Advice wanted on mid range setup


Hi,

Having heard an SME 30 setup blow away a DCS elgar digital at Sound by Singer last year, I am finally ready to get back into analog. (BTW, it was an all out assualt: All boulder electronics, into the JM labs grand utopia using a chesky reissue lp against the same recording on CD. It only took about 10 seconds to come to the conclusion, it was by no means a sublte difference)
My idea was to see if I could find software, stating this weekend. So far, after 2 days of hunting, I have about 70 lps. Cost: Zero.

People will just give this stuff away, amazing. So, I am humbly asking the advice of the analog denziens here for ideas on a rig that will be of matching performance to the rest of my system.

Currently, I have ARC electronics (LS16 MK2, VT100 MK3, CD), running through audioquest cabling (diamond X3 silver balanced interconnects, Caldera Biwire for the speakers) Speakers are Martin Logan Ascents and room treatment is by ASC

I Would like to spend an upper limit of $7,000, including phono stage (tubes, if possible), arm, TT, cartidge, and interconnects. I would be looking for used stuff here on Audiogon, with the possible exception of the cartridge. I have some reservations about buying a pre owned cartridge: is this a valid fear?

Thanks in advance for all you help.
rlips

Showing 5 responses by jjmali

I am always amazed by the drastic statements made by people like you with no real basis of fact. This is a very impulsive statement you are making - based on what, maybe a half an hour of listening. I am not saying you are wrong, what I am saying is you don't have enough information to base your statement on. Do what you want. By the way what are you going to purchase from Sound by Singer? Or do you think they are there for people like you to waist there time.
Dougdeacon good point if all he is going to listen to is the chesky reisue lp. I wonder why he wanted 70 copies of it (so far). Happy listening to him and you. By the way I'm having a great day. By the way again, I am enjoying my vinyl collection again on a modest denon dp 52f with a new shure m5.
Rlips, my point to my post was a simple one. You stated you based your judgment on a recording comparison of one particular recording you listened to on two different media formats. I don't know what your engineering degree and the number of concerts you have been to have to do with your conclusion. I have had the opportunity to listen to some pretty sophisticated turntable setups. I can tell you that the sound demonstrated by these did not approach what I get from my system on cd. The cd/sacd examples I can give you are: Diana Krall - Live in Paris, Norah Jones, Diana Krall - When I Look in Your Eyes (SACD), older recordings Al Dimeola, John McLaughlin, Paco DeLucia - Friday Night in SF, Pink Floyd - The Wall (Japanese mini lp). There are many others I could mention. I have also heard vinyl that I prefer to the cd. Please keep in mind I am not saying that one is better than the other. I am happy that both are available. I told you my turntable setup before - very modest. The rest of my system is a Krell KRC preamp w/ KPE phono driving an FPB 300 amplifier. My speakers are B&W Nautilus 802. My digital is a Sony SCD-1. My cables are Monster Sigma Retro Speaker Cables, Monster Sigma Retro RCA's running from the Sony to the KRC. My power cables are Custom Audio, LLC w/ furtech ends. May you find the enjoyment in your system that I get from mine. Happy listening!
Once again Rlips is making statements which are false:

"It is interesting to me that those who seem to find some fault with my desire to do this have 1) No sales feedback, 2) No systems posted, and 3) Have only recently joined our community."

My agon rating:
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His agon rating:
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If BS were music Rlips would be a brass band!