Help my analog sound as good as my streaming


Hi all - total newcomer here, really enjoying the forum and looking for some advice.

Relevant details: Pro-ject Debut Carbon EVO w/ stock Sumiko Rainer cartridge, into a Hegel H95 via a Parasound Zphono XRM. It sounds great-ish, but doesn’t blow me away like Qobuz via Bluesound Node 2i into the Hegel DAC. I’ll acknowledge that this entire system has a lot of room to improve in the eyes of many here - while I suppose I’ll eventually want to upgrade, I am absolutely thrilled with the streaming sound for now. 
Question: is the cartridge the weak link here, or am I expecting too much out of the PDC EVO? If the former, does the Ortofon Bronze seem a good option?

Many thanks for any suggestions/thoughts!
coys21

Showing 4 responses by audition__audio

You should be able to get analog to sound better than streaming very easily. I think that a modest investment in analog pays much bigger dividends than the same investment in digital. Do not buy an inexpensive direct drive turntable rather go with a cheaper belt drive. Mapman is correct the Denon 103 is a very good cartridge for the money. In fact I can think of none better at the retail price. All things equal digital isnt even close!
Some people have a significant amount of knowledge about high end D.D. turntables. The table you suggested is NOT a high end table. I fact if you need to buy a commercial version of the Technics table that was the predecessor to their current 20K offering I know I guy who has 3. I believe that it takes considerably more money to make an acceptable D.D. table than all other designs. If you own the table you recommended and find it acceptable I would suggest that may not be in a position to give advice, at least not about T.T.s.  Oh and I am just as critical of the vintage/current idler drive units and for many of the same reasons. A trip down basic physics lane will provide you with the obvious advantages and disadvantages of each T.T. design. Dont assume that just because a person disagrees with you that they dont know what they are talking about. Are you taking soft skill lessons from the Klipsch enthusiasts?
A cutting lathe and a turntable serve entirely different masters. Kind of like the speaker designers that claim that using the same wood on their speakers as were used on the instruments is a good idea. 

Also if mass production were the final arbiter then I guess you own a amp, preamp and speakers made by one the large Japanese firms.
I agree but what is the cost of a very good TT/arm and what are the brands that you would consider good? I have $ 15K in my TT and arm and I think I am at a very high, but not extravagant, level.