggestions from others more informed or maybe look thru the archives or needledoctor dot com.
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