Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

That’s something that so many have gotten messed up and confused and it irks me. That style of deck that was born with the Technics SL 1200 was designed for audiophile purposes. It was the ability of it to produce such great sound in admittedly less than ideal conditions, that led to it being adopted by DJs. A well-built DJ deck is an audiophile deck because those qualities are what makes it valuable to the DJ.
The DJ catgeorization got sullied by the Numark/Vestax/Stanton legion of tables that sacrificed a lot of audiophile features to deliver a high torque and reversible platter specifically for heavy cueing and scratching (and the stylii built for that purpose are specifically not outstanding).
 
I seriously struggled with whether to get this deck. I actually envy the spare headshell holder. No joke, I chose an actual 1200 for the hinged dustcover more than anything. If this deck had a hinged cover I would have one of those now instead. I am choosing to believe that the 1200 will demonstrate better longevity in the 30 year time span I'm expecting to use it.

One niggle that I kept running acrosst was that the shorter tonearm made achieving certain geometries very dependent on specialty headshells.
Creature comforts are always going to play into the choices we make, I've always removed the dust cover on any and all TTs, so that didn't bother me at all and I had already known I was going to be grabbing the Jelco head shells going in, again, you go with what checks off the most boxes for you. I just wanted to reiterate the PLX's place in the grand scheme of things ;)
 
The DJ catgeorization got sullied by the Numark/Vestax/Stanton legion of tables that sacrificed a lot of audiophile features to deliver a high torque and reversible platter specifically for heavy cueing and scratching (and the stylii built for that purpose are specifically not outstanding).
And when I was involved in that world, all of the legit DJs that I knew viewed those decks with the same disdain the vast majority of us view the Crossley tables. sure, they’re cheap entry points, but that they’re not good.
 
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trying to optimize your upgrades (amp, preamp, cartridge), as much as possible is kinda hard, grado aparently has a tracking problem but aparently ortofon are too bright and goldring is tempting but costs a good amount more money and i dunno if i'll have 200 to buy a full new cartridge especially when my turntable is already so cheap i might as well bump up to the 750 dollar turntable range when my turntable is 300. plus i dunno whether to do a magni 3+ or a liquid spark because the spark has a kind of tube preamp like sound which could be useful but it also could be bad if i get a new preamp that might have a tube that might overdo things so brain confused.. where are the "what to do" quizes when you need them
 
trying to optimize your upgrades (amp, preamp, cartridge), as much as possible is kinda hard, grado aparently has a tracking problem but aparently ortofon are too bright and goldring is tempting but costs a good amount more money and i dunno if i'll have 200 to buy a full new cartridge especially when my turntable is already so cheap i might as well bump up to the 750 dollar turntable range when my turntable is 300. plus i dunno whether to do a magni 3+ or a liquid spark because the spark has a kind of tube preamp like sound which could be useful but it also could be bad if i get a new preamp that might have a tube that might overdo things so brain confused.. where are the "what to do" quizes when you need them
Can’t please all the people all the time. There’s no “right” answer. Grado doesn’t work with everything so you have to figure out if it works with your setup. If you’re planning on upgrading your TT then I wouldn’t really buy a cart now until you know what TT you would upgrade to. You want to make sure that A) the new TT doesn’t have any motor hum with the Grado or B) the tone arm is a good match. This applies for any cartridge though.

Your ears will hear things differently than other people since people like different things. Some people swear by Ortofon, others swear by Grado, others swear by other carts. I’d say give a think to what you like best sonically—do you prefer bass? Do you like more midrange? Warmer sound? Something less affected?

And are you not happy with your current setup? What do you want to improve sound-wise? It’ll drive you crazy to try to chase the perfect sound or always be upgrading...
 
If you’re planning on upgrading your TT then I wouldn’t really buy a cart now until you know what TT you would upgrade to.
that upgrade is not for a good while.. at least a year or two.

do you prefer bass? Do you like more midrange? Warmer sound? Something less affected?
i like a clear mid for vocals and a lot of detail retrieved but still clearly a warmth to make the music fun.

And are you not happy with your current setup? What do you want to improve sound-wise? It’ll drive you crazy to try to chase the perfect sound or always be upgrading...
im mostly fine besides the fact that with the 58X and the powered speakers it feels like some songs end up fairly muffled on vocals, which can be fixed with a cartridge and amp upgrade. its just i dont want to stay at a low tier all the time, i need to make some kind of spending goal and my goals are the cartridge (which my stylus is probably dying anyway), the preamp (a maybe decision) and the amp (liquid spark or magni 3+), plus i guess i just always feel kinda like i need to make it all better in some way.. to reach a kind of drugged out bliss
 
that upgrade is not for a good while.. at least a year or two.


i like a clear mid for vocals and a lot of detail retrieved but still clearly a warmth to make the music fun.


im mostly fine besides the fact that with the 58X and the powered speakers it feels like some songs end up fairly muffled on vocals, which can be fixed with a cartridge and amp upgrade. its just i dont want to stay at a low tier all the time, i need to make some kind of spending goal and my goals are the cartridge (which my stylus is probably dying anyway), the preamp (a maybe decision) and the amp (liquid spark or magni 3+), plus i guess i just always feel kinda like i need to make it all better in some way.. to reach a kind of drugged out bliss
I’ll keep you posted on how the Grado goes for me. Just installed the Gold 3 today but so far the bass is much nicer than my Ortofon Bronze and it has a lot of detail from the few albums I spun with it so far. The Ortofon Bronze and even the lower models are nice carts too and people generally like Ortofons. I switched because I have only had ortofons and wanted to hear something new and was due for an upgrade.

Others can correct me if I’m wrong but an amp might be your next best move for now. I’d recommend something that has an upgrade path later if you want a separate preamp. Not super familiar with either of the options you mentioned outside of just knowing them by name though.

I know this has been said before but this is supposed to be fun. Don’t get caught up in what you think you should be hearing or spending or anything like that. I think chasing what you’re looking for is just going to end up in disappointment. You’ll always want to spend more and buy new things and think you don’t have the best of the best. Small upgrades are fine. I don’t know what kind of drugged out bliss you’ll find in any audio setup to be honest. But I do think if you upgrade some things here and there you might be happier with your setup.
 
Others can correct me if I’m wrong but an amp might be your next best move for now. I’d recommend something that has an upgrade path later if you want a separate preamp. Not super familiar with either of the options you mentioned outside of just knowing them by name though.
i just need one that can power headphones stronger.. some theorized that my muffled sound might be because the powered speakers have too high an output impedance, from what i hear the magni 3+ has a more fun sound than the analytical heresy and the liquid spark has an almost tube preampish sound from what some said... both seem good choices and they are the same price and thats the hard part
 
New cartridge arrived today. All pictures of a Grado Gold show the screws pointed down with the nuts on the underside. The nuts supplied with the headshell and from grado are both the same size. However, there is not enough clearance between the shaft of the screw and the cartridge body to fit the nuts without them being shoved against the cartridge and splaying the screw shaft.
 
New cartridge arrived today. All pictures of a Grado Gold show the screws pointed down with the nuts on the underside. The nuts supplied with the headshell and from grado are both the same size. However, there is not enough clearance between the shaft of the screw and the cartridge body to fit the nuts without them being shoved against the cartridge and splaying the screw shaft.

Picture? Because they should fit.

4488F7CA-7A07-4CA5-B81D-32D658DA8B48.jpeg
 
I think you have a “nut point” up against the cartridge body. Loosen and move the nut to a “flat” and hold the nut stationary and tighten the screw.
Yes, I was turning the screw and not the nut and was going for the flat side against the cartridge. The screw had turned the nut somewhat. I straightened it out and the splay was less but still not perfectly straight. Initial impressions are not staggering. There’s a pretty big difference in sound but the 2M Red definitely does Julia Jacklin’s vocals substantially better. Grado is getting a better balanced sound and way more texture out of the music. I was expecting night and day improvement in every way with zero points for the Red but the Red is coming out as the value proposition of the century considering the price difference.

The Grado is superior and growing on me by the minute but it did not make the Red suddenly sound like something I never want to hear again. That said, the Red is harsh in comparison but for certain vocals the Grado feels rather muted in comparison. It does look like I could benefit by raising the tone arm a shade which may make a difference? Interested to see how break in affects sound as well.
 
Yes, I was turning the screw and not the nut and was going for the flat side against the cartridge. The screw had turned the nut somewhat. I straightened it out and the splay was less but still not perfectly straight. Initial impressions are not staggering. There’s a pretty big difference in sound but the 2M Red definitely does Julia Jacklin’s vocals substantially better. Grado is getting a better balanced sound and way more texture out of the music. I was expecting night and day improvement in every way with zero points for the Red but the Red is coming out as the value proposition of the century considering the price difference.

The Grado is superior and growing on me by the minute but it did not make the Red suddenly sound like something I never want to hear again. That said, the Red is harsh in comparison but for certain vocals the Grado feels rather muted in comparison. It does look like I could benefit by raising the tone arm a shade which may make a difference? Interested to see how break in affects sound as well.

I've noticed that setup is very important for the grado, It can't be off a little bit or you'll notice a difference. When I leveled my tone arm I noticed a major difference in sound and even said earlier in the thread after I got mine that my INXS Kick album sounds better with my 2m blue.

Edit: and aligned the cart.
 
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Yes, I was turning the screw and not the nut and was going for the flat side against the cartridge. The screw had turned the nut somewhat. I straightened it out and the splay was less but still not perfectly straight. Initial impressions are not staggering. There’s a pretty big difference in sound but the 2M Red definitely does Julia Jacklin’s vocals substantially better. Grado is getting a better balanced sound and way more texture out of the music. I was expecting night and day improvement in every way with zero points for the Red but the Red is coming out as the value proposition of the century considering the price difference.

The Grado is superior and growing on me by the minute but it did not make the Red suddenly sound like something I never want to hear again. That said, the Red is harsh in comparison but for certain vocals the Grado feels rather muted in comparison. It does look like I could benefit by raising the tone arm a shade which may make a difference? Interested to see how break in affects sound as well.
Having made that exact same transition, I have to believe that something is off in your set up. On my system it is straight up a night and day difference. Transition between the two carts does require me to adjust every setting of the tonearm. Counterweight, VTA, and anti-skate all must be adjusted on my PLX.
 
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Yes, I was turning the screw and not the nut and was going for the flat side against the cartridge. The screw had turned the nut somewhat. I straightened it out and the splay was less but still not perfectly straight. Initial impressions are not staggering. There’s a pretty big difference in sound but the 2M Red definitely does Julia Jacklin’s vocals substantially better. Grado is getting a better balanced sound and way more texture out of the music. I was expecting night and day improvement in every way with zero points for the Red but the Red is coming out as the value proposition of the century considering the price difference.

The Grado is superior and growing on me by the minute but it did not make the Red suddenly sound like something I never want to hear again. That said, the Red is harsh in comparison but for certain vocals the Grado feels rather muted in comparison. It does look like I could benefit by raising the tone arm a shade which may make a difference? Interested to see how break in affects sound as well.

The value proposition winner would be the Grado Black3, but that’s a different conversation.

Your cartridge is brand new. Give it 20-25 hours, then revisit the 2m Red. The difference won’t be subtle. You might just prefer the Ortofon. Cartridges are a personal preference. But new out of the box isn’t what a cartridge sounds like once it’s got some hours on it.

As far as VTA, Grado recommends the face of the cartridge be 90 degrees to the record surface. That’s how mine is set. If you want to experiment, raising the arm will add treble. Lowering the arm will add bass.
 
Yes, I was turning the screw and not the nut and was going for the flat side against the cartridge. The screw had turned the nut somewhat. I straightened it out and the splay was less but still not perfectly straight. Initial impressions are not staggering. There’s a pretty big difference in sound but the 2M Red definitely does Julia Jacklin’s vocals substantially better. Grado is getting a better balanced sound and way more texture out of the music. I was expecting night and day improvement in every way with zero points for the Red but the Red is coming out as the value proposition of the century considering the price difference.

The Grado is superior and growing on me by the minute but it did not make the Red suddenly sound like something I never want to hear again. That said, the Red is harsh in comparison but for certain vocals the Grado feels rather muted in comparison. It does look like I could benefit by raising the tone arm a shade which may make a difference? Interested to see how break in affects sound as well.

Oh wow thats a pity. The blue made me think that about the red. The grado made me thing the blue deserved nul points. maybe after its broken in you'll find a sweet spot?
 
Yes, I was turning the screw and not the nut and was going for the flat side against the cartridge. The screw had turned the nut somewhat. I straightened it out and the splay was less but still not perfectly straight. Initial impressions are not staggering. There’s a pretty big difference in sound but the 2M Red definitely does Julia Jacklin’s vocals substantially better. Grado is getting a better balanced sound and way more texture out of the music. I was expecting night and day improvement in every way with zero points for the Red but the Red is coming out as the value proposition of the century considering the price difference.

The Grado is superior and growing on me by the minute but it did not make the Red suddenly sound like something I never want to hear again. That said, the Red is harsh in comparison but for certain vocals the Grado feels rather muted in comparison. It does look like I could benefit by raising the tone arm a shade which may make a difference? Interested to see how break in affects sound as well.

What tracking force are you running? I run mine at 1.65 grams.
 
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