[NeilPeart]

I’ve been intrigued by vinyl for a long time, and now I’ve heard a dozen or so nice vinyl systems and fully understand the merits/pitfalls of the analog medium. However, despite my best efforts to resist I am planning to construct a beginner system. I’m completely open to all advice, input and flames. Here is what I am considering so far:

Tables (must be under $350):
Goldring GR1.2
Music Hall MMF-2.1
Pro-Ject Debut III

Cartridges (must be under $200):
Audio-Technica 440ML
Clearaudio Aurum Classic
Goldring 1012 GX
Grado Gold
Ortofon OM 20
Shure M97XE
Sumiko Pearl

Pre-amps (must be under $300):
So far I really like the premise of the Rolls Bellari VP129

Any other helpful tools/utilities under $100

Basically I’d like to spend less than $900, but I’ll bend the limits if I perceive a reasonable ROI. Thanks for any help provided, folks.

 

[Jeff Wong]

Highly recommended:

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products...p?sku=ASHURSFG

And if you won't be doing wet vacuum cleaning, you should at least have one of these:

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products...?sku=AHUNTBRSH

Can't afford a vacuum cleaner? This might be good, plus if you eventually follow the cleaning regimen Mikey posted at the Music Angle website, you'll need one of these anyhow:

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products...sp?sku=AALSO01

That will about do it for your $100 budget, not quite factoring in postage, but almost.

 

[memepool]

Go for the Goldring out of those three or a Rega P2 but it really makes more sense to spend the most on the turntable then cart then phono stage in that order as this will reap the rewards sonically. No point in having a fancy phonostage if you have a cheap fron end. It's putting the cart before the horse. you can always upgrade the weaker components gradually.
So you should be spending the Lions share on the Turntable. Say 700-800 for the deck and 150-200 for the cart and phonostage.
The AT cart you mention is reduced on Amazon at the moment to 59USD so it's a total bargain. The Radioshack phonostage is meant to be ok and the NAD and QED discsaver are reasonably priced.

 

[NeilPeart]

Thanks for the helpful tips so far, Jeff and memepool. I already own the Shure SFG and a brush (in anticipation), and I hope my friend will let me "borrow" his VPI cleaner. So basically I should invest in a decent TT and consider cartridge upgrades and phono stages later? How do these TTs sound:

Goldring GR2
Music Hall MMF-5SE
Sota Moonbeam
Rega P3

Did I neglect any important TTs in the sub-$800 range?

 

[Jeff Wong]

Something to bear in mind is there are a few aftermarket tweaks available for the Rega (counterweights to improve bass performance and VTA adjustment add ons), which will give you a bit of an upgrade path, should you choose to explore that avenue at a later time.

 

[Garbz]

See if your local hifi distributor has got old Rega P2 stocks. If not The Goldring GR1.2, Music Hall MMF-2.1 and NAD 555 are all identical Rega P2s with a different badge on them.

Except for the real P2 which doesn't come with a cartridge I believe all come with a Goldring Elektra cartridge, which is a good start but will leave you wanting.

 

[NightWoundsTime]

Listening to these guys and dumping all your cash into the table just sets you up for further monetary destruction

. I got my table cheap with a nice cartridge (plus a brand new stylus for aforementioned cartridge), but in all if I were to buy this table and cartridge from Ebay it would run me about $800 (inflated because of rarity), plus another $300 for my phono stage new. Best value for the money I could imagine. I'm not saying you need to copy my setup but go ahead and consider each part an equal partner in your sound. Oh and high recommendations to the Channel Islands VPP-1.

Oh yeah don't forget a suitable record clamp and make sure whatever table you buy has enough extra spindle to attach the clamp to. If it's a "nub" spindle it won't work.

 

[Aman]

It really depends on whether or not you will be wanting to take vinyl as a serious and equal media playback format.

If you do, then it is best to actually put the majority of your money into your cartridge. It is going to be a better-sounding system from the get-go, and plus, once you upgrade, you will get an even better result than if you upgraded your cartridge first. If you start with a 300 dollar turntable and a 500 dollar cartridge, you will see much better results than with a 500 dollar turntable and a 300 dollar cartridge. And when you upgrade that turntable to a 1000 dollar turntable, it's bound to sound better. All of the turntables you listed, after all, will be able to handle any decently priced cartridge, even those far above the cost of the actual table.

 

[NightWoundsTime]

Good point Aman, the thing that comes in contact with the record far outweighs the quality of the thing spinning it or amplifying the record. Still though, go equal on all three parts and be happy

.

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWoundsTime Good point Aman, the thing that comes in contact with the record far outweighs the quality of the thing spinning it or amplifying the record. Still though, go equal on all three parts and be happy .

Well, all I can say to that is that, at least for me, it was difficult to justify spending so much money on what I thought was an 'inferior' playback method. It wasn't until I got very into it and upgraded for myself that I saw how beautiful vinyl can sound. Some people may never like vinyl, which is why it's best to go light until you're sure of what you are doing. On the bright side with spending more on the cartridge, they are quick sales, and you lose very little money on your purchase if you sell used. Even better is that they are much easier to ship

Maybe you should think about talking to Todd Green. He has a 30 day money back offer on all of his products, so he'd be a good guy to think about buying from also. And plus, he's very knowledgeable and wise when it comes to this kind of stuff - he IS a vinyl junkie after all

 

[Jeff Wong]

I understand the thinking behind investing more in the cartridge, but it seems to me it may make more sense to invest in a solid performing table to build around. Once the turntable is in place, he needn't think about it too much more. A higher quality turntable will probably allow you to hear the differences between cartridges more easily. Cartridges wear out and are easily interchangeable. He'll be able to audition a variety of cartridges on a turntable that is the basis of his analogue front end. Trying out different tables on a cartridge seems a bit backwards if you follow...

 

[Jeff Wong]

Well, the stylus is more apt to wear out, but given that the whole thing needs to be rebuilt in some cases, cartridges (all inclusive) is still correct.

 

[fewtch]

The Audio-Technica 440ML is a *great* tracker... last groove the record is about as good as the first groove. Also, it has an effortless quality reminiscent of much more expensive carts. However, it basically has a bit of sucked-out midrange and boosted bass/treble. Not too bad, but enough to give it a bit of a "consumer" type sound. I like it myself, some wouldn't.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aman it is best to actually put the majority of your money into your cartridge. It is going to be a better-sounding system from the get-go, and plus, once you upgrade, you will get an even better result than if you upgraded your cartridge first. If you start with a 300 dollar turntable and a 500 dollar cartridge, you will see much better results than with a 500 dollar turntable and a 300 dollar cartridge.

Have to completely disagree with you guys here. This idea that the cartridge is the most important dates from the 70's and before when people thought that the turntable plinth and motorboard just spun records at the correct speed and had no "sound" themselves. This was completely wrong.
Linn and others proved that the Turntable (plinth/motorboard) is the most important aspect of the set-up sonically and the rest as they say is history.

Basically putting a really expensive cartridge on a deck like the Rega or one of these other wannabes is a complete waste of money. The cartridge can only track as well as the arm allows and the arm will function to it's fullest potential only on a good plinth.

If you listen to a Rega Planar 3 with a Goldring 1024 cart compared to a Michell Gyro SE with the same arm and cart the Michell will sound better.
Even if you put a Koetsu Red on the Rega the Michell will still sound better.

The Rega is a very good starter deck with one of the best tonearms you can buy at any price but it is just a piece of mdf with a motor bolted on and no amount of tube phonostages and exotic moving coil carts is gonna change that.

Sure you will hear improvements the more you spend on a cart but on a basic deck anything beyond a decent moving magnet or the most basic moving coil is going to be a waste of money which would yield better sonics if spent on the turntable.

Having said that. Within your budget the choice is limited. Either get a Rega planar 3 which is a great starter deck as it's very easy to set up and use or else get something 2nd hand. Check out the Hi-Fi dealers in your area see if you can find anyone selling anything more exotic like a 2nd hand Thorens TD160 Super.

 

[rickcr42]

Vintage AR XA updated,Denon 103D new,Altec/partridge Step up trafos,Used EAR 834 phono stage with "updates"...sweeeeet