2. analog
  3. 181933-179481

If you had $12k / £10k to upgrade your analogue front-end...

Hi all,

I am upgrading my system in my listening room bit-by-bit. This room is for focused listening of music only. No movies. In the future I will be looking looking to upgrade my analogue front-end and am thinking of a budget of around $12k / £10k for a turntable, tonearm, cart and phono stage/pre-amp. I listen to all sorts of music from electronic, bass-heavy vinyl, jazz, hip-hop, rock (new and old), ambient (Cinematic Orchestra, Nils Frahm etc...) and lots of soul/funk type tracks. So quite varied.

If you had $12k/£10k to spend, what combination of turntable, tonearm, cart and phone stage/pre-amp would you go for? I'm looking for suggestions to help with my research. I'm unsure what the balance should be between them. For example, should I go for a Rega Planar 10 with Aphelion 2 cart (£6,840) and give myself just over £3k to spend on a phono stage. Or spend less on the cart (Rega Planar 10 with Apheta 3 is £4,950) and get a more expensive phono stage.

Turntable brands I've been thinking of are Rega, Clearaudio, Technics, VPI, AVID, Thorens, Michell Engineering, VPI, SME etc... but don't really know where to start.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

cainullah
cainullah OP
29 posts
 

Thanks @jerryg123 ​​​​​​. I don't yet have the 390 but I will test the phono in that..I live in London but there is a place called Analogue Seduction about 2 hours away. Perhaps I'll go and spend a day or two up there.

And thanks @lalitk I'll check out TW-Acustic. I'll head up to Analogue Seduction and do some listening to as many combos as I can.

 

tablejockey
3,776 posts
 

"Rega Planar 10 with Aphelion 2 cart (£6,840) and give myself just over £3k to spend on a phono stage"

You’re on the right track. Naturally, there are dozens of other combinations.

Rega for no fuss. Max the budget on phono stage.

antigrunge2
1,331 posts
 

Scheu Premier with Mørch tonearm, Cartridgeman Musicmaker cartridge and Zyx Artisan phonostage. Off the beaten track but all the better for it. Alternatively SCHEU TONEARMS AND mC Scheu cartridges are nice as well. Aqvox 2ci phono stage is a good alternative as well.

cainullah OP
29 posts
 

@antigrunge2 This is off the beaten track. Amazing. Thanks. That's certainly a rabbit hole to explore and will keep me busy.

bigkidz
3,314 posts
 

My advice is to find the best phono stage you can.  You can easily get a nice TT and cartridge for decent money.  We use a modified Lenco, and a Lady Bug cartridge.  Denon also makes a nice cartridge and there is a guy on eBay who makes the wood body for it.  Much less that spending thousands.  Since we are manufacturers of audio components including phono stages, we have the opportunity to try many TTs, etc.   To us the phono stage is critical and most important contrary to what others may say.

 

Happy Listening.

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