You have a very nice system. My suggestion is to first make sure your turntable sits on a very rigid surface. Excuse me if you already have that covered but it's important. Also, it needs to be placed in a table friendly spot lacking frequency re-enforcement. That being said and considering your admitted laziness I would suggest the Sumiko Blackbird. I have a particular fondness for the Sumiko line of cartridges because they enjoy a stylus design that minimizes surface noise, aren't fussy about VTA from record to record, work well with most trailing edge arms and are a great bang for the buck. Of course, Doug is dead on with his recommendations but he is also looking to extract the last bit of magic out of the grooves. You haven't gotten bitten by that bug yet but you will if you pay attention to the details while you make this modest investment. Also, either invest in proper set up tools and ask one of the experts here to walk you step by step (on the phone) through the set up or pay a professional to do so. No cartridge, whatever the cost, will make magic happen if it's not installed correctly. Good luck.
Analog Upgrade Suggestions Welcome
I am thinking of making several upgrades to my current analog rig.
Current system: click here
First, I am thinking of upgrading my VPI HW19 MKIII to the MKIV. I would like those with first hand experience to tell me if the upgrade is worth the money, and what I can expect to hear in improvement. I am currently using the SDS and SAMA modifications.
Second, I am thinking of upgrading my cartridge. My Sumiko Talisman Alchemist IIb is almost 15 years old and is ready for retirement. Some A'goNers have recommended the Shelter 501. I didn't want to spend more than $1000 for a cartidge as the majority of my listening is still redbook CD. I am open to other suggestions. I want the best cartridge for the money. Also, I am leary of buying such a fragile item used. I have heard others on A'goN say they'd never buy a used cartridge. Please share any experiences out there; good or bad.
My current cartridge has an output of 2.0mV which I assume means high output. Will I need a step-up transformer for a low output cartridge? Is the Shelter 501 at 0.4 mV considered low output? My Classe Six preamp has a phono section. The preamp comes with resistors that the user can change out to match the volume control knob position to the level of line components. I assume I'd need to change the resistor I'm using with my current cartridge. Otherwise I'd have to turn the knob way up to get enough gain with a cartridge with an output that's 1/5 that of my current cartridge. Is that correct?
Thank you all for your help and suggestions.
Cheers!
Mark
Current system: click here
First, I am thinking of upgrading my VPI HW19 MKIII to the MKIV. I would like those with first hand experience to tell me if the upgrade is worth the money, and what I can expect to hear in improvement. I am currently using the SDS and SAMA modifications.
Second, I am thinking of upgrading my cartridge. My Sumiko Talisman Alchemist IIb is almost 15 years old and is ready for retirement. Some A'goNers have recommended the Shelter 501. I didn't want to spend more than $1000 for a cartidge as the majority of my listening is still redbook CD. I am open to other suggestions. I want the best cartridge for the money. Also, I am leary of buying such a fragile item used. I have heard others on A'goN say they'd never buy a used cartridge. Please share any experiences out there; good or bad.
My current cartridge has an output of 2.0mV which I assume means high output. Will I need a step-up transformer for a low output cartridge? Is the Shelter 501 at 0.4 mV considered low output? My Classe Six preamp has a phono section. The preamp comes with resistors that the user can change out to match the volume control knob position to the level of line components. I assume I'd need to change the resistor I'm using with my current cartridge. Otherwise I'd have to turn the knob way up to get enough gain with a cartridge with an output that's 1/5 that of my current cartridge. Is that correct?
Thank you all for your help and suggestions.
Cheers!
Mark