Turntable Upgrade Help


I have a question about listening to records on my system.  I'm pretty happy with what I have, but I'm wondering if I'm missing something. I have a Cambridge Audio Azur 651R AV Receiver. I have a pair of Quad 23L speakers. My phonostage is a vintage Yamaha C-4 that has been cleaned and recapped. My turntable is an MMF-5 with a Goldring 1042 cartridge with less than 50 hours on it. My big question is about the turntable. Like I said, I like the way that everything sounds, but because this was my first foray into higher quality stereo equipment, I don't have anything with which to compare it. If I upgraded to a Marantz TT15 or something in the 1500 dollar range, would I hear drastic improvements? I look for bargains on some of the dealer markets to get higher end equipment that has been discounted into this price range. As an example, I was just a little late pulling the trigger on a Gold Note Valore 425 SE, which retails around 2000 USD. Would that have made a big difference in sound compared to my MMF? Is there something else in my system that might be a weaker link. I just don't know because I haven't heard anything else.

Thanks,

Jim
boneius

Showing 1 response by reubent

@boneius - Welcome to AudiogoN forums!

So, you're asking about your vinyl rig and looking for potential upgrades. And the MMF-7.3 suggested by @sonicjoy   is certainly a viable option. However, you also asked:
Is there something else in my system that might be a weaker link.

Looking at your setup, I would think the Cambridge Audio Azur 651R AV Receiver might be the weakest link. Admittedly, I have not heard that particular model, so I'm simply basing this opinion on my experience with AV receivers in general. AV/HT receivers have a lot of features built-in. Many of these features are geared toward video functionality and HT codecs, not music sound quality. So my question would be this: Do you need all of that functionality that an AV/HT receiver provides, features such as 7 channels of amplification, video switching, HDMI inputs, digital format decoding, am/fm stereo tuner, etc.? If not, you might get a bigger boost in sound quality by upgrading the AV receiver to a quality Integrated amplifier. You will lose the tuner, all of the video switching , extra channels of amplification and HT digital inputs. However, you would likely get better 2-channel sound quality.

Sorry if I went off subject a bit. But I think it might be a better first upgrade. That is, if you don't need the AV/HT functionality that is built into your current receiver. If you do need/want the HT funtionality, proceed with the TT upgrade.