Need Advice: Setting up a basic analog system

Do not even think of replacing that cartridge with an AT 95e or Shure M97!!!

Buy a replacement stylus for the AT31E from LP gear or another retailer and don't skimp on the phono preamp! Remember that the AT is a low output MC so you will need a phono stage with a MC input and appropriate gain (you can use the gain computer at kabusa.com).

That table/headshell/cartridge combo is worthy of a decent phono preamp. I'd think Cambridge 640P as a bare minimum but try to up the budget even from there a bit.

Yes, ideally you should have around 58 db of gain with that cartridge. Depending on the rest of your equipment that may or may not be a big deal. With a low output MC cartridge it is more critical to have enough gain without having too much than with higher output MM cartridges.

So I would probably try to find a phono stage with the 58 db of gain and a 100 ohm load setting (or adjustable load settings if at all possible). I used a DB Systems MC phono pre for a few years that can be purchased (and customized by David Hadaway at no extra charge) directly from DB Systems for about $200 with a Denon 103R and was very happy with it. Some of the Project phono stages with 60 db of gain on the MC input would probably work quite well also.

You'll probably get lots of suggestions if you posted over at the vinyl asylum at www.audioasylum.com.

You could also contact Kevin at KAB for some phono preamp suggestions. He is very knowledgeable on that table, and an excellent person to deal with.

I'm assuming your table and preamp were inherited from the same owner. The Levinson gear is not exactly chopped liver and anyone who put that headshell and cartridge on that table was very likely to have taken great care of it (just guessing there but I think it would be so) and you are not likely to hear what it is really capable of with a budget phono preamp.

You could send that table off to KAB for complete or specific mods in light of the fact that you have nothing into it and look at phono preamps in the $500-$1000 range and have a pretty impressive vinyl set up that might rival much more expensive combinations!

Good pick up on that Mofimadness. Never thought to check on a phono stage on that preamp. In looking at it, though, it appears to be MM only (although it is probably an outstanding phono stage). This changes things considerably.

So in this case, just to complicate manners, presuming everything is working ok with the preamp and phono, Monako would just need to find a step up or head amp for the AT.

Alernatively, he could switch cartridges to a MM which might be a better proposition.

I'd probably go that route under the circumstances and put a few hundred into a MM cartridge to start off with and then upgrade perhaps if you feel vinyl is for you. No step-up or head amp to buy and no extra set of interconnects to worry about. I would definitely try to have the ML tested, especially the phono stage by hooking up to any phono with a MM cartridge to see if it is in good working order before doing anything if it's been in storage that long.

But that is a pretty impressive preamp if it is in good condition!!

For around $200 Ortofon 2M Blue and Nagaoka MP150 are two that come to mind. Kind of a loaded question and you'll get lots of opinions.

The Nagaoka might be a very good match, though, with that arm and what is probably a heavier headshell than the original stock Technics shell.