Musical Surroundings Phonomena II+ -OR- Moon 110lp v2 -OR- Parasound ZPhono XRM Phono

Figure out what is wrong with your current rig before buying new gear.

What you describe is most likely a setup and/or a mismatch problem.

Could be something as simple as cleaning the stylus - if you are lucky.

DeKay

Do you have a source aside from vinyl?

If the sound of it gets confused with more complex music then it could be the amp/speakers.

If this only happens with vinyl playback then something is amiss with the analog gear.

A P3 with a decent cartridge mated to an MF A3.2 should sound quite good with all types of music.

DeKay

OK, got it.

The MSP II reads to be more upfront/exciting.

DeKay

Something is wrong.

List all of your year with specifics and maybe someone here can help figure out what.

My TT/arm are approx. 50 years old and my phono preamp retailed for <$200 - this setup plays everything without a hitch.

DeKay

Grisly:

Sorry, but I don't know what to add/recommend @ this point based upon your responses.

DeKay

I'm back:

Just looked @ one of your system pics from a previous thread and wonder if you still have it set up this way.

Pic shows a less than sturdy looking table with the TT setting on top of an amplifier (subwoofer placed directly below the amplifier).

DeKay

Check out the following thread with attention to the posts by caterham1700 regarding a DIY Ikea Lak Rack.

Without all the fuss (also the way the legs are constructed has changed over the years making the build much more complicated) I suspect that a stock Lak coffee table may work well with your Rega.

You could also just try the Lak side table if you won't use the extra shelf space (of the coffee table) for other gear.

Drilling the legs and installing adjustable spikes should add some benefit, but you would have to reinforce the holes with 2-part wood filler or something similar (I'd just try it stock to begin with).

Caterhan (Ken Lions) designed and manufactured the custom shelves I use for my TT/CD decks.

Ken always supported the use of light and rigid support for unsuspended decks like the your Rega.

Others are correct in that a better phono preamp should sound, well better, but I prefer to get the most out of what I'm using before moving on.

DeKay

Not certain.

Many Rega TT posts mention the use of light/rigid wall shelves or light rigid racks.

As the Rega wall shelves have hiked quite a bit in price and I'm not certain if the less expensive Project wall shelf (said to be good) is still produced I figured that a Lak table would be a good/cheap light/rigid experiment.

The side tables sell for $15 here (coffee table $40).

I made 2 Lak's (one TT platform spiked - one rack using brass cones) when I had 2nd full systems in the spare bedroom and liked them.

I used to find the end tables discarded on the street in my neighborhood (just checked and I still have 3 left in storage).

You could even try something like this (instead of spikes).

DeKay

Jerry:

I'll add keeping the stylus clean to your list.

I've been using the original Magic Eraser for years now, but my arm has an up/down lever (don't think I would try it manually).

Before that I was using a travel sized ultrasonic toothbrush with replaceable batteries (just touched the stylus with it) and a stylus brush - the Magic Eraser works just as well.

A dirty stylus and/or groove wear on LP's is a common cause of what the OP describes.

Grisly:

What cartridge do you have (see a few options supplied by Rega with the deck)?

The light/rigid approach is geared towards draining vibration off/away from the Rega (not isolating it).

This approach also works with my sprung/suspended TT as well as the CD deck.

Instead of buying one of the expensive recommended light/rigid racks I purchased a bolt together steel rack and mig-welded it into a one piece "rigid" unit.

I also ended up with zero fill in the hollow legs after experimenting, but the rack is located outside of the living/listening room.

DeKay

Yes, that is it (ones sans any added cleaning agents).

My original pack of them has a finer grain than later one's, but no-one has complained about the later variation(s).

I stick a slice of it down to a small piece of thick paper, but have a tonearm up/down control like the one in the following video.

I would not trust my doing it solely by hand @ this point in time, but I'm 68.

Lot's of info here in the forums on the best way to use it.

DeKay

Double check to make certain that you have connected the new phono preamp to the "line" inputs on your amplifier and not to the "phono" inputs.

Set the gain to the lowest option and set the loading to 47K, or whatever is closest to that, and run it for a few days.

Keeping the gain setting low (your cartridge has extremely high output specs) try the loading options just below and just above 47K to see if either sounds better.

DeKay

You changed the anti-skating setting (for the better) after you were running the  MSP II.

DeKay 

Just for kicks try the MF onboard phono again.

The sound of the MSP II improved with some adjustment you made to the TT (I'd be curious as to how the MF sounds with this adjustment).

DeKay