You might want to quit reading Fremer then.
Seriously, $150 is what- 6-8 new albums? It's not bad at all to make every album you own sound better.
Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice
- Thread starter Joe Mac
- Start date
You might want to quit reading Fremer then.
Seriously, $150 is what- 6-8 new albums? It's not bad at all to make every album you own sound better.
duke86fan
Well-Known Member
i'm mostly looking for mid-fi (high quality but generally cheap)....You might want to quit reading Fremer then.
Seriously, $150 is what- 6-8 new albums? It's not bad at all to make every album you own sound better.
i mean i dunno if that much money for a stylus and not a cartridge is too much (also because i didn't realize the grado black stylus cost 50 dollars.. i thought it was like a 20 buck replacement)
Any time you buy a cartridge, the vast majority of what you pay is for the stylus. The Ortofon 2m Red stylus is $87.
duke86fan
Well-Known Member
i thought the cartridge is what creates the sound (because they help convert the sound and stuff).... is it all just looks and shit...
also what does an 8Mz stylus do
Chucktshoes
Well-Known Member
And it will still sound like shit.
displayname
Well-Known Member
If you're looking at $100 cart with a $90 replacement stylus, you really shouldn't be too afraid of a $150 stylus.
The cartridge is just an electric generator, creating a low voltage signal from the movement of the cantilever. The shape of the diamond on the stylus allows the stylus to more (or less) actually track the groove. But in those few pieces, there are endless variables in materials, design, build quality, etc. All of which greatly effects the sound.
But remember, the stylus itself is the only part of the chain that actually touches the record.
The stylus and the cartridge work together. The stylus sends vibrations from the grooves which the cartridge body changes from mechanical energy to electrical energy- a generator. It basically works like a speaker in reverse- a speaker changes electrical energy from the amplifier into vibrations that cause the cones to move.
The better the stylus can trace the record grooves, the better your sound and the lower your record wear. There's really not much difference between the $50 stylus on your Grado vs the $87 stylus for the Ortofon. The Grado sounds better (IMO) because the generator in the Grado is superior (again IMO) to that of the Ortofon. They are different types of generators between the two- they both do the same thing but work differently.
The 8MZ is the most advanced cut of diamond (Hyperbolic) that will fit the Prestige series body. It will trace the grooves better, offer lower wear and sound better than the elliptical diamond you have now. Many have reported that the Black with the 8MZ sounds better than the Gold with the Gold stylus.
Dtknuckles
Well-Known Member
I have a Tivoli bookshelf system and there has always been something that has been bothering be about the bass. I've notice that it is kind of boomy in the bass. There appears to be some distortion in the low range. It is not a rattle, but more like the bass is imbalanced. Some of the low frequencies are at higher volumes than others. Anyone familiar with this? It's not consistent across all my records, but I feel like I have noticed a pattern. Mostly acoustic bass on ECM albums.
A system upgrade is a long way out since most of my listening is done with headphones, but I wanted to check in here before even thinking about investing. I need to get a cleaning system and jackets before I do that.
A system upgrade is a long way out since most of my listening is done with headphones, but I wanted to check in here before even thinking about investing. I need to get a cleaning system and jackets before I do that.
Im familiar with the Tivoli. It was a much better sounding alternative to a Bose Wave radio. And for a table top radio with an optional CD player, it's not bad at all.
But being a compact system, it does have limitations that honestly the target audience for it would never notice. And it's limited as far as what you can do to improve it. Like zero.
Considering it has a 4" drivers, it works admirably. But a small driver can only move so much air.
It sounds like you are ready for something better. The good news is it doesn't have to cost a ton of money. If you are patient, there are deals to be had.
displayname
Well-Known Member
The best advice I can offer is to remember that you have your entire life to play with audio. It's better to wait for upgrades you really want rather then making small or minimal moves. Yes, upgraded gear is exciting, but if you over stretch your budget, it's also a potential stress.
I think if you're looking to get gear, your first question should be "could I keep this for 5 years?" If the answer is no, just wait until you find something you could keep for that long. You might not if you have opportunities to make upgrades, but if you go in with that attitude you tend to find yourself enjoying your system rather than picking it a part.
And believe me, I know all about the upgradeitis. I got to hear what an $18,000 amp can do for even a $2000 speaker this weekend. Yeah, it makes we want that amp. Obviously. But I know I can't swing it now, maybe ever. So I remember that if I still want it (or something similar) down the road, it'll still be there.
Dtknuckles
Well-Known Member
Would this be a limitation that is typical of the system that people wouldn't notice?
Yea I've been running it through a project phono pre and a project debut. I'd like to keep that part of the system. Are there active speakers out there that would be an upgrade? Also thinking bookshelf.
Unfortunately most people don't listen critically or actively anymore. Tivoli made a great product for someone that wanted a simple device for background music. It's not high fidelity.
I'm not well versed at all on amplified speakers. Again you will be painting yourself into a corner should you decide you'd like to upgrade in the future.
I'd look towards an Onkyo TX-8020 receiver and a pair of Elac B5 speakers. The B6 would be even better, but they are larger.
Dtknuckles
Well-Known Member
That's only a 5-6 hundred $ investment. I could swing that sooner than I thought. (meanwhile the wife is texting me about another kid)
Chucktshoes
Well-Known Member
Then you might want to hurry.
Dtknuckles
Well-Known Member
Worst case scenario. I got nine months. I may have to do some overtime this summer.
Dylanfan253
Active Member
I also like my AT VM95ML it seems to be a high value item especially because it seems over the short time I’ve Had it that it is forgiving with surface noise and I have noticed little to no inner groove distortion both are criteria are noticeably improved over my previous grado black/black
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
It's definitely more forgiving
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
It's definitely more forgiving
And the grado is much more forgiving of surface noise that the ort blue. By quite a distance actually!