Posted: 5/14/2017 12:55:29 AM EDT
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I just got back into vinyl and upgraded my gear over the last year or so.
I dug out my old 1980 Pioneer PL-300 turntable from the basement and fired it up and use deodorant it for a few months, but the motor is getting flaky. I started doing some research and ended up getting a White 2016 Rega Planar 3 and an Ortofon 2m Bronze. This thing sounded incredible, but being the tweeker I am, I had to do some mods. I added a TT-PSU (external power supply) and an Isokinetik 3mm spacer to the tonearm. Spacer was so heavier weight LPs would work correctly. Then I added an Isokinetik counterweight so I could close the lid with the 3mm spacer installed. Sound keeps better better. Added some more tweeks... Groovetracer Reference Subplatter Michael Lim dual belt pully and a couple Lim belts. Achromat platter mat. Sound is better now then on some 96/24 FLACs that I have in vinyl and digital. Last update so far... Replaced the Bronze stylus with a 2m Black stylus, as the Bronze and Black use the same body. The Black uses a Shibata diamond. The Black is still breaking in, but after about 15 hours on it, the sound is incredible. Like nothing I have heard before. I can hear things on LPs (and music I have both on FLAC and vinyl) that I had never heard before. The new stylus pulls sound out of the grooves like a giant vacuum. To say I am happy with my setup would be an extreme understatement. The Planar 3 isn't a Planar 3 anymore. It is way beyond it. Mission accomplished... For now. 
Edit: a nice Groovetracer delrin platter might be cool... Here is a photo of the Groovetracer reference subplatter with the Lim double pully and belts. 
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VPI HW 19 JR Rega RB300 Arm Creek phono preamp Crappy Grado Black cartridge. Used to have a Denon DL103D MC cartridge that was awesome - ran it through a pair of Sowter step up transformers in a project box into a MM preamp. Loved that cartridge. My kid trashed it when he was 3. That was 7 years ago, so maybe it's time for an upgrade. |
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You know the rules... Pictures please. Attached File |
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I wasn't ready for that but... it's tucked away in my stereo cabinet and kind of hard to get a decent pic of. I really want to get it to the lake house but it'll be on the second floor of a kind of wobbly house. Not sure how that's going to work out https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/177202/IMG-0146-215134.JPG Quoted:
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You know the rules... Pictures please. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/177202/IMG-0146-215134.JPG |
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My current main table:
VPI Scoutmaster, JMW Memorial 9" arm, Soundsmith CI, Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC Star cart, Signal Cable Silver Resolution Reference interconnects going to a Lehmann Audio Black Cube SE II phono stage. Table is sitting on a 2.75" maple Boos Block supported by MapleShade IsoBlocks. I tried a Gingko Cloud 11 and I much prefer the Boos Block. Much cheaper, better isolation and better dynamics--especially the lows. 
DSOTM Japanese Odeon 1st pressing w/ solid blue triangle at home on the VPI. 
MIMC Star riding slightly tail down VTA. 
Black Cube SE II 
ETA lets keep this thread going! Love seeing everyone's TT/vinyl setups! |
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Just getting back into HiFi...nothing too impressive yet but this is what I have now:
Attached File Thinking about Nagaoka MP-500 which is a bit overkill for this turntable which will probably force a turntable upgrade. Been listening to them on youtube/etc and that thing sounds very impressive. Most of my stuff is FLAC on a media server, probably up to 50 or so records at this point. That's an Akai BT500 btw into-> Schiit Mani -> Emotiva UMC200 (just retired my Carver CT29v)-> ATI 1505 -> Legacy Audio FOCUS speakers. |
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Just getting back into HiFi...nothing too impressive yet but this is what I have now: https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/320669/IMG_0748-288562.JPG Thinking about Nagaoka MP-500 which is a bit overkill for this turntable which will probably force a turntable upgrade. Been listening to them on youtube/etc and that thing sounds very impressive. Most of my stuff is FLAC on a media server, probably up to 50 or so records at this point. That's an Akai BT500 btw into-> Schiit Mani -> Emotiva UMC200 (just retired my Carver CT29v)-> ATI 1505 -> Legacy Audio FOCUS speakers. I love my Schiit Mani. |
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Pioneer PL600 with Sure v15 type IV cartridge. Emotiva preamp. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm77/hardgear/20170523_220924_1.jpg |