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Upgrade from Rega P3-24 .....

Please take a look at my current updated system's analog front end. I am perhaps considering an upgrade, thinking about the Rega RP6 and the VPI Traveler, with a nicely matching high output MC or MM cartridge. My total budget is around $2000. Would either of these tables be a considerable enough upgrade over my current system to justify a new purchase ? Or would I need to spend more $$$ to really hear an improved sound ? Other thoughts ? I love the way my system sounds now, but may be experiencing a bout of "upgrade fever." I've already taken some aspirin, but the fever won't go away.
adam18
adam18 OP
670 posts
 
Okay ..........So it seems as if an upgraded phono stage is the "best first step" right now. Would a $500 budget allow for an audibly significant improvement ? Which ones should I be considering ? Rega Fono, Bottlehead Seduction, Sim 110 ?.... I'm lost here. Help me out.
les_creative_edge
174 posts
 
$500, it's hard to say. You have to size up such to your current phon section. That said for my future phono preamp upgrade I'm going to look into the $400-$600 range. I figure one would have to go at this range to get much a difference from my current Cambridge Audio 640p.
photok
18 posts
 
Well, I love my Bottlehead Seduction. It's better than the built in Rogue phono, Cambridge 640P, Nova phonomena II and the Jasmine phono that I've tried, the Bottlehead easily beat them all. It's only downfall is it's not terribly flexible. Mine has 40db of gain with the upgraded power supply which has been fine for the carts I've used with it, which include the Ortofon Blue, AT150MLX, denon dl160, dynavector 10x5 and the clearaudio virtuoso. I did just finally pick up a SUT so I could try out a low MC though.
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

Since cartridges are musically dependent, I never recommend one. The TT can be upgraded substantially by tweaks. Incognito tone arm rewire, heavy weight for the arm, and "Groovetracer delux subplater". Those three tweaks made a substantial improvement in my P3-24.
chayro
2,964 posts
 
Actually - before you do anything, I would try a Herbies mat. On my old music hall, it made a dramatic difference. The sound was much richer and fuller and it made the tt sound much more expensive. On my Linn, it was a bust. But Herbie offers money-back, so you're protected except for a few bucks shipping. You might not believe a mat can make that much difference, but it does. The problem is, you never know if it's going to be better or worse.
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