Improving Your Analog Front-End

Time to let the cat out of the bag! What analog piece of gear do you have your heart set upon?

  • Phono Cartridge

    Votes: 13 40.6%

  • Tonearm

    Votes: 4 12.5%

  • Turntable

    Votes: 2 6.3%

  • Phono section

    Votes: 9 28.1%

  • Turntable base

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Phono cable

    Votes: 1 3.1%

  • Other

    Votes: 3 9.4%
  • Total voters
    32
slowgeezr said:
I need to get a different phono cable. I was using a shielded RCA type interconnect with my VPI to my BAT VK-P5, as it was the only cable I had tried that prevented any hum. Now that I have received my TTWeights turntable, the hum has returned. This is because the phono cable, a DIN type, is not shielded. Now I have to get one that is.
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Nothing is more frustrating than trying to exorcise hum! :(
 
Last 30 days....MC Anna, Kondo SUT (for Goldfinger) and Air Tight ATE-2001 reference that will take all four arms into 4 phono inputs, and top of line RCA phono cable from Jena Labs for spiral groove.
 
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Considering MC Anna as an addition, possibly the 2nd armboard for the AMG. Would love to compare and contrast MC Anna to Benz LPS.
 
Dpod4 said:
Last 30 days....MC Anna, Kondo SUT (for Goldfinger) and Air Tight ATE-2001 reference that will take all four arms into 4 phono inputs, and top of line RCA phono cable from Jena Labs for spiral groove.
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I'm a little confused. Doesn't your phono section have enough gain for the Goldfinger? As I remember, it has quite a robust output?
 
Myles B. Astor said:
I'm a little confused. Doesn't your phono section have enough gain for the Goldfinger? As I remember, it has quite a robust output?
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Yes the Goldfinger has high output - and the ARC REF 40 has almost to much gain in MC mode. I just wanted to try a traditional hand wound SUT versus FET in ARC. I take the Kondo into the MM inputs. The Air Tight has traditional SUTs too. I tried the Benz etc on Kondo. The only cartridge that sounds at its best thru Kondo is the Goldfinger. For some reason it gives it a flow and footing and solidity that I have not heard thru other MC inputs of my gear. I had a listening session with Jennifer and Mike of Jena Labs and they agreed (and they are ruthlessly musically practical ...always about the music/sound never about the gear) that the Kondo was a keeper given what it does for the Goldfinger.
 
I've been demoing phono stages for about 3 months (Allnic, ARC, Boulder, Zanden). I have two more coming in at some point, but I believe the current resident, Thoress Phono, may be the winner.
 
Definitely a phono stage (though the Ortofon Anna intrigues me quite a bit). I really love what the JC3 does, but I would like to improve upon it. Might go for the JC3+, but I'm really looking more at the Allnic H3000 or Pass XP25. Tubes or SS. Having two inputs would be nice.
 
MtnHam said:
My vinyl is very good: SME 20/2 with SME V arm and an ARC Ref2SE Phono. Cart is a Dynavector XV-1s. I am considering the SME 30/12. Would this be a worth the cost upgrade? (I would purchase used)
Thanks,
Tom
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Paging Mark Jones....
 
ICTWoody said:
I would like to pick up a Well Tempered Amadeus, but next will probably be a VPI 16.5 RCM.

- Woody
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The WTA is a really good table, especially for the price. Go for it.

With a RCM the best one is the one you will use regularly. Get a Klaudio or Audiodesk. You will use these these everyday and they work amazingly well.
 
My next step is to add another tonearm to my SP-10 MKII that will be dedicated to playing mono records. I have the Beatles new mono LP collection on pre-order which got me thinking about this.
 
With my XV-1s getting up in age, trading it in for an XV-1t this week. Curious about the Transfig Proteus, but just no way to audition or hear one.
 
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