Good advice, thanks. I'm still fine tuning everything and probably will be for a while. It seems like the recommended tracking force/anti-skid for my cartridge are rough guidelines at best. I've had much better luck going by my ears.   Quote:

Well, I ended up getting a SimAudio Moon 110LP phono stage at a decent price. I had read a few positive things about its synergy with the P5/Exact and I decided against a tube phono stage since I run a tube amp. I finally got everything set up last night and WOW it's been a long time since music...

Another update and a question for everyone. I stretched my budget a little and just pulled the trigger on a used Rega P5 with the TT PSU and new Exact 2 cartridge. Once I realized I could get this for pretty much the same price as a new RP3 w/ Elys and the power supply (which I assumed I'd get...

Bringing this thread back to life....   I stopped by the Needle Doctor earlier this week and spent some time browsing, listening and chatting with the guys there. I think I'm going with the Rega RP3. It seems to be the best fit for me in my price range. The Music Hall tables are a bit more...

I'm excited for my ears and terrified for my wallet.   But your point is well taken EP, I'm going to check things out with an open mind and hopefully find something I really like that's in the ballpark of my budget.

  Quote: This is good advice, thanks. So is the RP3 w/ Elys 2 about the best I'm gonna do in the sub-$1000 turntable range (bear in mind that I don't want anything more than a few years old)?

I like what I've been reading on the Cambridge 651 and it's certainly sharper looking than the V-LPS. So, I guess the front runners for me now are Rega RP3 w/ Elys 2 > Cambridge 651.   Any other thoughts?   And Morbid, if Seer is your #2 this year, what's your #1? I've really been...

Yeah, LP12 is probably older than what I'm looking for too. I know a solid turntable can last forever but I want something relatively new. I also like the clean modern looks of the Regas and Music Halls more.   KT's suggestion to spend on source is probably a good one though. I can always...

Hey everyone, I haven't been on here in a while but figured I could get some direction on this as I've been going in circles lately. I’m looking to spend around $1000 to get back into vinyl (turntable and phono pre). What do you like from the products listed below? Or is there anything else I...

I'm new too and spent about a month or so agonizing over a similar decision ($1000-$1500 on a headamp and dac). I wanted something warm/musical to match my RS1s so I ultimately went with Mapletree Ear and a Pico usb dac. I really wanted to get a MHDT Paradisea or Havana dac but kept missing...

Any opinions as to how the 19mk3 compares to the MHDT Paradisea?

Thanks s1rrah. You really can't beat the price on that Zu Birth cable on ebay, so I'll probably go with that. For anyone who comes across this thread in the future, this usa hifi store on ebay has some decent prices on Audio Art cables (PC 1 Furutech for $160, which is about $40 cheaper...

About to pull the trigger on a Paradisea3 and was hoping for some feedback on power cables -- any recommendations? $100 or so is my budget. I read a review of the Paradisea that mentioned that this Furutech G-320Ag-18 was a good match. I also saw earlier in this thread someone mention the...

I've been doing lots of research on DACs in the same price range -- here are a few of the more popular/well reviewed ones... Cambridge DAC Magic ($429) -- balanced and RCA outs, supposedly usb input is not up to snuff Musical Fidelity V-DAC ($299) -- stripped down housing but solid DAC...

I just missed the last one, so I'm gonna try to make it too. I'm also new to the game but this should be a great way for me to figure out where to go next. I can bring a Mapletree Ear and RS1.