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Better TT or Better Pre? MMF5 vs XII vs Debut III

Morning all...

I'm setting up a small system for my study and I'm in a dilemma re: which TT to choose. It's a budget system, so please keep that in mind. I was thinking about the Debut III with the Tube Box II. Then, I started thinking, would it be better to get a MMF-5 or Xpression II and a cheaper phono stage like the pro-ject phono box II, then pickup another stage later (save up for a Slee maybe)? Is it easier to upgrade the phono stage rather than the TT? What are your opinions?

Thanks,
Paul
pablo16

Showing 1 response by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
For about the same money you're talking, I would get a Technics SL 1200 Mkii (about $400), a Bellari 129 phono preamp ($249), and an Ortofon OM 10 Super ($60).

With the Technics, you won't need an external speed control, the cartridge/tonearm compliance is a good match (and you can upgrade all the way to an OM 40 Super with just a stylus upgrade), and the Bellari is a Stereophile Class B giant-killer phono preamp.

For ergonomics, quietness, build quality, longevity, and transient dynamics, the Technics has it all over the entry-level audiophile-approved MDF-based belt drive tables.
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