Turntables and Vinyl

[Smokin Joe]

I've seen a few audiophiles posting around the forum and I am hoping to tap some experience. I'm going to dust off old vinyl and put together a good stereo system. I've checked out some audio blogs but generally get lost what discussion gets to watts and ohms.

First question: had anyone tried the Rega P3 or Project Debut? They seem like good turntables at the mid-range.

Second question: I'd planned to get a separate pre-amp and amp on the advice that one piece of kit doing one job gets a better result. Then I heard the Rega Elex-R integrated pre-Amp/Amp and was pretty impressed. Has anyone had experience with the Elex-R and does the integration cause any serious compromises?

[GavLew79]

I'm not an audiophile, but I have a Facebook friend who deals in the best apparently. 

http://www.artizan.audio/index/

The SME turntable and arm won an award at the Swiss High End show I think. 

 

 

[luvdunhill]

The Rega P3 (especially the newer P3-24) is a great choice!

[mwaller]

5 hours ago, luvdunhill said:

The Rega P3 (especially the newer P3-24) is a great choice!

Agreed.  Rega makes great sounding tables.  If you're inclined to tinker, there are also many aftermarket upgrades available. 

I have a P3-24 that has been heavily modified.  It has always been an incredible sounding table. I can't imagine being disappointed with P3-24 or newer Planar 3.

Unless you are trying to squeeze out the N'th degree of refinement from your sound system, go with an integrated amp.  There is no practical reason to purchase a separate preamp and power amp unless you are in love with the sound of a particular component that is not offered in integrated form.     

[Smokin Joe]

8 hours ago, GavLew79 said:

I'm not an audiophile, but I have a Facebook friend who deals in the best apparently. 

http://www.artizan.audio/index/

The SME turntable and arm won an award at the Swiss High End show I think. 

 

 

Hey Gav. Thanks for the link. The reviews on the SME turntables are great.

[Smokin Joe]

8 hours ago, luvdunhill said:

The Rega P3 (especially the newer P3-24) is a great choice!

I was definately leaning toward the P3. The design and sound seem rock solid. Have you had any experience with Rega amps?

[Smokin Joe]

3 hours ago, mwaller said:

Agreed.  Rega makes great sounding tables.  If you're inclined to tinker, there are also many aftermarket upgrades available. 

I have a P3-24 that has been heavily modified.  It has always been an incredible sounding table. I can't imagine being disappointed with P3-24 or newer Planar 3.

Unless you are trying to squeeze out the N'th degree of refinement from your sound system, go with an integrated amp.  There is no practical reason to purchase a separate preamp and power amp unless you are in love with the sound of a particular component that is not offered in integrated form.     

Cheers Mwaller. The integrated amp is pretty great as far as I can tell. I do like to tinker though. Maybe I can try feeding in something like a valve pre-amp into the Line jacks down the track.

Do you have a preference for speakers?  I've been looking at the Elac and Focal bookshelves so far.

[thinkinaboutu]

I own a Rega P3. It's fantastic, and highly reccomended!!!  Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Here is my set-up:

 

Rega P3>Schitt Mani (Phono) > Audio-Gd NFB-28 > Emotiva A-300 > Buchardt Audio S300 MKII

 

I chose the NFB-28 because it has balanced input and output, as well as a DAC. This means I can output to with my balanced headphones (HD-800s), or my speakers, and use either my laptop or the turntable as an input.

 

[mwaller]

1 hour ago, Smokin Joe said:

Cheers Mwaller. The integrated amp is pretty great as far as I can tell. I do like to tinker though. Maybe I can try feeding in something like a valve pre-amp into the Line jacks down the track.

Do you have a preference for speakers?  I've been looking at the Elac and Focal bookshelves so far.

I prefer bookshelf-type speakers with a powered sub-woofer.  I think this gives you have more flexibility with speaker placement, and it doesn't tax your amplifier with the job of producing the lowest tones.  This is especially helpful with tube-based gear, which generally doesn't offer the same level bass punch that solid-state can.  My personal speakers are rather esoteric pair of AudioMachina CRM II monitors paired with a REL subwoofer.    

I don't have any direct experience with either ELAC or Focal, but an audiophile friend of mine recently got a pair of the ELAC Debut monitors and was very impressed with them.  He is particularly sensitive to 'bright' sounding speakers, so I gather the ELACs are fairly neutral in this regard.  From what I've read, Focal tends to have a brighter sound. 

Good luck, and let us know if you have any more questions!               

[Smokin Joe]

11 hours ago, thinkinaboutu said:

I chose the NFB-28 because it has balanced input and output, as well as a DAC.

Thanks TAU. I'm locked into the Rega3.

I'm think I'll look at a separate DAC that I can link in. Back to the music store on the wknd to make some choices.

Your Buchardt speakers have some great writeups. I haven't seen them in Melbourne but am going to have a poke around.

[Smokin Joe]

11 hours ago, mwaller said:

Good luck, and let us know if you have any more questions!               

Really appreciate it. I'm deep in the rabbit hole now. Every time I think I know what I'm looking at I realise there are 6 other nuanced options.

[Nino]

Old Rega Planar, A&R Cambridge amp and Wharfedale speakers here plus ca. 700 LP's ...

Quite happy with the set-up, still working fine after all these years

 

 

[garbandz]

There is a setup available to accurize your needle cartridge called Accutrac (k).

Local high end stereo shop did all of my friends' tables in the day,and the process can make a low or  mid range cost needle cartridge outfit sound like a million.

Look around older stereo shops and you might find someone who can do this,worth the effort.

[thinkinaboutu]

11 hours ago, Smokin Joe said:

Your Buchardt speakers have some great writeups. I haven't seen them in Melbourne but am going to have a poke around

They are absolutely phenomenal! They just released a new version that's a bit more expensive $100-200, but they look even more incredible.

 

You wont be finding them in any local store though. The Buchardt model is to go direct-to-consumer. By doing that, they save a lot of money since their isn't any mark-up on the speakers from the retailer. In exchange, they offer free shipping and returns, so you can try them out risk free. I would highly recommend them. Paired with their speaker stands, they are absolutely stunning in terms of looks, and their sound is definitely next level. I listened to a big variety of speakers at my local shop, and everything under 2k didn't even come close.

[Smokin Joe]

21 hours ago, garbandz said:

Accutrac

Alright I'll check it out. Ta mate.

[Blackham]

If you plan on switching the cartridges often, use a tweezer instead of your fingers. If the phono wires are damaged on the Rega you probably need to replace the whole set of wires which is a pain to do so. I currently have the Denon 103 (for vocal) and 301 MK2 (for jazz) on the rotation. The DL110/160 is nice too. Benz Glider is magical if your budget (and your phono stage) allows

 

[GavLew79]

On 06/11/2017 at 10:03 PM, Smokin Joe said:

Hey Gav. Thanks for the link. The reviews on the SME turntables are great.

I can put you in touch if you like?

[Smokin Joe]

Just to follow up I eventually went for the Rega P3, the Rega Elex-R and Focal Chorus 706 speakers. The sound is pretty phenomenal especially given the Focal speakers are bookshelves.

What I like is that I can mess around with preamps and speakers when curiosity and the budget allow. Thanks for the advice all.

[luvdunhill]

Yay for the Rega! How is it working out?

[Blazer]

Looks great, congrats! All this vinyl talk may get me spinning more often.

[Andrew@Hobart]

Also congratulations on assembling a good solution!

'Audiophile' sound systems can be very expensive as the components rise massively in cost when you start to look at certain brands often making them unobtainable for most HiFi enthusiasts. The middle ground is often where the bargains are. To pick up on the comment from Blackham, I agree that you can find yourself leaning toward certain cartridges for particular types of music meaning a cartridge swap is often required in a listening session (especially if you have others over who request a variety of music styles). In saying that, do consider an Ortofon Black MM cartridge for your tone arm. It's exceptional for the price point and often out performs moving magnet cartridges that are 3-4 times more expensive and provides a good compromise for most music styles.

Regards

 

[Warren]

I love the old stuff. I have built up a little Akai 70's system and it cost me bugger all.

The tuner amp I paid $90 for and had to get it repaired for about $300, still a bargain.

The tape deck I paid $150 for, sounds fantastic.

The turn table belonged to my father and I replaced the drive belt and cartridge, also added a platter weight.

I'm currently playing with an Akai reel to reel tape deck that someone gave me.

You don't have to spend a fortune to have some fun. 

[Andrew@Hobart]

Hi Warren

I agree on the older gear. It has a certain look and feel that suggests you are actually getting something for your money. Especially those classy lit 'VU' meters.

I am a fan of the old Luxman 'Laboratory Reference Series' equipment but use a mixed bag of Lux gear that has been restored. Most of these items are 40 years+ old so need some attention to keep running. Current system setup has a Lux PD444 dual-arm turntable with a pair of Grace G-707 tonearms with a Ortofon Blue cartridge on one and a Nagaoka on the other. Both are Moving Magnet so no transformer is required. Pre-amp is a Lux CL32 with matched and balanced Mullard valves. Amps are a pair of Lux B-12. Speakers are a pair of Martin Logan SL3's which are magic. All were second-hand pieces picked up over time but restored, they sound fantastic.

Cheers

[Luca]

Here is a pic of my little setup. I have another Technics also that I need to fiddle with. I am really enjoying playing my records!

[Smokin Joe]

On 26/01/2018 at 10:36 AM, luvdunhill said:

Yay for the Rega! How is it working out?

Couldn't be happier. The P3 and Elexr are on constant rotation. I've repurchased bunch of music I had on CD and keep being amazed by the depth of the sound.