Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

Dylanfan253 said:
If after I’ve lived with the new AT VM95ML I decide it’s not as desirable as I would like what should I consider next? I don’t know the best way to articulate it but I would like something that sounds generally like the Grado but that doesn’t hum. The AT is new and I may grow to like it, but if not I would like to start researching now. The AT does not hum and seems to handle surface noise with noticeably more grace then the Grado. The AT also seems significantly better when it comes to minimizing inner groove distortion.
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I'll reiterate @HiFi Guy's statement, give the AT some time. I really enjoy mine, just getting passed the 20 hour mark and it's filling in a little more. That being said, I'm on the Grado bandwagon as well, but the PLX 1000 setup was specifically to scratch the itch of different cart manufacturers I might want to try. I think that our need for instant gratification sometimes gets in our way, I'm guilty of it and had to really set myself straight and give not only my cart/s time to "simmer in", but everything else as well. Give everything time to burn in, find an LP you can go back to that you're really familiar with and play that periodically to see if it sounds any different, as things warm up you'll start to hear things that you didn't before.........patience ;)
 
HiFi Guy said:
I've seen conflicting info regarding the Pioneer. Some say it hums with a Grado, some say it doesn't. I used an A/T moving coil with mine once I ditched the Ortofon 2m Bronze, and it was really nice.

The Nagaoka MP-500 seems to be a terrible value proposition here- $699 and not a discount to be found. If I was spending that, I'd likely get a Grado Statement Sonata ($600 before discount- $400 with a Grado woody trade in which I'd have) or possibly a Soundsmith Carmen closeout ($999 discounted to $699).
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The nagaoka are £500/550 for the 300/500. The sonata 2 is about the same as the 500 but I’m not sure if 10g on it or the 9.2g on the soundsmith (most expensive at £749)are a bit heavy for the lightweight arm on my table? Also the cost of a full new cart every year rather than a stylus swap is off putting.
 
Joe Mac said:
The nagaoka are £500/550 for the 300/500. The sonata 2 is about the same as the 500 but I’m not sure if 10g on it or the 9.2g on the soundsmith are a bit heavy for the lightweight arm on my table? Also the cost of a full new cart every year rather than a stylus swap is off putting.
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The weight will be an issue for you for sure.

I get the whole replaceable stylus thing. With a Grado, they'll sell you a new cartridge at a discounted price. Then you have 2 weeks to return your worn cartridge to your dealer. No down time.

Soundsmith- it has to go back to them first so they can rebuild your existing cartridge. Down time of course applies.
 
HiFi Guy said:
The weight will be an issue for you for sure.

I get the whole replaceable stylus thing. With a Grado, they'll sell you a new cartridge at a discounted price. Then you have 2 weeks to return your worn cartridge to your dealer. No down time.

Soundsmith- it has to go back to them first so they can rebuild your existing cartridge. Down time of course applies.
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Pro-ject do sell a 75g weight for my table which supposedly allows 11g plus carts but my reading seems to still suggest that a heavier cartridge isn’t a good idea with a lightweight tonearm like mine. Is that right?

The other issue with both of those of course from here is the Atlantic ocean. They are both good deals but I’ve not seen that Grado deal offered over here and if im paying for transatlantic postage (plus extended downtime) with soundsmith it begins to lose its shine and you effectively need to have two so you can rotate them every year and send the one that’s off the table back for rebuild. I’m very happy with the Grado gold now and will do the 8mz next year but long term I’m itching to keep trying something else.
 
Joe Mac said:
I didn’t think there was a Grado hum issue with the pioneer? From what I remember @Chucktshoes has been running a gold on it for a while. I know my next move is a stylus swap to the 8mz on the gold. Longer term I have a nagging to try out the Nagaoka Mp300/500
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Yep. I’m still running the Gold. Getting closer to the 8MZ swap, but don’t have a hum. I do run the BJ LC1s as well and think I just landed with good synergy between my components. Still need to replace that blown up iPhono 2.
 
Chucktshoes said:
Yep. I’m still running the Gold. Getting closer to the 8MZ swap, but don’t have a hum. I do run the BJ LC1s as well and think I just landed with good synergy between my components. Still need to replace that blown up iPhono 2.
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Yeah May is my gold anniversary and I’ll be getting an 8mz stylus on it then. Looking forward to hearing this get better!
 
Joe Mac said:
Also the cost of a full new cart every year rather than a stylus swap is off putting.
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This was, actually still is a concern for me as well. But, I think it boils down to finding that "perfect for you" cart, if any of the higher end carts deliver a sound that just makes you grin from ear to ear and you couldn't be happier, then the cost might be worth it. The problem with that is you need to be able to try it and see if it's all that and a bag of chips and then decide if the cost jump is worth the audible "payback"......point of diminishing returns yet again.

Ever since I started the "End Game" journey the unavoidable thoughts of "what if" concerning better always pops into my head, but I think you need to put some limits on that as well, if for nothing else, your own sanity. The second system wasn't part of the master plan, but since pieces were hung onto during the up-grade path, and solid savings opportunities came along, it was an easy thing to move forward on. Why mention this? Well, I've been asked "why two systems" and the initial honest answer was to play around with other carts when I want to with the least amount of hassle, but the side effect, as it were, is that I'm finding some of my lesser pressings sound much better on the PLX system (It's just more forgiving), so will this cut down on the time put on the main systems cart? Will that expand the life of that more expensive cart on the main system so It's not an annual replacement?

I'm by no means telling anyone the solution to their problem is putting together a second system, but honing in on what you want from an audible stand point taking the upfront cost as well as long term "maintenance" costs into concideration.

I know this went a little off topic, but I get asked this a lot lately and I think it all boils down to the same thing, It's all a very personal thing if not a financial question at it's core. Having started off with an Orbit system and grown into what I have now, I can tell you without hesitation that a really good sounding system can be had for under a $1k, if not less, that can be deemed "audiophile" quality....IMO, I really think the hardest part of this hobby is deciding what it is you're looking for and then accepting that without the FOMO ;)
 
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Joe Mac said:
Pro-ject do sell a 75g weight for my table which supposedly allows 11g plus carts but my reading seems to still suggest that a heavier cartridge isn’t a good idea with a lightweight tonearm like mine. Is that right?

The other issue with both of those of course from here is the Atlantic ocean. They are both good deals but I’ve not seen that Grado deal offered over here and if im paying for transatlantic postage (plus extended downtime) with soundsmith it begins to lose its shine and you effectively need to have two so you can rotate them every year and send the one that’s off the table back for rebuild. I’m very happy with the Grado gold now and will do the 8mz next year but long term I’m itching to keep trying something else.
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You'd be fine with the optional 75 gram weight. My experience is that if you like the Gold2, you'd be thrilled with a Reference series Grado. I've got the much lower output Statement series, which isn't a good match for many phono stages. That's partly how I landed on Sutherland- it's flexibility allows one to use a wider variety of cartridges including the Grado Statement series.

I get the whole thing with Soundsmith and needing a backup cartridge. Peter is always busy, so the turnaround isn't quick. He rebuilt/upgraded a Dynavector cartridge for me years ago and does beautiful work.
 
I don’t plan on ditching the AT and I know it will continue to change as it is used. My experience with the Grado and HUM was constant with my Uturn and with my Pioneer and it was eliminated immediately and entirely (to my perception) when I connected the AT I made no other changes to my setup.
 
Dylanfan253 said:
I don’t plan on ditching the AT and I know it will continue to change as it is used. My experience with the Grado and HUM was constant with my Uturn and with my Pioneer and it was eliminated immediately and entirely (to my perception) when I connected the AT I made no other changes to my setup.
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Interesting, I had a Grado Black and Gold on my UTurn and never had a hum.
 
AnthonyI said:
Interesting, I had a Grado Black and Gold on my UTurn and never had a hum.
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Now I’m very curious as to what may have caused the hum. I do remember it was always there with my orbit when I used my AVR as well as when I started to use the NAD integrated. I know for sure the closer the orbit got to the amp it increased the hum. I’m using LC-1 interconnects, I tried different outlets on different circuits, I also have tried unplugging everything else connected to the circuit that my gear is on. None of these perceivably changed the hum. So what should I try next if it’s possible it’s something else causing it and not the Grado cart I’d to try to troubleshoot
 
Dylanfan253 said:
Now I’m very curious as to what may have caused the hum. I do remember it was always there with my orbit when I used my AVR as well as when I started to use the NAD integrated. I know for sure the closer the orbit got to the amp it increased the hum. I’m using LC-1 interconnects, I tried different outlets on different circuits, I also have tried unplugging everything else connected to the circuit that my gear is on. None of these perceivably changed the hum. So what should I try next if it’s possible it’s something else causing it and not the Grado cart I’d to try to troubleshoot
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You mention the LC-1s. Are you also running a ground wire on the pioneer from the ground terminal to the ground terminal on your phone stage/amp?
 
Dylanfan253 said:
Now I’m very curious as to what may have caused the hum. I do remember it was always there with my orbit when I used my AVR as well as when I started to use the NAD integrated. I know for sure the closer the orbit got to the amp it increased the hum. I’m using LC-1 interconnects, I tried different outlets on different circuits, I also have tried unplugging everything else connected to the circuit that my gear is on. None of these perceivably changed the hum. So what should I try next if it’s possible it’s something else causing it and not the Grado cart I’d to try to troubleshoot
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Possible ground loop? Do you have a cheater plug?
 
The saga continues. I got the new Marantz setup today and it’s pretty great but it confirmed that one of the speakers is defective and it was not just a shitty signal chain in the old receiver. Fortunately the amazon return process is painless and I get the new one Thursday and can reuse the box (I cut the old ones up for record mailers lol) to ship the defective one back free of charge By Jan 14.
 
one question involving my upgradeitis (trying to get more midfi).. if i replace a cartridge on a uturn orbit will that mess up the antiskate at all? because i know you cant just manually adjust antiskate
 
duke86fan said:
one question involving my upgradeitis (trying to get more midfi).. if i replace a cartridge on a uturn orbit will that mess up the antiskate at all? because i know you cant just manually adjust antiskate
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The Uturn doesn't have an adjustable antiskate, but you it's not a major worry if you're sticking with carts in the same tracking force and weight range of their stock cart options.
 
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