2. analog
  3. 1008876686

Analog newby question

I have a relatively high end digital musci/HT system and would like to add a turntable. However, as I got into the audio habit during the heyday of the CD, I don't think I've ever owned a record... Here's what I think I need, could someone let me know if I'm leaving something out? Suggestions of units to look for would also be appreciated

Cartridge
Arm
Turntable
Line stage

Also, is the function of the line stage to boost the signal from the cartridge to a level that will drive the pre-amp (actually a DAC/Pre-amp, HT processor in my case)?

FWIW, the 2-channel portion of my system is currently:

Proceed PMDT cd/dvd transport
Proceed AVP processor/preamp
MF NuVista 300 front channels
Revel Studio front speakers

Thanks in advance,

Thomas
tmitchell

Showing 3 responses by psychicanimal

psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
"I don't think I've ever owned a record... "

Why do you want records? That's the first question that needs to be answered.

If you want a toy, or just to start out for the hell of it, I'd recommend a used Music Hall MMF 2.1, a Grado Prestige Blue cartridge and the Radio Shack battery phono preamp (no joke here, search the posts in www.audioasylum.com).

If you want to collect and search for good vinyl, then read my analog posts. I recently purchased the Monolithic Sound phono stage and I wouldn't trade it for anything under $1200. My TT? Go find out what I've got....pretty controversial. Pretty sturdy, musical and revealling, too.
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
KAB record cleaner from KAB Electroacoustics: www.kabusa.com/

Be warned: Kevin is a self appointed evangelist of the turntable I own and will eventually convince you (for your own good). I have become an evangelist, too(no glass, no particle board in my TT).
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
Ohlala, I considered the E.A.R., Black Cube, Mistral, Phonomena and the Monolithic. Read reviews, talked to salesmen, read posts, looked at pictures of the units.

It was a phone conversation with Greg, the designer of the Monolithic that made the sale. He's an awful salesman--that's why he made the sale, though. He described to me the rationale behind the design of the preamp and how it worked. I made my choice without hearing any unit (I'm the psychic, right?). Greg's words were exactly what I was looking for in a phono stage. It was based on a hybrid design and with similarities to the Klyne preamps--only cheaper. I have a high performance (for the year 1980)low output MC preamp (Biotronic Gestalt) w/outboard PS and I wasn't totally satisfied--it was super clean and flat but lacked something... The Monolithic totally blew it away (this without the dual mono power supply). And the two previous owners of my other preamp upgraded to a Klyne SK-5A!!!

I have a 'feel' for selecting components, what can I say...I bought my JMlab speakers without ever hearing of the brand before nor auditioning them! Same for my Cambridge D300SE CD player, my Soundstream/Krell DAC, my Melos SHA-3 preamp, the Ortofon X5 MC...Mail order all of these.

I don't know if this will help you. Just make sure you have definite goals regarding your system and what you want it to do. I do. And I'm focused.

Regards,
More to discover