Dear Fernando: The name of Mark Levinson was constructed around their power amplifiers not for their pre-amps and certanelly never for the phono preamp. The 26 is not a good phono preamp. My advise is that you stay aways of that ML 26.
BTW, while you insist with the 103R you will be out of the game named: " analog sound quality reproduction ". You can't do nothing about with that cartridge. Please grow-up, you can do it.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
TWL: THis one was not Curl design.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear Fernando: One of the issues for to have a good quality sound reproduction analog system is to make the less possible mistakes in the audio chain.
Twl told us:**** " The DL103R is an excellent cartridge for the money..."*****, well the Dynavector XV-1 is an exellent cartridge for the money, too. That sentence don't means anything about quality sound reproduction.
For me the 103R is a big mistake for start to build an analog system ( but if you like the 250.00 sound, is up to you ). The ML 26 is another one and if you are thinking of use a step up transformer, then you are commited not only one but three mistakes on a row. So, you will have a heavy degraded sound reproduction of your beloved music.
My advise is that first than all you have to define your targets on the quality sound reproduction of your analog audio system. You have to know what you want.
Think about.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear Fernando: You already have what you can. Great, no problem at all.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Fernando: Reading again your last post, I can see that you really like the ML 26 and this fact is the important point not what I think about.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Fernando: Twl is right: ***** " Regarding the phono cartridge re-think, that would probably be more practical, but we'd have to know what arm and table you are using, and your budget, to make any recommendations.
A Music Maker works well in a lower mass tonearm, such as a Hadcock. It may not do quite as well in a heavier arm. " *****
BTW, my advise is that before you continue doing changes and continue with your " obscure " search, try to define what are really looking for , what are your priorities on the music sound reproduction and then start to find out the right items according to your musical priorities and budget.
Fernando: which are your musical priorities ?, which are your budget ?, which are your targets?
When you answer those questions many of us could help you with our advise and experience.
If you don't do it, not only anyone can help you but you don't know what are you loking for.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear John: I respect your opinion about the 103. But this kind of opinion about this cartridge is the " brake " for that you or anyone else can grow-up in the quality music/sound reproduction.
While we have this kind of opinion on this cartridge in this forum all you are doing is putting a " heavy brake " not only for the Audiogoners but for the new boys on the block.
I know that people like you or Twl " died " for this cartridge ( bad for you an worst for the music ), but I never hear why and against what. I know that this cartridge is your music/sound reproduction standars, mine is the MUSIC: big difference.
I own this cartridge and I'm only keep it and stay with for remember what not to do for the music reproduction.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear John: Glad to read that you usually hear live music. Many people on this forum don't.
I own the 103, 103D and 103 R. No one is for my musical tastes, there are not very accurate cartridges.
BTW, I really like the MM too, they are , like you say, musical: I own 7 to 8 MM cartridges and 15 to 16 MC cartridges. No one of my MC cartridges are: bright, thin or analytical.
I like the " natural " sound of the MM. The people does not like it because after hear a decent MC cartridge you can think that the MM cartridge is a litle on the dark side, but this is not true if you knows about real music.
I'm not in favor of either cartridge type, in the right company both types sounds great.
*** " I attend concerts, both classical and others - I don't do so in order to "readjust my hearing" and keep a "standard", I only go to concerts I am actually interested in listening to. " *****
Here is a difference between you an me, because: I go to concerts, all the concerts I can. It does not matters if those concerts are interesting or not.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Fernando: My post was for you can have help for anyone in this forum.
BTW, you don't answer something very important and critical: what are your graded musical priorities ?
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Fernando: Don't do more mistakes. Stay away from step up transforme, this stage is a heavy degradation for the fragil signal that comes from the cartridge. It does not matters if is a " dedicated " one.
Think on this: when you use a step up transformer you need additional conectors and cables that do a degradation to the signal but not only this, when the signal goes inside the SUT has to pass for several wire metres on the transformers that do an additional degradation to the signal and other kind of degradations due to inherents problems in any SUT.
I already told you: what do you want? what are your graded musical priorities for analog sound reproduction ?
Till you answer these questions you will be inside of that " dark search " and you can't be satisfied ever. I think, that you have to build ( like anyone else ) you audio system with a foundation in those questions. If not, it is probable that you will waist to many time and a lot of money for nothing.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear Tom: I think that what you get on P. Vallarta was a kind of Tequila.
The city of Oaxaca ( México ) is the house of Mezcal, and like you say: truly spectacular, too.
regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
