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Brand new to vinyl: Help!

I am brand new to vinyl, but quite established in digital (CDs, lossless streaming, etc.).

I made the first foray to vinyl by purchasing an entry level turntable - Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC Esprit.

I am using an Ayre pre-amp with phono stage and also Ayre amp.

While I am happy I have it up and running, I don’t think it sounds as good as my digital setup (Directstream DAC).

So what can I do to improve, short of buying a much more expensive turntable?

Things in my mind:

1 - Since it accepts DC power, buy a linear power supply

2 - Since my Phone stage on my preamp only accepts XLR three-pin connector, I bought a male RCA to male XLR cable from Amazon, less than $20. Do I need a better interconnect?

3 - Upgrade the cartridge (it comes with Ortfofon Red something)

Thanks!
128x128thyname

Showing 5 responses by atmasphere

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,633 posts
 
I can help too- we produced the world's first balanced line phono preamp.

The advantage is that the interconnect between the arm and cartridge does not contribute or rob anything from the sound of the system, unlike single-ended setups where the interconnect has to be auditioned.

That means that a really expensive cable won't sound any better than a cheap one as long as its wired right. So its worth doing!
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,633 posts
 
You can find some stuff on ebay. Some of it looks clunky but should do fine if hooked up right.

I'd try googling that one at any rate.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,633 posts
 
Yes, they do. With additional regulation, they can help.


atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,633 posts
 
St. Paul, Minnesota
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,633 posts
 
I am thinking I should be able to save about $2,000 to $4,000 for a good turntable in about six months.
@thyname If that is the case, I recommend the Technics SL-1200G. It looks identical to the old SL1200s you see on Craigslist, but its an entirely from the ground up new design. It is one of the best turntables made and the arm is not bad. If you go that route, its platter pad is a weak point: I replace them on sight. I would look into an inexpensive low output moving coil cartridge for it and talk to us (if you can't find anyone else) about building a cable that will allow you to run it balanced into your phono section (which is not expensive).
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