Incoming! The New Equipment Thread

Nice! I bet you're gonna love it. The tables are so nicely designed for precise set up.

Was the Kenwood direct drive?
yeah already love the 1200 and i've had it less than 48 hrs., but it will never replace the love i have for the Kenwood so much memories/nostalgia my first vinyl love.it's what got me into vinyl and when functioning properly a excellent direct drive table been with my family since the mid '70s.
 
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yeah already love the 1200 and i've had it less than 48 hrs., but it will never replace the love i have for the Kenwood so much memories/nostalgia my first vinyl love.it's what got me into vinyl and when functioning properly a excellent direct drive table been with my family since the mid '70s.
The folks on Vinyl Engine can be helpful in troubleshooting turntable problems.
 
like i mentioned in my profile post i've been having issues with my Kenwood KD-5033AF man love that turntable has been in my family longer than i've been alive.unfortunately the kenwood started developing a speed issue that has gotten really bad within the past few yrs..i've tried everything i could do to fix it short of soldering a new speed control board which i do not have the skills to do.my local shop is way backed up has a 6 month to a yr. wait just to get equipment repaired.anything that would interest me in a new/modern turntable i would not ever be able to afford living on a fixed income.i was really starting to get disheartened with the vinyl hobby that i love.i finally managed to save up and buy this Technics SL1200MK2 in mint condition for a really great deal.
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Nice! Hope that works out for you.
 
Well I did one more thing. I’ve been wondering if I can get a performance boost by using a step up transformer and setting my Duos for MM. I’m currently running at 58dB gain. I’m thinking if I reduce the gain to 40dB, I’ll lose whatever noise comes along with the extra 18dB of gain. Also, if if I ever want to run MM, all I have to do is unplug them. No opening the Duos to change settings. Simple.

These are vintage early ‘80s Sony transformers. I like that they plug straight into the inputs on the phono stage. No extra RCA cables needed.

I did a lot of research and where I would have chosen 1:10 ratio, the research says I need 1:20 for my MCs, giving me 66 dB of gain. More than I’d normally do but the 26 db from the Sonys are totally passive, so no noise.

Also, the input on the Manley is passive, and there’s a big volume difference in the output of my phono stage and my DAC. This will fix that.


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Awww, man. Reading @HiFi Guy ’s Le Son cartridge review using the SUTs with the Duo has now got me hankering to unbox my SUT to try it with the Insight. Inquiring minds want to know…. 😂
 
The folks on Vinyl Engine can be helpful in troubleshooting turntable problems.
Very true. I fixed (restored may be a big word in absence of recapping and other circuit repairs) two vintage turntables, a Sansui and a Denon, following the directions found on VE (and Audiokarma, another good source). Used them trouble free for years after.
I would give it a try.
 
So this was purely a splurge. I keep seeing used CD’s at a bargain price, and then then I rip them to my NAS, managed by a Roon Nucleus, and stream around the house. Buuuut, I kinda wanted to play the shiny frisbees. So, I got a great deal on an Audiolab 6000CDT from HiFi Heaven, and now it’s here. Last toy with a plug for awhile. It is solidly made, sounds good (going coax to my Denafrips Pontus II), and I’m playing CD’s like it’s 1999.

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I gotta order that new rack soon.
 
So this was purely a splurge. I keep seeing used CD’s at a bargain price, and then then I rip them to my NAS, managed by a Roon Nucleus, and stream around the house. Buuuut, I kinda wanted to play the shiny frisbees. So, I got a great deal on an Audiolab 6000CDT from HiFi Heaven, and now it’s here. Last toy with a plug for awhile. It is solidly made, sounds good (going coax to my Denafrips Pontus II), and I’m playing CD’s like it’s 1999.

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I gotta order that new rack soon.
I considered the audio lab transports. An open box deal, the pretty, and the drawer loading were what eventually made me go with the marantz. It’s cool to hear different dacs as well.
 
I considered the audio lab transports. An open box deal, the pretty, and the drawer loading were what eventually made me go with the marantz. It’s cool to hear different dacs as well.

A lot of it depends on the DAC you’re already running too. It’d take a lot of money to buy a player with a DAC as strong as the denafrips, makes perfect sense to just get a transport in that situation.

Although I get the drawer, not a fan of slots. That said I’m loving the top loader with its little clamp too, feels a bit like the vinyl ritual…
 
I considered the audio lab transports. An open box deal, the pretty, and the drawer loading were what eventually made me go with the marantz. It’s cool to hear different dacs as well.
My last stand alone CD spinner was a mid ‘90’s Adcom 5-disc carousel I bought new. I still have that up in the attic somewhere. It’s been at least 8 years since I had it in the system, so I can’t compare sound quality, but I don’t remember it having near this level of build quality. The drawer on the Ascom was its weakest link. Plastic, noisy, I was always waiting for it to break (never did). The slot load on this Audiolab seams pretty solid. And quiet.

What I was really drooling over was something like a top load Jay’s Audio, but I really couldn’t justify it.

It’s fun listening to some of my old CD’s. Now go rock out on your Marantz!
 
My last stand alone CD spinner was a mid ‘90’s Adcom 5-disc carousel I bought new. I still have that up in the attic somewhere. It’s been at least 8 years since I had it in the system, so I can’t compare sound quality, but I don’t remember it having near this level of build quality. The drawer on the Ascom was its weakest link. Plastic, noisy, I was always waiting for it to break (never did). The slot load on this Audiolab seams pretty solid. And quiet.

What I was really drooling over was something like a top load Jay’s Audio, but I really couldn’t justify it.

It’s fun listening to some of my old CD’s. Now go rock out on your Marantz!

I do love my Jay’s Audio, even if it was a really big splurge…
 
Just saw and heard a pair of JBL C50 in the wild. Twin 15" cabinets. First time ever and at a little antique store around the corner from my house. Asking price is $7K but it's 50% off in their moving sale. Didn't take pictures but they looked - and sounded - pretty clean. Anybody need some warehouse sound filling speakers? ;)
 
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Putting together a minimalist system for some friends. After some research, bought a pair of Triangle Borea BR03s and a WiiM Amp. The Triangles are pretty little things, and sound surprisingly great for the price. Some folks have spoken poorly of their treble performance, but I’ve had no complaints. A warm, full, perhaps not accurate, but extremely pleasant-sounding speaker. I think they’ll be perfect for vinyl.

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Doing a little break-in!

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Putting together a minimalist system for some friends. After some research, bought a pair of Triangle Borea BR03s and a WiiM Amp. The Triangles are pretty little things, and sound surprisingly great for the price. Some folks have spoken poorly of their treble performance, but I’ve had no complaints. A warm, full, perhaps not accurate, but extremely pleasant-sounding speaker. I think they’ll be perfect for vinyl.

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Doing a little break-in!

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Nice! I’m a Triangle fan. I heard the BR03 a couple of years ago and was impressed so I went a level up in the Triangle offerings and picked up a set of Comete EZ which I think are excellent. Smooth treble, wide soundstage and decent bass. They are outstanding when subwoofer(s) is added.
 
Nice! I’m a Triangle fan. I heard the BR03 a couple of years ago and was impressed so I went a level up in the Triangle offerings and picked up a set of Comete EZ which I think are excellent. Smooth treble, wide soundstage and decent bass. They are outstanding when subwoofer(s) is added.
I'm genuinely impressed, especially at the price. And they look much more expensive than they are - I bought the dark green and oak models, which should go beautifully with any midcentury-styled furniture they might get. I think my friends are going to be thrilled - they're currently listening to music on their TV's built in speakers.

The WiiM Amp has a subwoofer out, so that's always an option for them down the road!
 
Putting together a minimalist system for some friends. After some research, bought a pair of Triangle Borea BR03s and a WiiM Amp. The Triangles are pretty little things, and sound surprisingly great for the price. Some folks have spoken poorly of their treble performance, but I’ve had no complaints. A warm, full, perhaps not accurate, but extremely pleasant-sounding speaker. I think they’ll be perfect for vinyl.

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Doing a little break-in!

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The Fortes make nice speaker stands!
 
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