Mr. Radar:
Sorry that I took so long but I forgot about posting on this thread . While I'm not really a headphone guy I really like this site. There is an honest interest in sharing information about high quality, yet affordably priced equipment.
My KAB modded Technics 1200 MK II was actually Kevin Barrett's test mule that he was kind enough to sell me at a ridiculously cheap price. It has the tonearm fluid damper, the outboard power supply, the strobe disabler and the record clamp. The cartridge began as the Stanton/ KAB "Groovemaster" but its stylus was changed to a Pickering D4500S stylus. This is in a system with a modded Antique Sound Labs Mini Phono Pre Amplifier and an Audio Electronics Supply AE-3 preamp and a modded (by Vinnie Rossi) TEAC A-L700P digital amp driving Sonus Faber Concertino Homes. The cabling is nothing exotic, AQ CV4 speaker cable, Harmonic Technologies, Blue Jeans Cables interconnects, Volex power cables. Power treatment is with a Transcendent Sound Balanced Power Transformer (kit.) Room (acoustic) Treatment by Eighth Nerve. This system is very well damped, highly detailed and warm. The analog playback is best with small jazz ensembles and chamber music as there is a bit of constriction with very dynamic, complex orchestral passages. The fluid damping contributes to great tracking and lowered groove noise as well lowered surface noise. The sounstage is more deep than wide but detail retrieval is terrific. The Stones "Exile on Mainstreet" is a densely mixed record that the Technics always reveals some new facet that " I never heard that before."
The Rega is the older model Planar 3 which I also bought second hand. It had the SME Series III tonearm mounted and a low compliance cartridge (MC) that was wrong for this arm. The arm works best with a high compliance cart like the old Shure V15. Mr. Barrett was kind enoughto adjust this somewhat antique arm and we added back the anti-skating weight and pulley assembly but the fluid damping trough and reservoir had been discarded by the previous owner as setting such things up apparently annoyed him. I wish I could find these pieces and restore them but its been no go. When strobe tested this TT seems to be spot on with a new belt and it has the optional heavy acrylic platter. This setup is in all tube system based on a Decware Select (SET) and uses a (George) Wright Sound WPL11 Phono/Line Preamplifier. The cartridge is pretty much the twin of the one in the Technics. The Grovemaster body is an Integrated mount , you plug it in and twist a locking ring. The SME arm is a standard mount and I use a Pickering EP HiFi cartridge body w/Pickering D4500S stylus, this looks different than the Groovemaster but the coil, cantilever, pivot assembly etc. are virtually identical. You might get the idea that I like this particular MM cartridge. Its true, I think these pieces produce an excellent sound. If I had to compare them, remember they are in different (sized) rooms and very different ancillary gear. The Technics is like using a fine machine tool. You can reset things like vertical tracking angle with ease and quickly. The SME is like a fine antique that still works extremely well. The fact that it is missing the fluid damping probably tilts the field in favor of the Technics. There is a bit more groove noise w/ the Rega/SME and surface noise is a bit more noticeable as well. But it is now like an old friend that you forgive certain traits in because of affection. It has a familiarity and a known quality that gives me a baseline from which to make choices . The Technics is much smoother and ergonomic and pleasurable in a different way.
Sorry for the length but I get wound up when discussing analog.
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