[ScottRG]

Hey everyone! So I've been into vinyl just over a year now. I'm ashamed to say, but my current turntable is a Sony PS-LX300USB I bought at Best Buy and I play it through my Desktop onto computer speakers. Now before you scold me I have been doing tons of research and my goal is to get a nice setup to strictly listen to my growing vinyl collection. What I would like your help with is making sure that the quality of the equipment I'm buying is equal. I don't want to be buying a good turntable and playing it through a crappy pre-amp, or other problems of that nature. Here is what I'm thinking of buying.
 
$500 MUSIC HALL - MMF-2.2 TURNTABLE
$200 MUSICAL FIDELITY - V-LPS Mk II PHONO PREAMP
$800  MARANTZ - MM7025 STEREO POWER AMP
$650 WHARFEDALE - DIAMOND 10.3 TOWER SPEAKERS
 
My budget was $2000 and with this setup I'm a little over. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you have suggestions for different components please voice your opinion. If you think I could cut costs anywhere let me know that too. Thank you for your time. 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

$500 MUSIC HALL - MMF-2.2 TURNTABLE
$200 MUSICAL FIDELITY - V-LPS Mk II PHONO PREAMP
$800  MARANTZ - MM7025 STEREO POWER AMP
$650 WHARFEDALE - DIAMOND 10.3 TOWER SPEAKERS
 

 
A phono preamp is not the same as a preamp for a dedicated power amplifier, or what is paired with one in an integrated amplifier. A phono preamp is basically equivalent to the output stage on a CDPlayer or DAC, the ones that in manufacturer blurbs have "discrete output" or "(upgradable) op-amps" or "HDAMs" (in the same sense the tonearm and platter are the transport, the cartridge is the DAC chip, the needle is the laser). That is not the same as a preamp that, primarily, has a potentiometer to allow you to control the volume depending on what how loud you need it and also to match the signal from the source to the power amp. The power amp and preamp have their own input sensitivity ratings and so some may argue that using a preamp, particularly an active preamp, might be coloring the signal anyway, so unless you need an extreme amount of power, might as well use an integrated amp.
 
That said you can just get the PM8004 instead of the MM7025.

 

[ScottRG]

Thanks ProtegeManiac! The PM8004 has a built-in phono stage. So does that mean I can connect the[size=small] Music Hall MMF 2.2----> Marantz PM8004----->Speakers inline without any amplification between the turntable and intergrated amp?[/size]
[size=small] [/size]

 

[kingoftown1]

That's right.
 
I'd also probably recommend spending more on the speakers than any other component.  they're going to provide the biggest changes/improvements to the sound.

 

[ScottRG]

Any suggestions on Speakers? Are Warfedale's over price for what you get?

 

[mcullinan]

Wharfdale are economy, good value speakers... Id buy used. Check audiogon.
Id suggest something like this...
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/monitors-vienna-acoustics-haydn-grand-piano-black-2013-04-07-speakers-48108
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/monitors-epos-els-8-monitor-speakers-2013-03-24-speakers-37402-chattanooga-tn

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Thanks ProtegeManiac! The PM8004 has a built-in phono stage. So does that mean I can connect the[size=small] Music Hall MMF 2.2----> Marantz PM8004----->Speakers inline without any amplification between the turntable and intergrated amp?[/size]
[size=small] [/size]

 
Yes you can do that, just make sure you match the phonostage on the Marantz to the cartridge. They're either Moving Magnet or Moving Coil, check which one it is. If the MMF2.2 comes with one and it's the wrong type, consider it a "justified upgrade" and get a better cart. As to which one specifically, best ask in the TT threads; I haven't used analog since the MiniDisc.
 
 
Quote:

Any suggestions on Speakers? Are Warfedale's over price for what you get?

 
Wharfedales are only overpriced for people from certain markets looking at other markets, like SEAsia prices vs elsewhere, because we get them dirt cheap. In the Philippines Diamond 9.1 goes for around US$115; Diamond 10 Cinema pack is around $550, VAT included, when - AFAIK - it's around $800+sales tax(+shipping?) elsewhere. Of course, there will be people here who will point out that only the front baffle on the Diamond 8 and older standmounts is actually 0.75" MDF while the rest are only 0.5", but as far as I know one can't tell with the newer curved cabinets anyways, and speakers with comparable driver quality but with more rigid cabinets will usually be double the price, so it's all up to the buyer really.
 
Personally I'd worry about other things about the 10.3. As much as floorstanders seem like they'll save you the cost of speaker stands while giving you a bigger cabinet that can get you deeper bass, if it's not the same height as your ears given your listening chair, then you'd have to build some kind of elevated platform if it's much lower, or get a new chair if it's much higher. A standmount will at least give you options for a stand that you need to begin with. In a big enough room (like you're sitting 2.5m away from the midpoint of the space between the speakers, and there's at least 1m from the side walls to each speaker),  EDIT : and at least 0.5m from the wall to the rear of each speaker, it probably won't be an issue.
 
Another thing about the cabinet design though, having more air in the box and a bigger port doesn't necessarily mean better bass. It can go deeper, yes, but it may be less articulate/sloppier with no improvement on impact; or it may have such a bump in the response it may put some instruments - like the bass drum - more forward, away from the drum set and into where the other instruments are supposed to be. Best read detailed reviews to make sure the 10.3 doesn't do this.

 

[ScottRG]

That some great points on the speakers. I'm going to hae to do a little more research on that end.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Also note I edited (added) something to my previous post