They are willing to give me a loaner for a couple of days but I am a bit skeptical about it which is why I posted - to get your collective feedback. I need to decide if it is worth the pain of setting up, etc. The dealer also said that the Sumiko Blackbird is a bad match for the Rega P25 because the P25 does not allow VTA (like all Rega's). A smaller issue than replacing a $5-6K Amp but still I wonder about that one also. Any thoughts on this TT/Cart match? Thanks for the feedback so far.
I walked into a dealer and got a shock....
I walked into a local Hi-Fi dealer with what I thought was just a turntable (Reaga P25 with Sumiko Blackbird Cart) needing minor repair. My vinyl sound has been a bit thin and the platter was making a grinding noise at startup and sometimes needing a push to get the platter moving. I described the rest of my system (Pro-Ject Tube Box SE II, Linn Kollektor, Mac MC402, Dali MS5's) and the size of my room (14x16) and the fact that the CD playback (Marantz DV7600)
It was suggested that my system was not matched and basically "too much electronics for a room that size". They recommended I replace the Linn preamp and the Mac Amp with an Audio Research VSi55 integrated (tubes). The price of the AR is about half of what I paid for the items that would be replaced. I understand price does not always equal performance. But I am shocked, especially since I just bought these items. Any thoughts on this suggested combination?
It was suggested that my system was not matched and basically "too much electronics for a room that size". They recommended I replace the Linn preamp and the Mac Amp with an Audio Research VSi55 integrated (tubes). The price of the AR is about half of what I paid for the items that would be replaced. I understand price does not always equal performance. But I am shocked, especially since I just bought these items. Any thoughts on this suggested combination?