Basis 1400/benz/rb250/300


ok, i know i've joined or posted a few analog threads recently.
my apologies in advance.

here's my dilemma:
recently added the project phono box simply to have access to my small, but cherished vinyl collection, with a kenwood kd44r dd table i inherited from my father.
my rogue 99mag does not have phono option.
also, i hesitated to purchase high end analog because i was unsure if i would expand beyond my 30 lps.

well, in the last 5 days i've acquired 20 new lps and have about 2 dozen more on hold at a local shop.
my interest has alerted the owner of a vinyl store to go diggin through "storage" for titles i'm looking for not on the shelves. so i see no end to vinyl purchases.

yesterday i picked up a mint gov't mule 'dose' 2lp set which friggin kills my copy on disc, and my table is crappy.
also got a nm columbia 6eye brubeck newport '58, awesome.
have 5 more brubeck 6eyes on hold.

anyway, i had kinda settled on a basis table as my entry into highend analog.
from what i hear, the basis 1400 with modded rega arm would make me really happy for quite some time.

so, while shopping for vinyl at www.elusivedisc.com, i find they have basis 1400 specials,and free shipping to 1st time buyers.

i will not be able to upgrade both my analog front end and phono preamp.
so here goes:

1) $1425 gets me a basis 1400, rb250 and benz mc silver or gold. for $200 more, i get a rb300 instead.

2) for $1650 i get basis 1400, rb250 and benz ace. rb300 for $200 more.

3) finally $1800 ets me a basis 1400, rb 250 and benz glider. again $200 more gets me rb300.

what to do?????????????????
my project phono states it supports both mm and mc cartridges, but each of the benz carts come in different output flavors. from what i understand i should go as low as i can go, but my phono preamp will be a limiting factor for awhile. eventually i will splurge for proper phono amplification but am debating the rogue phono stage vs. outboard unit such as ear's phono stage.
glider and ace/ .3, .8 and 2.5 mv
gold .4 mv
silver 2 mv

is the rb300 worth the extra $200? i suspect yes.
does the glider clearly elevate the table/arm above the ace?

would it be better for me to put $200 extra bucks into the arm OR the cartridge, OR should i go buckwild and do both?

thanks in advance for those that read my posts and address my questions.
for those more knowledgeable/experienced, i'm sorry if this is redundant.

fujindemon

Showing 1 response by gboren

Fujindemon: I just recently went through the same transformation - I have 600 great CD's and I haven't listend to one of them since I went analog 2 months ago (I'm sure I'll go back to them, but I am considering ditching my cd's where an analog version of the title is available.

As to your dilemma, first, I'd say that the rb300 is definitely worth it. It's a fine arm at any price. I also got a glider from elusive and I am very happy with it. If you can afford both, go for it. However, if money is an issue, your priorities should be 1. Turntable; 2. tonearm; and, 3. cartridge. I believe the arm will have a bigger impact on sonic quality and you will still have it when it's time to replace the cartridge, perhaps with a glider (or better!)

As to the output, I wrestled with the same quandry. If you only have a moving magnet phono stage, then the high output is really the only way to go. People will tell you that the .8mV will work fine with such a phono stage, but you will really have to crank the volume to a point at which you will get lots of noise in your music. The .3mV is great, but you should have a phono stage with at least 60dB of gain (or more). Any less will require cranking the volume. Finally, most moving coil phono stages give from 55dB to 64dB gain, with most being at the lower end. If yours is below 60dB, get the .8mV cartridge and you will be very happy. In short, you should select your cartridge output according to the capability of your phono pre. Hope this helps.