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Turntable and cartridge setup known for a marvelous bottom end.

I could use some advice. I am thinking on upgrading my Pro-Ject Classic turntable and Hana SH cartridge. My speakers are Monitor Audio Gold 300's. They go down to 30 which isn't quite a subwoofer spec, but because they are so darn close, I really don't want to complement them with one.

 

What I am thinking is rather that getting a sub, with your help I would upgrade my turntable setup with a turntable and cartridge that has been proven to have a wonderful bottom end.

So far my only guides have been the end of year rating in the audiophile magazines. For the most part these guides are over the place.

The only turntable that shows up in all the audiophile magazines is the very affordable Rega P-10. They all report that it is a splendid turntable, but not once have I heard of anyone marveling over its bottom end. I'd like to keep the $$$ down to around 10 grand. Thanks for your help.

 

The phono stage is Parasound JC3+ going to a Benchmark LA 4 pre-amp to a Benchmark AHB2 power amp.

Thanks

 

marshinski15

Showing 3 responses by lewm

lewm
12,543 posts
 

At 5Hz, any cartridge/tonearm will be at or below its resonant frequency, at which the frequency itself would produce an apparent peak in response.  Furthermore, can one encode a frequency of 5Hz on a record?  I have to wonder how one could measure a true cartridge response at 5Hz.  Seems wishful thinking to me.

lewm
12,543 posts
 

What interests me most is that we most of us think our systems sound great, and yet our systems are so different from one another and were assembled based sometimes on very different, even conflicting beliefs. And yet each of us who feels that he is at the end of a pathway or very near it, is a happy camper.

 

By the way, when a commercial speaker maker tells you his product "goes down to 30" or especially if it "goes down to 20", you ought to take that with more than a grain of salt. The statement is meaningless unless the reference frequency is given along with the db difference between the reference frequency (typically 1kHz) and the low bass limit.   So, a guy could say his speakers "go down to 30", and at 30Hz they might be 10db down from the response at 1kHz.  But because he didn't give the details, he also didn't confabulate (nice word for "lie").

lewm
12,543 posts
 

I am not sure you have asked a "good" question, but my Stanton 981LZS has particularly excellent bass clarity and downward extension.  Really, low bass in the room will depend upon many many other factors, besides the cartridge and TT, not the least of which is the tonearm.

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