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speakers/turntable for Marantz 2325

Hello - longtime lurker and first-time poster. I apologize for adding to the "what should I get" posts, but everyone here seems knowledgeable. After doing a bunch of research, everything sounds kind of intimidating to me.

My dad had a 2325 receiver in the basement that I just had restored and I'm looking to build a stereo system around it (gotta start somewhere).

I listen to everything under the sun and have a large vinyl collection ranging from old caribbean and cuban music to jazz, "indie rock" (such as arcade fire, the national, etc.), old folk and blues...the list goes on.

Anyway, I have a budget of around $3,000. Here's what I'm looking at:

Turntable: VPI Scoutmaster, Rega P5, or Linn LP12. The search has been kind of intimidating. I want something I can set up, not have to mess with often and get a lot of mileage out of (Leaning against the Linn for that reason).

I like the VPI stuff, but is it to "neutral" running through that old tuner?

Would a Scoutmaster or Rega not match the phono output of the Marantz Receiver? I would rather buy used and get more than new and get less...

Speakers: I need bookshelf monitors due to space restrictions. They don't have to be loud, they just have to sound good. Looking at the Epos ELS, Epos M12, Old Advent and AR speakers. I like the look of the vintage speakers, but I'm more concerned with sound.

CD player: for now, I'm going to use the aux function and a portable player and get something serious next year. Right now, just want the turntable and the speakers.

Any thoughts? I have a feeling, as does my girlfriend, that the insanity...the upgrades...the tinkering has begun!

Thanks for your patience and help.
chicagodrummer

Showing 1 response by dean_man

dean_man
90 posts
 
*Would a phono pre-amp running through the built in Marantz phono pre-amp cancel out the impact of a good, dedicated phono pre-amp?*

If you want to use a MC cartridge you could certainly run a step up transformer into the built-in phono section of your receiver, and it would work very well. If your Marantz's phono section is like the one in my Marantz 2230, it's at least the equivalent of the MM side of the MF LPSV3 (a stereophile B-rated phono stage). You could also use a very nice MM cartridge instead of messing with SUTs and additional cables, at least initially.

As nice as the built-in phono section of my 2230 is, I'm using a Wright WPP 100 tube phono stage with it (running it through the tape input). I have a couple of SUTs that I use with a SoundSmith rebuilt DL103, and a small number of vintage MMs. But I do hate leaving the nice phono section in the Marantz unused.

For speakers you might also look in the direction of ACI. The Sapphire models are stand-mounted, easy to drive, have gotten great reviews for over a decade, and have often been compared to speakers at 3-4X the price. New ones are about $1700 from ACI; used ones pop up from time to time in here but usually don't last long when they're priced right.

Jim
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