Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

Mather said:
Sorry yes, CAD. I've asked him but I'm just guessing it'll be in that range. I know the speakers could obviously be upgraded but I think with the sub it adds some of the low end that those speakers may be missing on their own so I feel like the stage wins out.
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Those two should fall below that. I think they’re around 300 and 500 US before shipping.

I also think the amp and speakers are pretty well matched on that system and the biggest factor holding it back will likely be the built in phono stage.
 
Mather said:
Okay so I have an upgrade question for my friend who currently has the forum approved vinyl starter kit with a couple of additions.

Fluance w/Nag 150
Onkyo 8020
Elac Debut 2.0 speakers
Mission sub

Where do you guys think the upgrade path starts here? He just upgraded the cart to the Nag. I know the Fluance can handle a lot of cart so that seems fine, the Onkyo can handle more than he's throwing at it I think, so that seems fine. I'm thinking speakers or phono stage? Do you agree and if so do you have opinions on some options that will provide a good upgrade above current specs? I'm asking him about budget but for the sake of argument let's say $1000.
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Ya, second vote for the phono stage for sure.
 
Mather said:
It's honestly mindboggling to me what these speakers can do with mediocre to bad pressings. The amount of dynamics and staging and imaging that they can pull out of some of my worst vinyl is astonishing. That awful Titanic Rising pressing actually sounds fantastic. Yes the mastering still sucks but the amount of punch and depth that these are able to instill in pretty much every aspect of the the songs is stunning.
I have a Mars Volta Frances The Mute bootleg which is very well done, but it's still a bootleg and definitely has a flatness to it. Or at least it used to. It honestly sounds like a remaster now. If someone put it on and told me it was an old Mofi I'd believe them. It's absolutely INSANE how much better these are sounding in terms of the depth and dynamics. I can tell I've entered a different caliber of speaker with these. I really like my Revels and they have a wonderful tibre to them, but these eviscerate them. But they're also 3 times the price so that's not exactly shocking.
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Sounds like your on the road from being a audiophile to a music lover, welcome to the the club!
 
Technics SL1500C or Rega Planar 3? I don't need the built in pre amp of the Technics but I would miss auto return which it appears the Rega doesn't have.

These are the best/word decisions.
 
stephen said:
Technics SL1500C or Rega Planar 3? I don't need the built in pre amp of the Technics but I would miss auto return which it appears the Rega doesn't have.

These are the best/word decisions.
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Technics all day. Rega’s are mad overpriced on the US market.

Edit: Has the Technics 100C made it to the US yet? It’s the same table as the 1500C but without the preamp and with a different cartridge for a bit less. If that’s available that’s where I’d go.
 
Mather said:
Well, I mean I was a very not audiophile DJ before this so I've been a music lover a lot longer than I've been an audiophile... I'm not sure that's ENTIRELY fair hahaha
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NIGHTmather will be raiding your credit card for a pair of 1210's and a mixer to plug into the L100's before you know it. The L100's will thrive and demand more 12"s. You'll quickly make the transition to Audiophile DJ, but you might have to build an extension to house all the records.
 
Last update on the Mahi's. After some time with them... They're clear and powerful but sweet not strident anywhere. This is true even at lower volumes. BUT when you dig into them by turning up the volume things don't ever get harsh. The sound just gets bigger and bigger.

Love it!
 
Mather said:
Okay so I have an upgrade question for my friend who currently has the forum approved vinyl starter kit with a couple of additions.

Fluance w/Nag 150
Onkyo 8020
Elac Debut 2.0 speakers
Mission sub

Where do you guys think the upgrade path starts here? He just upgraded the cart to the Nag. I know the Fluance can handle a lot of cart so that seems fine, the Onkyo can handle more than he's throwing at it I think, so that seems fine. I'm thinking speakers or phono stage? Do you agree and if so do you have opinions on some options that will provide a good upgrade above current specs? I'm asking him about budget but for the sake of argument let's say $1000.
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+1 phono pre. That's a nice little system which would take an audible leap with anything in that price range.
 
Mather said:
Okay so I have an upgrade question for my friend who currently has the forum approved vinyl starter kit with a couple of additions.

Fluance w/Nag 150
Onkyo 8020
Elac Debut 2.0 speakers
Mission sub

Where do you guys think the upgrade path starts here? He just upgraded the cart to the Nag. I know the Fluance can handle a lot of cart so that seems fine, the Onkyo can handle more than he's throwing at it I think, so that seems fine. I'm thinking speakers or phono stage? Do you agree and if so do you have opinions on some options that will provide a good upgrade above current specs? I'm asking him about budget but for the sake of argument let's say $1000.
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Another +1 on the phono stage. I have the Onkyo A-9010 and there was a very noticeable jump once I shoved a Musical Fidelity phono stage into the mix.
 
Hi, I am interested in some opinions.

I currently amplify my Dual CS 506-1 turntable with a Technics SA-EX140 receiver/amp and while it is low end it has good power and sounds ok for my personal taste. My speakers are vintage B&W DM110 and I am happy with those as well as the TT. My cartridge is currently AT-VM95E.

The Technics receiver unfortunately has started making a low internal hum, my guess from the power supply, and I don't think it's worth repairing so I would like to upgrade and see if an amp with better specs will give me better sound. Plus I want a mono switch which my current amp lacks.

I am wondering which of these is a better option in terms of cost vs. improvement in sound, while also allowing me to get a mono summing option (budget <$500 USD):
  • Replace the Technics receiver with an integrated amp, probably an older one to fit my budget
    • Lots of integrated amps on eBay but most are very expensive for something scratched & beat up, might have to buy something that needs minor repair, I would be ok with that
    • Mono switch requirement makes vintage NAD an attractive option, "attractive" being a subjective term with NAD but I do like them
-or-
  • New phono preamp, keep the Technics for amplification
    • Only phono preamp that I have found so far with a mono switch is the Music Hall PA2.2
-or-
  • Really smart third option that I have not considered yet
Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.
 
hahahaha_totally said:
Hi, I am interested in some opinions.

I currently amplify my Dual CS 506-1 turntable with a Technics SA-EX140 receiver/amp and while it is low end it has good power and sounds ok for my personal taste. My speakers are vintage B&W DM110 and I am happy with those as well as the TT. My cartridge is currently AT-VM95E.

The Technics receiver unfortunately has started making a low internal hum, my guess from the power supply, and I don't think it's worth repairing so I would like to upgrade and see if an amp with better specs will give me better sound. Plus I want a mono switch which my current amp lacks.

I am wondering which of these is a better option in terms of cost vs. improvement in sound, while also allowing me to get a mono summing option (budget <$500 USD):
  • Replace the Technics receiver with an integrated amp, probably an older one to fit my budget
    • Lots of integrated amps on eBay but most are very expensive for something scratched & beat up, might have to buy something that needs minor repair, I would be ok with that
    • Mono switch requirement makes vintage NAD an attractive option, "attractive" being a subjective term with NAD but I do like them
-or-
  • New phono preamp, keep the Technics for amplification
    • Only phono preamp that I have found so far with a mono switch is the Music Hall PA2.2
-or-
  • Really smart third option that I have not considered yet
Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.
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The only thing I have to add is that you can buy an external mono switch if that's preventing you from looking at some newer amp options!
 
hahahaha_totally said:
Hi, I am interested in some opinions.

I currently amplify my Dual CS 506-1 turntable with a Technics SA-EX140 receiver/amp and while it is low end it has good power and sounds ok for my personal taste. My speakers are vintage B&W DM110 and I am happy with those as well as the TT. My cartridge is currently AT-VM95E.

The Technics receiver unfortunately has started making a low internal hum, my guess from the power supply, and I don't think it's worth repairing so I would like to upgrade and see if an amp with better specs will give me better sound. Plus I want a mono switch which my current amp lacks.

I am wondering which of these is a better option in terms of cost vs. improvement in sound, while also allowing me to get a mono summing option (budget <$500 USD):
  • Replace the Technics receiver with an integrated amp, probably an older one to fit my budget
    • Lots of integrated amps on eBay but most are very expensive for something scratched & beat up, might have to buy something that needs minor repair, I would be ok with that
    • Mono switch requirement makes vintage NAD an attractive option, "attractive" being a subjective term with NAD but I do like them
-or-
  • New phono preamp, keep the Technics for amplification
    • Only phono preamp that I have found so far with a mono switch is the Music Hall PA2.2
-or-
  • Really smart third option that I have not considered yet
Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.
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If you’re looking for a phono stage the Darlington labs ones that have been gaining loads of love around here have an optional mono switch. If the power supply is gone in the amp I don’t see what good changing the phono would do to stop that being an issue though sorry.
 
Joe Mac said:
If you’re looking for a phono stage the Darlington labs ones that have been gaining loads of love around here have an optional mono switch. If the power supply is gone in the amp I don’t see what good changing the phono would do to stop that being an issue though sorry.
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Thank you, sorry I was not fully clear about it - the amp is working, and the internal hum does not seem to affect the sound from the speakers. I don't know if the power supply is failing or not, but if it is I do understand that a separate phono stage can't fix that. I had been thinking about upgrading this amp for a while and I've just noticed this hum, thought it would be a good excuse to move forward with the upgrade. But before I do, I wanted to try to get a handle on whether the biggest improvement in sound here would lie in the phono stage only, or if replacing the whole amp is a better path forward.

I will take a look at Darlington, I clearly have more homework to do here in order to figure out my next move. Thanks again for adding your thoughts!
 
hahahaha_totally said:
Thank you, sorry I was not fully clear about it - the amp is working, and the internal hum does not seem to affect the sound from the speakers. I don't know if the power supply is failing or not, but if it is I do understand that a separate phono stage can't fix that. I had been thinking about upgrading this amp for a while and I've just noticed this hum, thought it would be a good excuse to move forward with the upgrade. But before I do, I wanted to try to get a handle on whether the biggest improvement in sound here would lie in the phono stage only, or if replacing the whole amp is a better path forward.

I will take a look at Darlington, I clearly have more homework to do here in order to figure out my next move. Thanks again for adding your thoughts!
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Phono stages are, in my experience are really underrated separates and a good one makes a substantial difference. The Darlington ones have made enough noise around here to suggest that they’re good.

A separate phono like that is likely going to be an upgrade over any built in an amp sub $500 too so it’d be something that you could totally bring with you if you were going to run the technics for a bit but with an eye on an upgrade in the nearish future.
 
hahahaha_totally said:
Thank you, sorry I was not fully clear about it - the amp is working, and the internal hum does not seem to affect the sound from the speakers. I don't know if the power supply is failing or not, but if it is I do understand that a separate phono stage can't fix that. I had been thinking about upgrading this amp for a while and I've just noticed this hum, thought it would be a good excuse to move forward with the upgrade. But before I do, I wanted to try to get a handle on whether the biggest improvement in sound here would lie in the phono stage only, or if replacing the whole amp is a better path forward.

I will take a look at Darlington, I clearly have more homework to do here in order to figure out my next move. Thanks again for adding your thoughts!
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So the hum is within the amp and not being amplified through the speakers? Is it always there, or just when you're on the phono setting?
 
Russ I said:
So the hum is within the amp and not being amplified through the speakers? Is it always there, or just when you're on the phono setting?
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It's always there when the amp is on regardless of input setting or volume, it's very low & quiet and it starts from the second I turn on the amp, even before the relay clicks. This strange hum is not amplified through the speakers as far as I can tell. 2 feet away from the amp you cannot even hear it.
 
hahahaha_totally said:
It's always there when the amp is on regardless of input setting or volume, it's very low & quiet and it starts from the second I turn on the amp, even before the relay clicks. This strange hum is not amplified through the speakers as far as I can tell. 2 feet away from the amp you cannot even hear it.
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Could be transformer hum?
 
hahahaha_totally said:
If that were the case, would the hum intensity increase with volume? Currently it does not seem to do so.
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No transformer hum doesn’t increase with volume. It’s an actual physical hum inside the unit caused by a transformer vibrating. It can be caused by a messy electricity signal having elements of DC on the AC signal.
 
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