I need your help. I have an ARC Ref 3, ARC 110, Vandersteen 5As, but no turntable.

@bpoletti : You can post whaever you want it but stop to post lies from  me/in reference to me because you are insulting me.

This is the second time in this thread that you posted the same lie: " claims in his financial interest on solid state over..."


what do you did not or don't want to understand from my first post to your no sense attack. Are you a frustrated stupid or what?:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/i-need-your-help-i-have-an-arc-ref-3-arc-110-vandersteen-5as-...

R.

Dear @bagadiong: """  ortofon cartridge and use separate tube phono preamp and tube preamplifier ,"""

which are your reasons or in what resides your foundation to posted that statement?

I mean tube electronics instead SS ones and why separates and not a phonolinepreamp.

Which advantages gives the tube in a phono stage against a SS unit?  which advantages gives separates units against an integrated one?

Thank's in advance, your answers very appreciated.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @inna : IC cables always are important but if you look deeper ask you: where the cartridge signal can " suffer "  the highest degradation and develops higher distortions?

Obviously that at each system link from the very first time the stylus tip hits the very first LP groove but I think that's inside the phonolinepremp where the dmage can goes in an " exponential " faster way because is here where the cartridge signal have to travel in a extremely " tortuose " road with to many different stages: different gain stages from the input, the " terrible " very  high levels equalization stage through the inverse RIAA eq, it's in the phono stage where the signal pass through several passive and active devices that degrades its quality levels and it's there where has to deal with generated resistance/impedance/capacitance and even inductance as with parasitic distortions and " errors " in the phonolinepreamp design.

Every system audio link is important and for the cartridge signal the phono stage is its LIFE.

You can have the best cartridge with the best IC cables and best tonearm/TT set up but if that signal goes inside a not decent phonolinepreamp everything goes to the trash.

R.

Dear @jaym759: This was posted by @nkonor:

"  Vinyl is a long journey................................................................

As inna indicated, Vinyl is about Flavor. Take your time finding the combination...""

yes a very long learning journey. Try to listen as many you can room/audio systems at home places of other audiophiles that is a different listening experience than through an audio distributor show room.

At the same time try to attend as many live events you can especially acoustic/non-amplifiyed MUSIC.

R.

@bpoletti : "" You are EXTREMELY BIASED toward SS... "", agree and I’m biased because from some years now is the only real/true alternative to achieve the targets I posted here. Period.


" and have deep financial interests in the products you promote. "

that is totally untrue and a lie. I promote or have for sale nothing of my electronics or similar items. So, I have not any financial interests other than fulfill my home room/system targets that can honor the MUSIC needs. ThAt’s all. Got it?

Instead trying to attack me and only for a " change/fun " why don’t post a true contribution for all of us can improve our today system quality level performance by wide margin?

R.

Dear @fsonicsmith : I know all what you posted but that's not exactly my point.

We can't do nothing about the overall  recording proccess.

Where can we mantain any kind of distortions at minimum? only at room/system playback proccess and to mantain distortions at minimum we have to learn all those points I posted .

This is my target: m achieve it then I will be nearer to the recording.

Easy to say and very complex to achieve that target. Name of the game here?: just knowledge level at two different " stages " MUSIC ( live music. ) and reproduced sound additional we have to have the rigth developed skills to do it.

The learning proccess is and takes a long long time ( years. ) and that proccess is the key the true key for we can be nearer to the recording.

Several gentlemans in this and in other internet forums are " against " my posts and try even to hit me because all of them just can't understand where resides where is the foundation true and real foundation of my posts and can't understand it  because my targets and learning proccess is way diofferent from the ones they have.

Many of them think that are music lovers and audiophiles but many of them unknow how live instruments ( solo or in an orchestra. ) performs at near seat position ( 2-3m. ).

The words used for audiophuiles as: soundstage, lush, softness, inner detal, laywering, deep and the like just does not exist in a live event with any kind of instruments or orchestras. MUSUIC performs in way different mode but things are that normally recording microphones positions are at near field not at 25m-40m.

All my audio item evaluations are made it at near field seat position in my room/audio system and if necessary through headphones too.

bpolleti said I'm against tube technology when in reality I'm not per sé. Things are that I'm in favor of MUSIC and tubes is for tube lovers but not for true MUSIC lovers and certainly not for MUSIC sound reproduction in any room/audio system.

All the arguments that  a tube lover think he has are totally wrong because has no true/real foundation on those targets I mentioned. In reality they like that hardware but not real MUSIC.

Sooner or latter some of them will learn ( as I did it. ) or maybe never. I don't care about because is not my problem it's not me whom has to live for ever in the " mistake ".

Why then things seems for every one that I really care on tubes?: because what I care about  in the same manner that all those tube lovers spread their mistakes I  just tell them not only that all ( including reviewers, distributors and manufacturers of that technology. ) is that them are totally wrong but I tell them why are wrong. Tube technology goes always against MUSIC in the worst manner we can think in the playback overall proccess in any home room/audio system.

Problem with them is that always tell the one is wrong is me but never ever explain with precision why I'm wrong. Till today no where internet no one proved I'm wrong. I really wish many gentlemans can do it because I always said and say: every single day is a learning day.

No, I'm not biased through SS technology. I repeat: I'm biased in favor always to the MUSIC and from some years now things are that well designed full SS electronics is the only true way to go to honor the MUSIC that's an ART.

Normally audio distributors, manufacturers and even reviewers are moved by $$$$$$ and how to takes the higher they can from us customers.

In the other side what moves to us customers and true audiophiles: only our whole knowledge levels and ignorance levels that we all have.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @fsonicsmith : ""  music and not distortions" is divorced from reality. There is no getting away from distortion. """

agree, we can't avoid several kind of room/system distortions. The target is: first learn to identify what is distortion from the signal we are listening it this is: what in reality is not part of the audio recorded signal but developed distortions. Second how to avoid the development of those distortions or at least to put at minimum through room/system changes but before this " actions " we need to identify where is the source of those different kind of distortions.

Mny times trying to eliminte  kind of distortion the chnges we did it strts to develps nother kind of distortion .
The issue here is that always exist trade-offs and we have to decide wich trade-off makes less harm to the music signal.

R.

Dear @inna : MF compares that " entry level " TT with the stock tonearms against its full Continnum extremely epensive TT and tonearm and everything. Only this analog rig has a price higher than many of our whole udio system ! ! !.

R.

Dear @last_lemming  @jaym759: Other gentleman mentioned Ayre phono stage and I can add SimsAudio but you mentioned Parasound JC3 ( all these 3 manufacturer designs are SS units and better than any tube unit no matter what. ). and posted:

"""  No a super high end name but there’s a lot to the unit. ""

well the JC in the model are the designer name ( all the Parasound/Halo units are designe by him. ) letters that's no one less that the great John Curl a true hystorical icon in the audio industry from many years. Here we can read about:

https://www.stereophile.com/phonopreamps/640/index.html  

http://www.tonepublications.com/analogaholic/the-vendetta-scp-2-phono-stage/  

in those times this one was my dream for a phonolinepreamp but I never had the kind of money to buy it but I had the rare opportunity to listen this 3 chasis JC top design that as his Vendetta and his BlowTorch designs outperforms any today tube units and many today top and very expensive SS designs:

http://www.topclassaudio.com/web/eng/used_product_details.jsp?gid=7960

So you have a unit with a " super high end design ", nothing less. Of course Parasound builded at a price point parts.

Btw, this is the audio system that  Michael Fremer used in those times and we can see tubes everywhere on it as almost every famous reviewers of the time:

"""  Sidebar: Michael Fremer's Associated Equipment

LP Source: VPI TNT Mk.3 turntable; Transfiguration Temper, Lyra Parnassus DC, AudioQuest Fe5, Grado Reference, Goldring Excel phono cartridges.
Preamplifiers: Audible Illusions Modulus 3A, Ayre K-3.
Power Amplifiers: VTL MB 450, Adcom GFA-5802, Conrad-Johnson Premier Twelve.
Loudspeakers: Audio Physic Virgo, Aerial Model 8, Sonus Faber Grand Piano; Audio Physic Terra subwoofer.
Cables: Yamamura Millennium 6000, Cardas Golden Heart, Yamamura Quantum, Electra-Glide AC cord.
Accessories: VibraPlane, Symposium Acoustics, and Bright Star Audio Little Rock platforms; A.R.T. "Q" dampers, D.J. Kasser Black Diamond Racing cones, Walker Audio Valid Points, Yamamura Millennium bearing speaker supports, Shakti Stones.—Michael Fremer  """

the Ayre/Adcom there were under review.

From some years now he mainly uses SS electronics, he learned. Obviously that he is a very well regarded reviewer and made and makes reviews on everything of technologies including tubes but the electronics he bougth and are the main ones comes from Dartzeel full SS designs.

Look at this music lover and audiophile audio system he owns. Can you see any tube down there?. Of course not because MUSIC deserves the best for it be honored:

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/615 

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

Dear @inna : That new Technics is so good that MF mounted on it nothing less that the Lyra Etna SL ! ! and he likes it. That tonearm is very good one but the Jelco is very good too and both very well damped nand with a " natural " options to mate with any cartridge.

R.

Dear @jaym759: The analog alternative is the more imperfect way to listen MUSIC and due to those inherent medium imperfections is way hard task to achieve good quality performance.

The issue is not to have a some one that help in the overall analog rig set up but that each audiophile must be learn by his self and in that learning time we have more falls down experiences than success. That's means not only time consuming but means spend higher money too.

It is way easy for a newcomer to make several mistakes especially in the begining like you because you really don't have any knowledge level on the whole subject that can help you to evaluate in the rigth way all the advises/recomendations/opinions coming from other analog audiophiles/audio distributors/reviewers/manufacturers and the like.

Today the digital alternative puts any one nearer and truer to the recording and from live MUSIC. I'm a MUSIC lover with over 7K LPs but I accept the digital superiority at today technology levels and enjoy it too.

If you want to go  ahed is up to you. The TT/tonearm advise @fsonicsmith gave you is really good. Read here about:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/gem-dandy-polytable/?page=3  

G. Merril is a very well regarded designer and Jelco is a manufacturer that between other makes tonearms for Ortofon, Audioquest, Koetsu ( vintge. ) Sumiko. Jelco is not a TT manufacturer  rookie " as many gentlemans here could think.

In the other side the worst place to use tube technology is precisely in a phono stage nd it cn be proved easily. Forgeret biased tube lovers or biased tube mnufacturers. If you goes for tube units this will be your first huge mistake. For years I used it, not any more and for very good reasons.

Btw, how many LPs already own?  which are your MUSIC/audio priorities through your system.?  what are you looking to achieve?


R.