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

jaym759,

jperry, fsonicsmith and Ralph have provided excellent advice. bpoetti keeps hammering the Herron phonostage home as the best on the planet (get Real) , roberjerman,  his suggestions are Lame. The Hana SL is a good cartridge But the mounting requires screws and nuts, the mounting holes are not threaded. Even an Expert will appreciate a cartridge with threaded mounting holes. Raul, take his advice with a Large grain of salt,enough said here.

We don't know your budget. Give us a number.

I still own my Linn LP12 for 30 years. I bought a Kuzma at Axpona in 2016 even after hearing a Technica SL1200G and knowing that I wanted one with a better tonearm on it.

My final rigs will be the Kuzma and the modded (by Ralph) Technics SL1200G.

There are many fine TTs available, (new and used) I think everyone should have two TTs. Belt drive and Direct drive.

The Technics SL1200G and SL1200 GR are the best values and performance in new TTs right now. Technics does not make mistakes. Either of these TTs will provide value and performance for years while you build a record collection and decide whether you want to pursue Vinyl. They are a good place to start your analog journey.

Use Your Ears!  Vinyl is a long journey. The used record stores have been picked clean by guys like me, since CD was introduced and people were dumping their Vinyl collections. You almost need to buy new and new reissues Or pay high prices for collector vinyl. Or wait for guys like me to pass and hope that you can score Big Time from my wife.

As inna indicated, Vinyl is about Flavor. Take your time finding the combination of flavors that you like. Get auditions, even if you need to pay for shipping and return of phonostages. Or travel to dealers and attend shows.

Recommendations to start you off.

One of the Technics TTs - They come with a good tonearm.
ARC phono for compatibility
I like Lyra cartridges; Last the longest IMO
I am becoming quite fond of my Dynavector cartridge

Use Your Ears. Take Your Time. 
Best on Your Journey.

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.

Ralph, I hope you are wrong about your turntable's imminent defeat. Don't surrender easily.
It is difficult to choose a turntable, difficult to audition in the same or at least similar system. Difficult to advise too, that's why I didn't really.
The idea of having both belt drive and direct drive turntables appeals to me. At least the OP should I think listen to that Technics and a few belt drive tables. The choice might also depend on the kind of music he mostly listens to. DO NOT save couple of thousands on turntable, or even more, if you do you might spoil everything.

We all know the 1200g is a great turntable.  I must say that the VPI scout with acrylic platter is an insane bargain.  I went and put my Lyra Delos on it and though it is not as revealing as a 1200g,  it does have a very nice analog sound.  The Lyra Delos seems to be the right weight and compliance for the JMW 9.  Is it a 1200g, no but i am having fun listening to it.

One more thing. Tonearm cable. It is the most important cable in the chain, again don't save on it and don't rush with the choice.

OP can you answer the budget ????

You can call Rick at Audio Alternative, Ft. Collins, CO.  He has several!!! thousand LP's at his store along with many, many turntables and I am sure he knows a thing or two about them.  Have a great day. 

Again muchas gracias to Everyone My excitement is gaining by each response. To answer on my budget I was hoping to bring it in at around 10-12k for TT, arm, cartridge and phono

One more thing. Tonearm cable. It is the most important cable in the chain, again don't save on it and don't rush with the choice.

If you run balanced, then the cable will impose far less artifact. I agree its the most important cable in the system. You get that bit wrong, the best amps and speakers can't fix it.

One more thing. Tonearm cable. It is the most important cable in the chain, again don't save on it and don't rush with the choice.

And keep the cable run as short as possible.  That will help minimize the cable interaction with the musical signal.

And also in the right direction. You know, especially since it’s the most important cable.

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.

Ralph, sure.
$12k for five components..
Tough, very tough.

the new Technics top of the line is pretty nice.

What @rauliruegas is trying to describe has been worked out over 50 years ago and has been generally a non-factor for the last 49 years. Any decent phono stage will handle RIAA EQ with aplomb.

And the phono circuit is all about good design and refinement. There is no such thing as a single all-encompassing constant such as @rauliruegas claims in his financial self-interest of solid state over tubes. It’s ALL about circuit design and refinement.

Hi jaym759,
My suggestion is don't buy expensive turntable mine am using audio technica without built in preamp.you can use ortofon cartridge and use separate tube phono preamp and tube preamplifier ,you can have good sounds quality in your system.

Enjoy..

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.

@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.

OK here is my cut at it..
Brinkman Bardo w factory arm
Lyra Delos
Musical Surroundings Nova II
Shunyata RCAs

Nkonor who is Ralph?

So far by way of f/u I have decided to go with Manley Steelhead Cinook...Thanks to fsonicsmith for the recommendation! Still sorting out the TT et al. Not a fan of Merrill’s 101.3 from a visual standpoint so any more recommendations greatly appreciated. BTW I am having a great time researching everyone’s recommendations. Thanks again 

Nkonor who is Ralph?

@jaym759 that's me.

If you're going the TT route, keep in mind that having a clean record is just as important as anything else.   And I do agree that having everything in balance matters.  The real question is whether you want vinyl to be your "serious" source material or is its just about having a table for occasional.  If it's occasional, I'd suggest getting a higher end table/arm/cartridge combination like that from clear audio (a concept for example with the MC cart, or the Performance) so that you don't have to mess with a set up that itself can be frustrating.  Also, there are lots of very good ~~$1000 phono preamps out their (Musical Surrounds for example).   But with your ARC gear (I have a Ref 2 phono and Ref 5 pre-amp), and you want a table set up to match the capabilities
of your gear,  your going to have to spend some money.   And at that stage, getting a ultrasonic LP cleaner is really a necessity.  

certainly a super phono pre
....
there is a really nice Basis with Rega arm for $2k on the gon right now....I can attest that arm is great w Lyra Delos....
leaves you $$$$ for cables, etc....

I have and recommend the Amadeus turntable. I use it with Dynavector 20 low output moving coil. The sound is great-dead quiet. I use a Luxman E1 phono preamp (you can find this used for 1K) This combination sounds great. I won't be making any changes in the foreseeable future. 

@atmasphere , @jaym759

 Ralph Is: Ralph Karsten of Atma-Sphere Music Systems

jaym759: You are the OP. By coincidence your name is Ralph.

Hope this clears things up for you guys.

Just so you know, for what little it is worth, I have decided that compared to my Thorens TD124 fully modded and revived by Greg of ClassicThorens/STS mated with a 12" Reed 3P arm, my VPI Prime just does not cut it. That is despite having a pro come out to my house to see if he could do something to coax magic out of it that I could not and despite using a periphery ring, Phoenix Engineering Falcon and Roadrunner, US cleaning of records (which is overrated), etc. Now I must emphasize-the VPI Prime is a very good table. It makes lovely music. But there is more "there there", more blackness, more dynamics, more thrust, more bass (particularly more bass in fact) with the Thorens/Reed combo. I have about four times as much money into the Thorens/Reed too. And in case someone wants to know-yes-I have tried 5-6 very well regarded cartridges with my Prime. So consistent with my very first post in this thread-it may be highly personal, but I don't like unipivots. I also prefer idler to belt drive. So I have put my Prime up for sale and I bought a new Reed 3P for my second deck-to-be, this time a 10.5. Then I came down to which deck to mate the new arm with and for me it came down to two. The Gem Dandy Polytable Super 12 or another vintage idler. I came very close to pulling the trigger on the Gem Dandy, particularly when George Merrill promptly responded to my questions and offered to personally mount my Reed 3P. But, a rare Garrard 301 came my way-one that is virtually NOS, grease bearing, and rare ivory colored. Since it is to be a second deck and I don't need two top-end decks, I was thinking I ought to be sensible and save $2000-2500 and just buy the Polytable Super 12. I had my imaginary frugal alter-ego perched on one shoulder and my spendthrift alter ego perched on my other. My neck was getting sore listening to them argue. But that Garrard kept calling my name and the guy I purchased the Reed from (who is biased being an avowed Garrard fanatic) helped me decide to go with the Garrard. My point being that my recommendation is truly mine. Here is a neat little factoid-Sleeve City-fwiw-only sells one turntable. It is the $1800 Gem Dandy Polytable. 
https://www.sleevecityusa.com/GEM-Dandy-PolyTable-p/gem-polytt.htm

FWIW, if you have the old idler, it can be rebuilt by Russell Industries on the east coast:
http://russellind.com/downl.htm
The PRB catalog is the old Projector Recorder Belt company that was located in Whitewater Wisconsin prior to Russell Ind. buying them out. Their work is excellent BTW; I've had them rebuild idlers and pro audio tape recorder pinch rollers a number of times. You need a lot of precision with 1" wide pinch rollers!