@rauliruegas you literally confirmed my conclusion 1 minute after my post, making me even more sure I'm taking the right path.
Velodyne huh? I will be visiting local HiFi stores and will see if they have any. I know they carry RELs. Do you have any opinion on them, in general or with respect to pairing with Sonus Fabers?
Agree with you i need one per channel L & R. I've heard that and that's my plan.
TT and phono preamp - what best match for my system
I need some expert advice for me to take the plunge into analog finally after years of digital streaming based components. Would very much appreciate ideas on what TT and phono preamp combo might possibly best complement my existing system. I do have a HiFi Buys near me (Nashville) and have recently purchased Sonus Faber Lumina V Amator’s from them. Good folks there, so I would consider purchasing this setup through them. I can spend up to 7-10k (if i push it) USD.
My goal here: to go analog and add a highly resolving analog source that will push the boundaries and maybe exceed the capabilities of the rest of my components, to set me up for future improvements.
Here’s my existing system:
- Denafrips Ares 2 DAC (being fed from a Mac mini where i run Qobuz.. i know i know. this is a pretty crap streamer. The Denafrips turns even this substandard streaming source into something quite nice)
The DAC feeds into a Parasound JC2BP Preamp which in turn feeds a Parasaound A21+. I own two sets of mains, Magnepan 1.7i’s which i truly love for their clarity/soundstage/resolution, however i’ve also gone an recently bought the Sonus Fabers and am mostly running them now, for two main reasons 1) they are not cat trees (we have three cats and they see the Maggies as a climbing post.. i haven’t figured out how to solve this one yet, and 2) since this system is in the living room and main part of the house and used for literally everything including movies and casual listening, the dynamic nature of traditional cone speakers i think works well here. The Maggies strained a little in this general use (but frankly they beat the Lumina V’s when it comes to pure resolution). In any case I’m quite happy with the Lumina V’s.
Aside: I do also have a pair of KEF LS50W2’s but that’s not a factor here.. i use them elsewhere and probably wont be hooking them to the analog source.
All this being said, here is what I am thinking.. where i am leaning. Tell me if I’m crazy or misguided or sound, or somewhere in between ;)
Rega Planar 7 + Parasound JC3+ phono preamp
PS: Unrelated to analog, I am considering adding a pair of REL T/9x's to the mains to add bottom.. either when using the SF Lumina V's or the Maggie 1.7i's. Which ever i'm runnign i'd run the RELs along with them.
I’m sure I will get some comments about depending too much on Parasound and that’s fair. I have owned my pre and power amp about 8 years now and just simply like them and like the brand so I’m a bit partial. But this is why i’m asking here.. does this pairing make any sense (Claude seems to think so lol but he’s not you folks)
Hope i gave enough information to be useful. Happy to answer questions and thanks ahead of time for the responses
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@elliottbnewcombjr appreciate the tips on minimum viable TT setups. If I do enter the vinyl world it will be at this tier and this gives me something to start with |
As someone who has bought vinyl for almost 60 years and not knowing your age, it pains me to say this:
Are you CERTAIN you want to start a vinyl system right now??
If you haven’t recently inherited a relative’s vast collection of classic rock or jazz albums, are you sure you want to spend $25 or more on new releases and $10 to hundreds of dollars on used records? Keep in mind, the days of walking into a used record store with a $20 bill and walking out with 5 to 10 releases are LONG GONE. Today I just paid $18 for Bowie’s "Station To Station" (1st release), $15 for a reissue of Dire Straits debut album, $35 for Talk Talk’s "The Colour of Spring", $30 each for Porcupine Tree’s reissue of "Lightbulb Sun" and "Deadwing", and $15 for Aerosmith’s "Rocks".
Go on Discogs or Ebay and search some of your favorite albums to see the prices. Used vinyl prices have skyrocketed over the last 10 years -- especially during and post Covid lockdown. The same hipsters who are investing in Sports Cards are also driving the prices of vinyl through the roof. It has gotten cool to mount albums on the wall instead of actually playing them, and these buyers have turned vinyl into a speculative market. I just shake my head.
I honestly don’t know how younger kids are getting into the hobby. Where are they getting the money to buy used records at these prices? The market is flooded with cheap turntables under $300, but unless they are inheriting collections they’re spend a fortune on old releases.
So before taking a huge financial plunge, think long and hard about the ongoing media costs now facing vinyl lovers. As previously mentioned, maybe start small to see if vinyl is for you. I own a Linn Sondek LP12, a Rega P3, three vintage Dual tables (CS-5000, 1219, 1019), a Yamaha P-250, and a Fluance RT85. All are utilized in different systems in my house. The one that surprised me the most was the Fluance, which cost me $500 and included an Ortofon cartridge. Fluance just released an improved deck, the RT87, for $699.
I wouldn’t hesitate suggesting you buy it with a Schiit Audio phono stage to try vinyl out. If you think you are going to stick with it, then go drop some "big boy" dollars and use the Fluance as a back up or in a bedroom system.
Keep us informed on your journey and good luck! |
@elliottbnewcombjr I will laugh for you but it went over my head lol |
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