twl - Thank you for the "thumbs up" for my choices; I'm sure upgraditis will set in at some point down the line, but from what I have read and heard, I will be happy with this combo for quite some time. Chris of Teres also suggested that I use your mod for the OL Silver tonearm! Now I have to find the Denon 103R cartridge. I have found the cartridge at AudioCubes. Is there any other place that sells them new for the US market?
$800 Cartridge Shootout and Upgrade Path
I am putting together an analog system, starting with the cartridge. I like a well-balanced sound with a slightly lush midrange and excellent extension at the frequency extremes. The cartridge should be a reasonably good tracker. Here are my choices:
1. Dynavector Karat 17D MkII
2. Shelter 501
3. Sumiko Black Bird
4. Grado Statement Master
5. Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood
Which one comes closest to my wish list? Which one would you choose?
Here are the upgrade cartridges to the above list, one of which would be purchased later:
1. Shelter 901
2. Benz Micro L2
3. Grado Statement Reference
4. Koetsu Black
Which one comes closest to my wish list? Which one would you choose?
Now, which turntable/tonearm combination (for new equipment up to $4,500) would you choose to handle a cartridge from the first group and the upgrade cartridge from the second group?
Any help you can provide is greatly welcomed. Thanks!
Showing 8 responses by oakiris
Atar - still waiting to find out what you finally purchased. Like you, I started with a $3000 budget and have gone over it by about $3000! Now I need to get realistic and find out what I can actually afford - as in, make do with now and upgrade later. Still, the Teres 255 is at the top of my "must have" list. This thread has been extremely informative. I have so very much to learn.... |
Maybe Atar is so sunk into audio bliss with his new system he has forgotten all about Audiogon and the fact that lots of people are waiting in suspense for his final decision. I came very late to this thread, but sure would like to know what he ended up with - if only to help me with my own decisions. :-D Holly |
Artar - sorry about misspelling your name several times. :-o Glad to know you are still in the universe. The Asian tsunami is indeed a major catastrophe - the death toll is over 125,000 now. I agree that it certainly puts in perspective the search for audio nirvana in the face of such a tragedy. You have built yourself a very nice system; I hope your enjoyment of audio returns. What cartridge did you end up getting? (I mean, that WAS the focus of this thread, right?!? :-) I know, it went rather far beyond the cartridge.) I visited Chris at Teres Audio yesterday and I have actually decided on the Teres 160 turntable with an Origin Live Silver tonearm. Not sure about the cartridge yet - I may have to get "cheap & cheerful" until I can afford something better. We'll see! |
Dsiggia - I'm looking forward to the time - hopefully this month - when I can actually begin buying the equipment on my wish list! I'm still toying with the idea of getting the ZYX R100H cartridge, too, but know I should be practical and get the Denon cartridge instead. I am indeed looking for a phono stage for my system. I have considered the EAR 834, as well as a Cary, the K & K kit (but I don't think I have the skills to build it :-( ) and various others, but haven't made a decision as yet. I seem to prefer the tube sound - wish they weren't so expensive! I certainly don't mind buying used from a trusted Audiogon seller. I'll have to see what is available when I actually have the $$$ in hand! And then there are the IC cables I need. And no rich uncles to be had in my family! |
Artar - Thank you for your comments about my future purchases! I have spoken (via email!) with Doug about the ZYX cartridges; he has also recommended the Denon 103R. And now I seem to have added the Shelter 501 into the mix! I will make up my mind at some point. I think I will probably stick with the Denon cartridge as it seems to be very well respected and liked by many, and I will be able to upgrade next year, or....Plus I can spend more on the rest of the set up. As far as "cheap & cheerful" goes, I wasn't referring to the Teres turntable. It alone takes up most of my original budget, but my original budget flew out the window several weeks ago! :-~ The OL Encounter tonearm is way more than I can spend; I will stay with the OL Silver (hopefully the earlier version so I can apply Twl's HiFi tweak.) As far as the phono stage goes, I have looked into the Wright products and I am impressed by them. I like the Cary's, too, but they seem to be a lot more expensive. I'm still keeping an eye out for used phono stages, too. Well, however I go, I need to make sure they will work with MC cartridges, as that seems to be the way I am headed, so I'll have to get a step-up transformer, too. What are the "VA Cables?" Sorry - I did a google search and couldn't find these. Does any one use and like the Homegrown Audio cables? HGA cables I'm pretty new at this and probably should do some more research. I mean, I don't know what the difference is between "balanced" cables and those that are, what, unbalanced?!? :-o Glad you were able to make all your decisions, Artar. Like you, retirement isn't all that far off for me, but I really want to have a good audio system set up before then. I may not be able to travel after I retire (if I can even retire) but I sure will be able to stay home and listen to music! Holly |