@yogiboy I just checked and the table is set to Phono out, so my past self must have already figured this out correctly when I bought the Sprout100! |
Forgot to add, the Totems are driven by a PS Audio Sprout100. I don't have a separate preamp because there is one built into the LP120.
Those tables and phono stages were recommended to me by my local dealer based on my budget and listening style and preferences. Especially on the phonostage, I wanted a good SS, since I have never dabled in tubes and want to start at this time. In particular the P6 is compelling because it seems to have the reputation for plug-and-play. I'm leaning toward the P6 just because I'm not sure the extra money is worth it for the Feickert, but I wanted to consider my options if I wanted to spend more.
In general, I dislike thinking of these things in terms of budget. It's hard to compare $1500 turntables when price is determined by so many variables, including import taxes. So I was looking for tables that represented a good "value" in various price brackets and these two stuck out to me. |
Import taxes is the wrong word. Tariffs, I think, is what I'm looking for. |
@mijostyn - I was looking at the OL MK3A tonearm if I went with the Feickert.
@jjss49 - I'm leaning heavily toward the Rega if I go this route. I will take a look at the black cube. Thanks for the suggestion! Are there other plug and play competitors to the Rega P6 you would suggest I look at?
Elliot - Thanks very much for the detailed response. I've seen those reviews on the Feickert and they are certainly concerning. For those reasons and the price differential I am leaning toward the Rega. As far as sticking with the LP120, one reason I want to upgrade i that the 120 is loud. I often listen at low volume and the motor sometimes overpowers the music. Since you prefer direct drive, are there any you would recommend?
@Glupson - Thank you.
@ millercarbon - I'm in the U.S. I'm not looking to avoid import duties as I am likely getting an import. The point I was trying to make is that using budget as a guide seems highly flawed given the many and variable inputs that comprise a given table's market price. |
@elliot btw I just looked at that photo of your TT--looks awesome! |
Wow. Tons of great posts in this thread. Thank you all very much. Let me try and respond:
@p05129 - The sprout is great and works well with the Totems. As for whether this is a "starter," it’s hard to say. I’ve had my AT-LP120 for five years and have been slowly amassing a collection. So I don’t think I’m necessarily a newb, but I haven’t upgraded anything since getting the Totems so I am new in the sense of upgrading and perhaps its a starter system that is beyond entry level.
@deadhead1000 - what I spend here won’t impact my future speaker purchase one bit. Glad to know you loved your Totems! Since you are happy with your P6, why would you upgrade if you used it more? Do you find it to be "good enough" or is it a price/quality equilibrium for what you were willing to spend given your listening habits?
@rockyboris - I have two questions for you. Why didn’t you ultimately go with the Feickert? And if you love the P6 why would I want to upgrade it? Just curious.
@guy-incognito - since I am assuming you listen to your dad’s system as well, are there noticeable differences between your setup and his? Maybe this is a loaded question since I don’t know what else is in your chain.
@ocean2059 - what made you choose the Jelco over the OL arm? Also, you mention that the table is stable. So you’ve not had any of the issues that the two reviews noted above experienced?
@liamowen - I too want to leapfrog the sideways upgrading I see a lot of folks doing. However, I’m not sure I’m ready to jump all the way to a P10. When you say you had the RP6, is that the old one or the new P6?
@tastypeter - wow, that is quite an endorsement coming from someone with such an expensive main TT. What phono stage did you ultimately pair the Volare with? Also, are you happy with the OL arm, and did you consider any others (I see some people opt for the Jelco)? I actually had a very long conversation with Kat, which is what made me seriously consider this option. She also has the Sutherland. I agree, it speaks volumes. And yes, having a wife who enjoys this hobby makes it so enjoyable. In fact, she is the one who got us into it!
@yogiboy - I do have my LP120 plugged into the Sprout’s phono section (labeled "vinyl") but since the LP120 has a built-in phono stage I don’t think that can be bypassed. I could be wrong.
I notice from this thread that there is perhaps a divide between MM and MC, with some strongly suggesting I move to a more expensive MM while others welcoming an MC. My thinking here is that if I was going to buy a new phonostage, I wanted to get one that would work with both so I would have flexibility in the future. Other than cost, are there any downsides to switching to an MC at this point?
Finally, in a weird twist of fate, I actually bent the stylus on my cartridge this evening. I had a spare AT95e and did my first ever cartridge change. It was slightly terrifying but it went well. I can definitely see the value of a removable headshell now as @rauliruegas mentioned. |
@sandthemall - Why do you suggest the PS Audio Stella Phono? It seems like a $2500 phonostage would be vastly out of place in my system. Also, from browsing the forums, it seems like PS Audio as a brand is pretty controversial. It's interesting that you recommend them because I actually emailed them about pairing the Stellar with my Sprout100, and the response I got was that I should insteadtrade in my Sprout for a Stellar Strata. I frankly found that a bit odd given that the person responding didn't even know what speakers I had. |
@sandthemall - gotcha. My mistake. I've been seeing that stellar phono pop up in discussions everywhere and assumed that's what you meant.
@kahlenz - glad to hear you think the KC Vibe is awesome!
@kennyc - I seriously considered the UltraDeck, but my local dealer said hey have had some issues with it and thought the Rega was a better fit in that price range for me. And just to be clear on the whole import/tariff thing, I have no problem paying that stuff (and since I'm in the U.S. both the Rega and Volare will be imports) I was just using that as one variable that I felt makes discussing purchases using budget as an absolute guide less than ideal.
@co93 - Thanks for the suggestion. Do you have personal experience with the P6? And what do you mean by forgivable? |
@co93 - Thanks for the quick response! Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I'm 95% sure I'm getting the Rega P6 at this point. A lot of really great recommendations in this thread but I ultimately think the Rega is going to be best for my use case. The other 5% of me is thinking about a step up to a P8, but I will not likely do that for several reasons, including that I have a toddler and am pretty sure I need a dust cover that fully closes for the safety of the table.
I'm still not quite sure what to do on phonostage. The KC Vibe mk ii is still the top contender, as I've not seen a single bad comment about Sutherland from anyone, and in the $1000 category I'm not sure whether it is worth overthinking this. But I am intrigued by a tube phono pre since it seems like almost all of you prefer that route. Maybe that will be for another day though. |
@co93 - Yeah I hear you. This is one reason I'm not getting the volare--the museum dust cover just isn't going to work for me. |
Thanks again to everyone for their help and feedback in this thread. I ordered the Rega P6, Sutherland KC Vibe mkii, and the Hana SL cartridge. Also spring for a Tru-lift. I'm really excited for this new setup and, more importantly, to listen to all the great records I've been buying the last month in anticipation of this purchase! As with many others on this forum, I also want to give a big thanks to Kat at Upscale for patiently working with me through this process. |
@madavid0 - I'm not really sure what the point of telling me turntables are a scam when I just posted about upgrading from an Audio Technica to a Rega P6 and Sutherland KC Vibe mkii and noticed a substantial difference in the sound. I think most people are aware of the law of diminishing returns, but that is not my situation. Is your comment in reference to something specific? |
Quick follow up: Everything has arrived and I dropped the needle today. For my first test run, I played the MoFi pressing of Dire Straits, Love Over Gold. Somewhat hilariously, I played it at 33 RPM because I didn't realize how the NEO PSU worked lol. So that was fun. Quick reset, get it going at 45 RPM, and--oh my god. Telegraph Road, dead quiet noise floor, incredible separation, and what I would describe as open space, as if the sound finally had room to breath. I've certainly never heard my Totems sing like that before.
Now, as I mentioned before, my wife and I listen a lot together, but I listened to Dire Straits on my own and did not tell her my impressions. Instead, when I told her it was all ready, I had her pick an album, and she picked the Analogue Productions pressing of The Four Seasons. I drop the needle, and about 5 seconds in her jaw hits the floor. In the end, we both got to experience a tremendous audible improvement in the music.
I also mentioned above that I was going to wait until we get a new house before getting new speakers. I'm still going to wait, but maybe a Rel T7i is in my future to replace my TSC sub.... |
@jjss49 - yeah, when I first responded I didn't see his other post history. I'm good. |
