Would Appreciate Advice Before I Buy


Greetings and thanks in advance for any and all assistance. I am re-entering the vinyl world in my 60s, now that I have enough time to give to that approach and a little bit of money to spend on components that will help me to enjoy the music I like.

I am only wanting to spend in the neighborhood of $2,000 - $4,000. I realize that's a relatively small outlay, but I also gather that there are good options at almost every price point. Here is what I am contemplating - I would welcome comments. Am I missing something? Will these components "play well" together?

  • Schiit Ragnarok-2 integrated amplifier (fully-loaded)
  • Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO turntable 
  • Klipsch RP-600M speakers
  • Bose Quiet Comfort headphones (already own these and would use if I can)
I like a variety of music styles: classical, pop/rock, big band, jazz, a little blues and other. I am not a terribly demanding listener, but I think I can hear the difference between great sound and mediocre sound. My room is a currently open large rectangular "bonus room" upstairs in a new home. I can adapt (sub-divide, other) that room over time to improve sonics.

My first vinyl purchase is a set of the Franklin Mint "Greatest Jazz Recordings..." in, well, mint condition that I was able to get very inexpensively at an estate sale this past week. I will probably start picking up some of the re-issued Elvis Costello soon as well. 

What do you think? Thanks again.

David
dprendergast
I believe Big Band and Classical especially are going to be a challenge for that cartridge - lots of instruments to parse out. Consider upgrading when able. The Denon 103 is a good choice, but you would need a SUT. A Hana SH may be a good choice. I use a Hana mono SL with a lot of Big Band and it does the trick. 
Any box speaker distorts sound.  Try out the least expensive Magnepan speakers before writing a check.

Cheers.
Buying hi fi equipment always entails some risk. Even if you audition items, speakers in particular are going to sound different at home.
Most of us who have been at this for 50+ years have purchased equipment we regretted. Eventually, you learn what you like and hopefully why, but early on it is not quite a crap shoot, but close.
Much good advice here, most of it skirting the personal preference trap. Best if you can audition what you think you'll like in your own listening environment before you commit.

I have one bone to pick, however. The Pro-Ject turntable did get lots of rave reviews, but none of them mention the problems I experienced. I owned a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon turntable and sold it within two months for reasons that don't depend on personal taste. The suspension system that was intended to isolate drive motor vibrations from the plinth was, frankly, stupidly designed. The motor "floated" free of the plinth (good idea...), but as a result, the drive belt tension tended to lean the motor capstan toward the platter, which affected the accuracy of the rotation speed. So Pro-Ject just bolted the floating motor assembly to the plinth at three points, insulating each with simple rubber washers. That solved the lean problem, but obviously defeated the vibration isolation of the floating motor! The damn thing made a hum I was never able to completely eliminate. And I tried the many suggestions I found online from frustrated owners who had the very same problem. Maybe Pro-Ject has changed this design with the "EVO," I don't know, but that they would ever have marketed such a self-defeating strategy for vibration isolation is worrisome. And that was not the only design flaw. I'll mention just two others. The tonearm stand was clunky and too high, so that one had to move the tonearm not just laterally but also vertically in order to return it to rest. And the cue lever was extremely inaccurate; raising or lowering the tonearm always moved it away from the target groove.

I've owned Thorens, Linn, AR, Lenco, Gerrard and Pro-Ject turntables, all of them manual. But I replaced the idiotic Pro-Ject with an old Dennon automatic turntable (DP-37F) that is a thing of beauty. Besides tracking flawlessly, it mates well with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, looks great, and plays vinyl with Red Book-beating clarity, dimension, and even grace. And I got it (used) for less than the Pro-Ject costs new.