Help Picking a turntable

Hello Everyone,

so I finally got my system all set up and at the house.  I found a good boulder phono stage used here on Audiogon, so I got the same system I heard at Rod's store.  It sounds fantastic.  It sounds so much better than the cd/digital on my system.  Thanks again everyone for all the help and advice. 

I want to thank @gasherbaum for posting the final outcome. So many OPs do not. If anyone stumbles across this while researching their own journey, I have a few suggestions.

First, a real good set of headphones helps when your schlepping around for demos. They at least take different speakers out of the equation.

Second, I wouldn't let a high cost phonostage compromise my budget on the TT/TA/cartridge/cables. I got a used Musical Surroundings Phonomena II for $295 until I find something that will best it at a reasonable cost. It is quite capable of revealing subtle differences between cartridges and the way they are set up. I am still looking for something I am willing to spend more on, and I have the best turntable and arm I will ever need. Cartridges are another story. I can't seem to stop collecting them.

Hi,

Interesting reading your saga, sound like everything turned out great.  I am not familiar with the turntable you bought but I have heard your Thiel 3.7 speakers and I think they sound great.  Have heard the ARC Ref 75 se and Arc LS-17 se, they sound good but just my cup of tea.  As far as the phono stage goes I went the Tom Tutay building me a tube phono stage to match my system that sounds terrific and does not cost an arm and a leg, about $2,500 to $3,000.  I think if you ever wanted to upgrade this would be a good start.

Enjoy what you have as I know from experience setting up an analog system is very expensive, as there is so many items to buy.

MDS

Hello Everyone,

2channel8 your idea on a good set of headphones when doing demos is great -- i never thought of that -- great way not to have to worry about different speakers.  Thanks for pointing that out to me and everyone.  

A few updates -- I still love my Feickert turntable and boulder phono stage.  I bought an Ayre QA9, which is an analogue to digital converter, so I could try recording my records to digital.  It takes a lot of time and a lot of learning, but I find my recordings sound great, and way better than cds and even better than high res digital I had bought at HDtracks.  I still love the turntable, and listen to LP's when I'm sitting down to listen, but I got the QA9 and record the Lps to digital so when I'm not just sitting and listening (such as cooking dinner or something) I can have similar to analogue sound through digital. 

MDS, I have always loved Thiel speakers, and the 3.7's are fantastic (my favorites still are the 5.0's - the huge ones from back in the 90's).  But I upgraded my speakers to Rockport Avior speakers, which I love. 

MDS, I know many people that don't love Audio Research, and I can definitely understand why, but I do seem to like their gear and the sound a lot.  I upgraded to an ARC REF 10 preamp and love it.  I still have the Ref 75SE, but trying to find something better for the big Rockport speakers.  I bought a used Boulder 2060, and its up at the Boulder factory being inspected (I got to tour the factory when I dropped it off -- super cool place and wonderful people), so I will see if I like it better in my system and my room.  the boulder seemed to be in perfect working condition, but Boulder has a pretty good inspection process and it wasn't too much, so I figured why not.  The boulder 2060 is a big change from the ARC, but I've heard it on the Rockports at a store and it sounded great, so we'll see. 

My LP collection has gotten huge:  the Colorado Audio Society had a member that passed away and he was an audiophile with about 3000 original pressings and another couple hundred MOFI pressings and his wife was selling his records for $1 to $10 a piece and I bought a ton of them, and most are in almost perfect shape.  Of course I've been buying some from MOFI and also from Discogs and my local store.  I got up at 4:30 and stood in the snow and cold waiting in line for Record Store Day -- got some good records, but a bit of a madhouse.   

For all of you who helped me on my turntable journey, thank you so much, I never thought I'd get back into LP's, but I love it.  Even recording them has become a labor of love for me.