Analog Upgrade - Where to start?

Dear @chilli42 : Yes, 2-3 or more different cartridges is a good alternative to define which ones are the nearest to your MUSIC/sound priorities and this must do it in your room/system and you have to be skillful enough to fine tunning each cartridge in its main parameters: tonearm/cartridge alignment, VTA/SRA, VTF AZ and the like.

Specially in the cartridge/tonearm alignment set up as more accurated as better quality performance.

R.

Dear @chilli42 : Do you already tested your 1s in both tonearms? in which performs the better? which impedance value are you trying? do you already tested the 1s with a different impedance values?

which protractor did you use for the cartridge/tonearm set up and which alignment are using with?

Thank's in advance.

R.

Dear @karl_desch  : The OP speakers  works at around 10 ohms impedance except for two peaks, one at the midrange resonance frequency ( 53hz. ) and one at 19khz resonance tweeter.

The 60.8 is really fine with those speakers and is very good design. Along the speakers exist two OP system subwoofers.

Main " problem "  seems to me is not down there for what the OP is looking for.

R.

Do you listened the XV-1t against today top cartridges in a good room/system?

I did and have first hand experiences as I posted about and this is the real issue here.

THE CARTRIDGE IS THE SOURCE and I can see that you don’t get it yet and maybe you don’t know how performs the OP 1t cartridge.

Forgeret about the phono stage and read what I said about transducers : HAVE THE DOMINANT/LEADER ROLES in any audio system. Period.

R.

Btw, the measurements in the Stellar unit confirm its very high quality design, these measurements are fact and please don’t tell me thattoday measurements don’t tell nothing of the item overall performance because if you still think in that way then I can tell you that have a today misunderstood. Measurements confirm too the quality design levelof the Reference 6 that for a tube unit is really good.

Dear @edgewear : Certainly I agree in almost all your post and I clarify again that every single link in the system chain is important and speaking of analog the phono stage is the first critical system link after the source/cartridge.

Look, you can read several reviews ( all positive and different systems. ) in the net where you can read that the stellar was mated with top cartridges as Transfiguration Proteus, Anna diamond, Lyra Atlas and even the venerable DL 103.

In one of that reviews Fremer started with this:

""  to hear how a $2500 phono preamp would perform when driven by a $200,000 front end, itself driving a bigger rig than would most likely be used by most Stellar purchasers.  ""

Continuum Caliburn TT and SAT tonearm and compared against 3 other " monsters "/$$$ big names phono stages where he does not noted any problem when the Stellar was connected to line preamps. He used too the VPI HW-40 TT and the Airforce One Premium Not kidding here.

Read this:

""  The midrange on this phono preamp is as open, uncongested, transparent, and revealing as that of any phono preamp I've heard at any price.  ""

Fremer is very enthusiast with the big names but not with items coming from very humble manufacturers as PS Audio.

He continue:


""  How's that for a "pull quote"? But it's true, not hyperbole, and I stand by it. In the midrange department, the Stellar Phono is the darTZeel of phono preamplifiers. Considering the price differential, that's saying a lot! ""

and followed with something that was a big surprise for him and for any one:

""  Because of its openness, transparency, and freedom from midband congestion, the Stellar did tell me some things I didn't already know, on many recordings. Small, subtle-though-significant things that surprised me.""

I know that synergy in between link system chain is way important but here the Stellar is an accurated and " neutral " phono stage with all characteristics to worry if makes synergy with the Reference 6 or any other line stage. If exist no synergy then change your line stage not the Stellar .

Btw, yes the Colibri is exactly as you said: temperamental and demands to be mated with first rate items in the audio chain and when you have this as the OP it's only dependent of the Colibri owner skills to make the precise cartridge set up and alignment.

@chilli42 does not mentioned that he has two REL subwoofers in his system.


R.

Dear @edgewear : In an analog audio system transducers have the dominant /leader roles for achieve a top quality performance levels and this means: cartridges and speakers.

. Any change, no matters what, in those transducers makes always a difference as in no other system link.
Obviously that all other room/system links are important too but transducers are at the very top of the list.

This is de Vdh model you mentioned but with gold coils and it’s in the low output design ( I like it at around 0.24mv but I think Vdh already choosed for higher output designs. ) and " new " for a very good price and with the advantage that after 300 hours of cartridge playing Vdh will make a check up and fine tune its cartridges and when return to you comes performing better than ever:

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisaajeb-van-den-hul-colibri-xgw-black-wood-cartridges

If I was @chilli42 and before touch the phono stage I buy that Vdh or other top today cartridge and after the cartridge already broken/sttled up l make the fine tunning and listen to it, I have no doubt that @chilli42 will has differences for the better " even " with the Stellar that all of you diminished because its humble price tag and that does not comes with a name as Boulder, Dartzeel or CH ( we are accustomed to look for the " big " names where no one of them is perfect, all with trade-offs. ) but this does not matters what it matters is its design that’s an excellent one.

Even one reviewer compared against the CH that has a price tag of 50+K where the Stellar ( acording the reviewer. ) makes a good work and something unexpected when the Stellar was under in deep measurements things are that it measures better than the manufacturer specs and this is the very first time that I read something like that because normally all electronics goes a little down of specs in the measurements proccess.

In reality the " ball " is in the OP field and if he decide to go for the phono stage good because that it’s a personal choose where not you, me or any one else can argue against it.

I respect all opinions but opinions with out true/objective reasons/facts just means almost nothing to help any one. Why to change the Stellar? what's wrong with/down there?

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @edgewear @chilli42 : I own or owned or listen in my system all the vintage cartridges and new ones you named including the 9Rex and yes are good performers and there are reasons about and the main reason is because cartridge designs did not changes over the last 40+ years. Main changes are on build materials used for today designs and other 2-3 " designers details "

I own very old Ortofon cartridges ranging from MC-10 or the MC2000 and today ones and certainly exist differences for the better in today designs and I’m not trying to diminish the MC2000 that’s really good.

I own the XV-1s and the 13D and Ilistened the 1t ( the OP model. I listened the original not a SS refurbished like the OP sample. ).
The 13 D ( I own the wood version. ) is very good but the XV-1s detail retriaval is better and that puts in our ears the sensation of more dynamics along that the 1s handled better the high frequency range. The 1t is a little less " dynamic " than the is but it’s a very good performer too.

Now, what we can or what we can’t listen in a cartridge quality level performance depends mainly in the room/system resolution levels.

I know that you know this: if any one of us want to have a different " natural color " of the MUSIC we are reproducing then where do you have to go? when each cartridge has it’s own " natural color " and sometimes differences for the better are or could be significant.

I know for sure that the first step for the OP is in his cartridge’s system.

Now, I like a lot the Colibri by Vdh specially its lower output designs and if you listen in your system this kind of Colibri design against not only the good vintage performers but against any other today/vintage designs you will be surprised of how many differences exist in between but if we take a ZYX or other manufacturer as the new Lyra Lamda series we can find something like that.

You own the Anna and the A95 and each one has its own " signature " its own " natural color ".

We don’t want a phono stages be with its own " natural color " but to be acurated and neutral to leave pass the cartridge signal " intact ". The OP unit is way neutral and accurate it does not matters its price tag.

That’s my opinion and some of the reasons of my opinion.

Other advantage of the Stellar is not only that’s a fully discrete, very low noise, high overloadin/headroom, pure class A ", high gain active, hand selected parts design but that is a SS design because for a phono stage , like it or not, the rigth way to do it is through SS electronics not tubes and I don’t want to open any " new door/window " about tubes because is not the issue in this thread.

R.

Dear friends: As I posted I respect all of you  Now all those gentlemans that posted to change the phono stage and if you don't mind I would like to ask :

why? where are your facts/objectiove reasons against the OP phono stage compared to any of the unit you own? where are the advantages of what you propose to the OP?



Btw and in the other side: the phono stage as important as it's unfortunately it's not the source in an analog rig but the cartridge. The MUSIC/sound is generated through the cartridge tracking abilities and its motor/engine quality design.
What we expect to listen through that cartridge is what that cartridge can pick-up or not, the phono stage can enhance nothing about the best that can make a phono stage is that that cartridge signal suffers the less distortions/noises ( everykind of it ) and the lower degradation .

Which of the phono stages you own achieves that in better way than the OP phono stage ?

Do you thing that the price tag ( 2.5K ) of the OP is so low that can't outperform phono stages in the 20K+ prices?  Well it can do it.

R.

Dear @chilli42 : "" I am looking to introduce more dynamic sound, detail..........""

What you are looking for is generated by the source in the analog rig and that means by the cartridge. It’s here the best item to start and achieve your targets.

You can choose from today top quality performers from Ortofon, Van denhul, the humble Hana Umami Red, Lyra Etna SL, My Sonic Lab, ZYX , etc, etc..

Stay with your phono stage that’s a lot better that what some of the gentlemans ( I respect all of them. ) that posted here could even dream/have no idea of what are talking about..

I know very well Dynavector cartridges including the one you own and yes it’s here where you need to try a change.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.