Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

Chucktshoes said:
Just got home to find that my iFi iPhono 2 appears to have shit the bed. It’s on, but no sound comes through the speakers while it’s attached. Thankfully the Rogue V2 has a decent phono stage that it looks like will be what gets used until I can save up the funds for a Sutherland.
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I’m guessing that my iPhono 2 has been failing for a hot second. The Rogue’s onboard stage doesn’t really sound bad at all in comparison. Also, PLX-> Rogue phono is significantly louder than PLX->iPhono 2-> Rogue Line In.
 
Chucktshoes said:
I’m guessing that my iPhono 2 has been failing for a hot second. The Rogue’s onboard stage doesn’t really sound bad at all in comparison. Also, PLX-> Rogue phono is significantly louder than PLX->iPhono 2-> Rogue Line In.
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Do you have any recourse with iFi for a fix/replacement/refund?
 
Melt Face Molly Drop said:
Do you have any recourse with iFi for a fix/replacement/refund?
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No, it was bought secondhand at the old place. I’m going to open her up and take a look at things and see if I can ascertain what the fried part is. I knew I had a connection that was loose already. So maybe it will be a simple fix. I’m not that heartbroken about it. It’s only accelerating the timeline on a purchase that was already planned. The only crap part is that I was going to sell the iPhono 2 so that I could use the funds for other gear. Oh well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
SanSeattle said:
I have what has been jokingly called the "VMP Starter Kit" (AT-120, Blue Ortofon, Onkyo TX-8020, ELAC 2.0 B6) and a brand new Project Debut III still in the box from last year's holiday sales. Not sure if I should hook that up?

My question is that I'm looking for decent preamp for the above setup. I'm currently using the built in one in the Onkyo which is pretty weak. Any advice for something decent that wouldn't break the bank? I have 2 kiddos under 2 years and money is kinda tight...

Is this one decent or garbage for the scratch?

Thank you for any advice!
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Pro-ject makes an above average low cost phono stage. This one is a safe bet.
 
So, to follow up from the Grado recommendation, and thank you all btw, how far up the line should I go before I stop hearing a difference? Given the limits of my system. And will I hear a reduction in shrillness compared to an Orto blue?
 
Englishbob said:
So, to follow up from the Grado recommendation, and thank you all btw, how far up the line should I go before I stop hearing a difference? Given the limits of my system. And will I hear a reduction in shrillness compared to an Orto blue?
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Yes, the Grado will be noticeably warmer- not shrill at all. @Joe Mac just moved from an Ortofon 2m Blue and prefers the Grado.

I'd advise you go as far as you are comfortable, With your system, I'd go Grado Blue2- $110 where I linked above.
 
HiFi Guy said:
Pro-ject makes an above average low cost phono stage. This one is a safe bet.
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Thank you HiFi Guy! *bows to you in guru following like fashion*

Wanted something decent but felt it didn't make sense to get something that was way higher than the rest of the gear as I'll be "kid poor" for the foreseeable future.
 
Chucktshoes said:
I’m guessing that my iPhono 2 has been failing for a hot second. The Rogue’s onboard stage doesn’t really sound bad at all in comparison. Also, PLX-> Rogue phono is significantly louder than PLX->iPhono 2-> Rogue Line In.
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I remember thinking the Rogue’s soundstage felt a lot smaller than the iPhono2’s. And yeah, it does have an extra 4 or 6db of gain.
 
Englishbob said:
Now i’m Excited ! Is it just a case of tweezers and screwdriver or do I need something else to do the swap? Like for alignment? I have a stylus force gauge.I’ve never done this before and am a nervous nelly about it.
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You need an alignment protractor to align the cartridge too. I put a few tips I was given and a quick instructional video i found helpful in the pro-ject thread.
 
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Englishbob said:
Now i’m Excited ! Is it just a case of tweezers and screwdriver or do I need something else to do the swap? Like for alignment? I have a stylus force gauge.I’ve never done this before and am a nervous nelly about it.
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I apologize if the level of detail is excessive. I'll try to cover the alignment procedure that worked for me. These instructions might sound scary and a bit fiddly, but they weren't too bad when I did it.
  1. Buy or print an alignment protractor. There are 3 styles: Stevensen, Loefgren, and Baerwald. I used a Baerwald on my U-Turn with the new arm, and it's works well. If you print one, measure it to make sure it printed at the right size.
  2. Put your turntable in a work area. Don't plug it in. You'll spend a lot of time staring at the needle from in front of it, so plan for that.
  3. Attach the cartridge and tighten the mounting screws tight enough so it doesn't move on its own, but loose enough that you can push it around. Slide it all the way forward for now.
  4. If you have an anti-skate control, turn it off.
  5. Set the tracking force according to your cartridge's specs or @HiFi Guy's recommendation.
  6. The protractor has two grids. I started with the inner set (closer to the spindle) and drop the needle in the middle of the grid.
  7. Stare down the needle and twist the cart until the needle is straight with the center grid line. Try not to slide the cart back and forth.
  8. Drop the needle in the outer grid and check how it lines up. If it's straight, tighten the screws and drop it in each grid to check if you moved it, then set the anti-skate and start spinning. If it isn't straight, then keep going.
  9. If this is the first round through this, make a note of which way the needle faces. That direction means you need to slide it back, and the other direction means you need to slide it forward. If you're going through this again, use that note to figure out which way the needle needs to go.
  10. Slide the needle a bit in the direction from step 9 and then go back to step 6. Keep at it until it stays lined up on both grids.
 
apholden said:
I apologize if the level of detail is excessive. I'll try to cover the alignment procedure that worked for me. These instructions might sound scary and a bit fiddly, but they weren't too bad when I did it.
  1. Buy or print an alignment protractor. There are 3 styles: Stevensen, Loefgren, and Baerwald. I used a Baerwald on my U-Turn with the new arm, and it's works well. If you print one, measure it to make sure it printed at the right size.
  2. Put your turntable in a work area. Don't plug it in. You'll spend a lot of time staring at the needle from in front of it, so plan for that.
  3. Attach the cartridge and tighten the mounting screws tight enough so it doesn't move on its own, but loose enough that you can push it around. Slide it all the way forward for now.
  4. If you have an anti-skate control, turn it off.
  5. Set the tracking force according to your cartridge's specs or @HiFi Guy's recommendation.
  6. The protractor has two grids. I started with the inner set (closer to the spindle) and drop the needle in the middle of the grid.
  7. Stare down the needle and twist the cart until the needle is straight with the center grid line. Try not to slide the cart back and forth.
  8. Drop the needle in the outer grid and check how it lines up. If it's straight, tighten the screws and drop it in each grid to check if you moved it, then set the anti-skate and start spinning. If it isn't straight, then keep going.
  9. If this is the first round through this, make a note of which way the needle faces. That direction means you need to slide it back, and the other direction means you need to slide it forward. If you're going through this again, use that note to figure out which way the needle needs to go.
  10. Slide the needle a bit in the direction from step 9 and then go back to step 6. Keep at it until it stays lined up on both grids.
Click to expand...

@Englishbob let me add a few things:

After you unplug the power from the turntable, use blue painters tape to hold both the protractor and platter into place. You don't want anything moving around on you while you are trying to align the stylus. It'll make things far easier for you and leaves no residue when removed.

You can print an alignment protractor or get an inexpensive one from eBay. I'd recommend the MoFi Geo Disc though. It's $50- but a one time purchase. I've had mine 30 plus years and have used it countless times. It makes alignment super easy.

Set tracking force for 1.65 grams. Align after setting tracking force, not before.

Make sure your headshell is level left to right when looking from the front. You can get an inexpensive bubble level from Amazon. If it's off, there's a small screw on the underside of the headshell where it attaches to the arm tube. Loosen slightly and adjust the headshell until it's level. Snug the screw. Don't crank down on it.

This isn't nearly as difficult as it may seem. Take your time. Be patient. If you need me to walk you through it in real time, I can walk you through it by phone.
 
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