Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

[duke86fan]

Ok the Pick-It 2M Silver is only slightly better than the 2M Red but it's certainly not as bad as I expected based on all the negative comments on here.

more "objective" based people dont like the red because its too bright, and the audiotechnica VM95e is only like 50 bucks (im guessing partially because audiotechnica does almost no marketing on their products)

and some just prefer the sound of say a grado or a nagaoka or goldring or soundsmith

 

[Hollywood]

You won’t notice until you compare it to something else.

I agree. I though the red was ok until I heard the blue. Then I realised just how much it was leaving on the table.

Well that makes sense since I have nothing to compare it to other than the 2M Red which of course is very similar in sound. But I honestly thought it was going to sound harsh and that I was going to hate it as much as @Mather did

 

[Rip_City]

the audiotechnica VM95e is only like 50 bucks (im guessing partially because audiotechnica does almost no marketing on their products)

It's $35.

 

[Joe Mac]

Well that makes sense since I have nothing to compare it to other than the 2M Red which of course is very similar in sound. But I honestly thought it was going to sound harsh and that I was going to hate it as much as @Mather did

Haha! You may well hate it with hindsight once you’ve heard the blue and if you experiment with better/different cartridges down the line.

The other thing is you’ve taken a huge leap on table. It should give a much quieter backdrop allowing the sounds to come more to the fore.

 

[Joe Mac]

more "objective" based people dont like the red because its too bright, and the audiotechnica VM95e is only like 50 bucks (im guessing partially because audiotechnica does almost no marketing on their products)

and some just prefer the sound of say a grado or a nagaoka or goldring or soundsmith

I don’t know of a cartridge manufacturer that is big into marketing? AT are a huge company that produce on a larger scale than most of the others, economy of scale is an enormous part of their relative lower prices

 

[HiFi Guy]

I don’t know of a cartridge manufacturer that is big into marketing? AT are a huge company that produce on a larger scale than most of the others, economy of scale is an enormous part of their relative lower prices

Exactly. A/T makes some amazing cartridges at the prices they sell for.

 

[duke86fan]

It's $35.

it said 49 on their website

I don’t know of a cartridge manufacturer that is big into marketing? AT are a huge company that produce on a larger scale than most of the others, economy of scale is an enormous part of their relative lower prices

i'm pretty sure they do marketing for audiophile magazines and stuff.. if im wrong then i retract that part

 

[Rip_City]

Exactly. A/T makes some amazing cartridges at the prices they sell for.

I have only used the 95e and 95ML and I have no complaints.

I forgot to post a review of my upgraded rig, now that I've had some time to settle in. Will post on my days off this upcoming week.

 

[Hollywood]

Haha! You may well hate it with hindsight once you’ve heard the blue and if you experiment with better/different cartridges down the line.

The other thing is you’ve taken a huge leap on table. It should give a much quieter backdrop allowing the sounds to come more to the fore.

With the X2 I'm getting a much quieter experience for sure. For starters no hum and no acoustic feedback not to mention low resonance due to a thicker and much heavier plinth (22 lbs). As well I'm getting better speed stability therefore the overall enjoyment is already far superior than the entry-level Debut Carbon.

 

[Joe Mac]

it said 49 on their website


i'm pretty sure they do marketing for audiophile magazines and stuff.. if im wrong then i retract that part

Yeah I suppose that’s just such a small specialist market that I don’t think of it as “marketing” as such in the same way as it’s not really attempting to get the name/product into a wider consciousness.

 

[HiFi Guy]

it said 49 on their website


i'm pretty sure they do marketing for audiophile magazines and stuff.. if im wrong then i retract that part

The simple fact is that A/T is a much larger company than Ortofon. In addition to cartridges, Ortofon sells arms, cables and step up transformers. A/T sells inexpensive turntables, microphones, headphones, mixers etc. Their much larger economy of scale really works in the consumers’ favor.

As an example, you can get an A/T cartridge with a nude elliptical stylus for $119. Ortofon’s base offering with the same stylus profile is $236.

But that’s only part of the story. The top of the line Nagaoka MP500 can be had here for $699. Its MI, has an advanced stylus profile and a Boron cantilever- very light but very stiff. The 2m Black is the “equivalent” Ortofon, at $755. But it isn’t equivalent. It’s a higher mass MM design with an aluminum cantilever. Nagaoka is a much smaller company than Ortofon, so economy of scale doesn’t account for the differences. It just means the Ortofon is overpriced.

 

[duke86fan]

Yeah I suppose that’s just such a small specialist market that I don’t think of it as “marketing” as such in the same way as it’s not really attempting to get the name/product into a wider consciousness.

eh just agree or disagree about what the definition of marketing might be.. but there is definitely money done in putting it on so many pro-ject turntables and so many magazines

EDIT: or it could just be a higher price because of things like importing or just being overpriced

 

[Mather]

Well that makes sense since I have nothing to compare it to other than the 2M Red which of course is very similar in sound. But I honestly thought it was going to sound harsh and that I was going to hate it as much as @Mather did

Yeah I mean, I'm also using a system that skews bright rather than warm currently so anything that adds brightness is very noticeable. It might not be as big of an issue on a warmer system.

 

[Joe Mac]

With the X2 I'm getting a much quieter experience for sure. For starters no hum and no acoustic feedback not to mention low resonance due to a thicker and much heavier plinth (22 lbs). As well I'm getting better speed stability therefore the overall enjoyment is already far superior than the entry-level Debut Carbon.

Wait until you get a better phono. And then before you know it in a couple of years you’ll have an a box full of glowing valves powering your speakers

 

[Hollywood]

Wait until you get a better phono. And then before you know it in a couple of years you’ll have an a box full of glowing valves powering your speakers

I may also be separated by then.

 

[Joe Mac]

I may also be separated by then.

But Mrs H, can’t you just feel the music...

 

[HiFi Guy]

I may also be separated by then.

Play your partner’s favorite records. It goes a long way.

Also, divorces are painful. Moving my tube monoblocks (at the time) almost threw my back out.

 

[LiamGallaghersBucketHat]

I wish modern tables had a different look to them. They all have the same style.

 

[HiFi Guy]

I wish modern tables had a different look to them. They all have the same style.

While I don’t agree, I think you’ll agree that what I lust after doesn’t look like a modern table- because it isn’t.

 

[LiamGallaghersBucketHat]

While I don’t agree, I think you’ll agree that what I lust after doesn’t look like a modern table- because it isn’t.

Pro-Ject, Rega, Music Hall, Clearaudio Concept, and even MoFi all have that minimalist look to them. That’s what I mean.
I don’t even know what table that is but it looks fun!