only Pro-ject would be on my list, and I second @ghdprentice - you need a good phono stage.
Recommendations depend on your budget, I would not spend less than 50% of what the TT cost
New to Turntables
So I was thinking of venturing into the world of turntables…..
I have it narrowed down to 3 possibilities…..
Mofi Ultradeck with Ultragold cartridge…. A $1495 cartridge pre installed….
Music Hall 9.3. with Goldring Eroica Lx ……. A $900 cartridge pre installed
Pro-ject X8 Evolution with Sumiko Moonstone cartridge…. A $350 cartridge preinstalled
All three prices are within $250 of each other….
With the Music Hall having the lowest price…
But I’d have no problem going for the MoFi…the most $$$$
The X8 was the lowest price, but not by much…..
I’m just guessing here, as I have been out of the turntable game for 30+ years, that once you get to turntables in this price range, the cartridge is very important for the sound…. Maybe I’m wrong…..
Should I go with the turntable that has the most expensive cartridge ?
Does price equate to quality ?
Is the most expensive the best cartridge ?
Thanks for any insight
Shelly
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- 11 posts total
Why spend so much? You don't have many LP's. New remasters don't compare to original pressings. My recommendation is: Pioneer PLX1000 ($699), Hana SL ($750) and Schiit Mani 2 phono stage ($160). I have the Pioneer. It is excellent and comparable to the twice-as-expensive Technics. Herb Reichert gave it a positive review in Stereophile. The Hana Shibata mc cartridge is competitive with cartridges costing double its price. For $160 the Mani 2 phono stage presents major value at a bargain price. Michael Fremer likes it. |
This is an interesting combo of approaches you have here. If you are truly sticking in that lane, I'll toss out this line of thought. - If you start with a nicer table and lesser cart, you can easily upgrade the cart later. But if you start with a lesser table and nicer cart, you might not get everything out of the cart and you'd need to replace the whole table for the next level up. Having said that, I have a Mofi Ultradeck and I recently added a Hana ML. The Ultradeck is certainly up to the task, and I think it should be with the Ultragold as well. The phonostage in your preamp will get you started, but the MC stage might not be an ideal match for the Ultragold (or any other MC cart). As you move up into MC carts, phonostage matching kind of becomes more important. I also just recently started musing an SUT, which is a whole different rabbit hole, but something you could explore down the road as well. |
@shelly40, I would opt for the Music Hall, because I prefer the sound of hefty plinth designs and their other design features are exceptional also I can highly recommend Simmaudio Moon phono stages, they are exceptional and configurable to most any cartridge. Also consider Zavfino cables, they make a world of difference on an analogue path
Regards steve |
I ended up going with the Ultradeck, with the Ultragold cartridge….Military discount included, paid 2250 for the table and cartridge….seems like a decent deal…. Especially with the return window…… I have a 60 day return policy, but hopefully, this will do the trick….. gonna use the phono input on the Mac preamp…. See how it sounds….. I can always add an external phono stage if needed… should have it by end of next week…
shelly |
- 11 posts total