2. analog
  3. 1057379158

get vinyl rig or audio aero capital

I have an old bang and olufsen 1700 turntable cl cartridge
mid fi about 300 albums from 70-80's (some jap pressings)
my discs were played once and taped to a Nak - so great there

I'm wondering - do I go analog and spend big bucks on an analog rig (table, arm, cartridge, phono stage, cleaner, cables, platform) to get superior sound but then have a dated collection to play

arc ls5 preamp - no phono stage - all balanced inputs

or do I buy an audio aero capital - most analog like cd player and enjoy further my 1200+ cds

current digital end is Teac VRDS10 (Wadia) and EVS Millenium II dac - a nice combo

is there any good mid end tables that will perform well and not wear out my old vinyl??

thanks

Tom
audiotomb

Showing 2 responses by jafox

jafox
1,470 posts
 
Tom,
You have a pretty good CD based source, a very fine line stage, even with only 300 LPs, I think it makes sense to seek a decent LP source. An old used Denon is not the ticket based on the rest of your system. The ARC PH2 is an awesome phono stage but the BAT P5 or P10 are as well.....and they are balanced as well. You should be able to find something to fit well with the LS5 here for $1000-1500 or so. As for the TT itself, there are great great deals on Sotas, Oracles and Well Tempered in the $1500 range that will give you a mighty fine start to fit with the rest of your system.
John
jafox
1,470 posts
 
Shame on you Brian!!! 8-) An Io Signature owner recommending digital.

But Brian does have some good points on the Linn. I owned one for 18 years and then moved up to a Clearaudio Ref. I did not have the experiences like the comparison to the SME though. The Clearaudio has so much more resolution over the Linn and yet it has an incredible musicality without being analytical. Brian's recent selling of his Io to me here has brought on a level of LP playback that I never experienced in my home before.

But I still would recommend other TTs over the Linn as they bring on a bass foundation that I had been missing for so long. And other TTs I heard at friend's homes or dealers made me aware of the Linn's weakness. Still I enjoyed the Linn immensely but was aware of its shortcomings compared to others in its price class.....new and used pricing perspectives.

But even with all the LP enjoyment, a purchase of the awesome Manley Ref DAC last year has brought on a level of CD enjoyment like I had not heard before as well. I am wondering if an equally top-noth transport will bring on the same level of improvement.

Both formats have strengths and weaknesses and the trick is to know where to put those limited $$ to get the best out of our LPs and CDs.

So Tom, I think you have a decent CD playback already. Now we need to find a way for you to enjoy those LPs and have a reason to buy more.

John
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