dcstep
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2007
- Posts
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It's good to see a few vinyl-heads populating Head-Fi, going toe to toe with the digit-heads. I searched and found most of the vinyl threads centered around entry level turntables below $500. That is certainly the way to wet your feet, but I thought I'd discuss the Pro-ject a little for those considering moving more deeply into vinyl.
First, a quick background on me. I've been an "audiophile" since around 1967 when I purchased my first Garrard/Scott intergrated/Jensen rig, with Koss cans and a Sony reel-to-reel. In the 1980s I had some Stax cans. I've been collecting vinyl since around 1960 and also have a large collection of CDs/SACDs and the beginnings of high-rez archival copies of my better D2D (direct-to-disk) recordings from the 1970s and 1980s.
My primary hobbies involve music, playing trumpet in several bands and orchestras and rhythm guitar in a big band where I'm also sub on lead trumpet. I played several years in a semi-pro funk/rock/soul band in Dallas. Soo, I hear and participate in live music on an almost daily basis.
My preferred audio rig is through speakers. I drive Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Baby Grand speakers with a Conrad Johnson CA200. When I can't listen to the speakers, like right now, I listen through AKG K701s driven by a Woo WA6. My digital sources are a Oppo 980 and a Korg MR1000 DSD recorder.
Back to the Pro-ject, I'm using it with a Sumiko Blackbird driving a Pro-ject Tube Head phono-preamp.
I'm not going to write a full review, but I will say that this Pro-ject is a couple of orders of excellence ahead of the sub-$1000 TTs that I've heard. What you gain is greater silence and dynamic range with extra levels of detail and nuance. It's actually very dramatic. The RM10 has a very stiff yet light, 10" carbon fiber tone arm that will handle a very fragile stylus. The higher end cartridges have stylus profiles that somehow reduce the surface noise. The diamond is so darn small that it's hard to see with the naked eye.
The top end Pro-ject has a massive platter and beautifully machined bearing. This is supplemented with repulse magnatism that offsets the high mass of the platter. If you spin the platter without the belt at around 45 rpm, it'll take a minuter or so to stop spinning, owing to the high mass and incredibly low resistance at the bearing.
The RM10 comes stock with Pro-ject's isolation platform which is VERY effective. Of course, with cans it's not as critical, but when you get the speakers flapping your pants leg it becomes critical.
The RM10 is very easy to set up after the cartridge is mounted. Basically you level the isolation platform, then put on the turntable and level it on the isolation platform. There's a spacer for setting the motor the proper distance from the platter.
There are several other fine turntables in the Pro-ject's price range, but the RM10 is a leading contender for top honors at this price point. With the Blackbird mounted and the included isolation platform it was $2880. Not cheap, but an excellent value. Rega and VPI are strong competitors in this price range, along with a couple of others.
I'm going to have my Oppo modded by Ric Schultz in hopes of getting rid of its digititus, otherwise, I'll be looking for a universal player to replace it. Fatigue sets in after about an hour with the cans and the Oppo. With the Project, it NEVER happens. I stop to do things like go to bed and go to work, not because I'm tired. It's just incredibly revealing and involving.
If you're liking your vinyl on you entry level rig, consider foregoing a few sets of cans to upgrade your front end. Yeah, I'm tempted to try the new Sennheisers when they come out, but I'm really into picking one good component for each function.
Dave
First, a quick background on me. I've been an "audiophile" since around 1967 when I purchased my first Garrard/Scott intergrated/Jensen rig, with Koss cans and a Sony reel-to-reel. In the 1980s I had some Stax cans. I've been collecting vinyl since around 1960 and also have a large collection of CDs/SACDs and the beginnings of high-rez archival copies of my better D2D (direct-to-disk) recordings from the 1970s and 1980s.
My primary hobbies involve music, playing trumpet in several bands and orchestras and rhythm guitar in a big band where I'm also sub on lead trumpet. I played several years in a semi-pro funk/rock/soul band in Dallas. Soo, I hear and participate in live music on an almost daily basis.
My preferred audio rig is through speakers. I drive Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Baby Grand speakers with a Conrad Johnson CA200. When I can't listen to the speakers, like right now, I listen through AKG K701s driven by a Woo WA6. My digital sources are a Oppo 980 and a Korg MR1000 DSD recorder.
Back to the Pro-ject, I'm using it with a Sumiko Blackbird driving a Pro-ject Tube Head phono-preamp.
I'm not going to write a full review, but I will say that this Pro-ject is a couple of orders of excellence ahead of the sub-$1000 TTs that I've heard. What you gain is greater silence and dynamic range with extra levels of detail and nuance. It's actually very dramatic. The RM10 has a very stiff yet light, 10" carbon fiber tone arm that will handle a very fragile stylus. The higher end cartridges have stylus profiles that somehow reduce the surface noise. The diamond is so darn small that it's hard to see with the naked eye.
The top end Pro-ject has a massive platter and beautifully machined bearing. This is supplemented with repulse magnatism that offsets the high mass of the platter. If you spin the platter without the belt at around 45 rpm, it'll take a minuter or so to stop spinning, owing to the high mass and incredibly low resistance at the bearing.
The RM10 comes stock with Pro-ject's isolation platform which is VERY effective. Of course, with cans it's not as critical, but when you get the speakers flapping your pants leg it becomes critical.
The RM10 is very easy to set up after the cartridge is mounted. Basically you level the isolation platform, then put on the turntable and level it on the isolation platform. There's a spacer for setting the motor the proper distance from the platter.
There are several other fine turntables in the Pro-ject's price range, but the RM10 is a leading contender for top honors at this price point. With the Blackbird mounted and the included isolation platform it was $2880. Not cheap, but an excellent value. Rega and VPI are strong competitors in this price range, along with a couple of others.
I'm going to have my Oppo modded by Ric Schultz in hopes of getting rid of its digititus, otherwise, I'll be looking for a universal player to replace it. Fatigue sets in after about an hour with the cans and the Oppo. With the Project, it NEVER happens. I stop to do things like go to bed and go to work, not because I'm tired. It's just incredibly revealing and involving.
If you're liking your vinyl on you entry level rig, consider foregoing a few sets of cans to upgrade your front end. Yeah, I'm tempted to try the new Sennheisers when they come out, but I'm really into picking one good component for each function.
Dave
