Your Analog Front End

Once you get past a certain price range, it's all in how you hold your tongue!

I am using a Linn LP 12 with the Lingo power supply. It originally came with an Akito arm and I was using a Sumiko Blue Point. About 18 months ago upgraded the cartridge to a Benz Micro Glider. 3 months ago changed the arm to the Ekos. My phono stage is an Audio Research PH3 SE with NOS Amperex tubes. I am very happy with the sound now, but we all know that doesn't mean anything! Future upgrades could be a new cartridge or perhaps an Audio Research Reference phono stage. Hopefully it will be a while before I feel the need to improve. As a side, I have a Sony 777es SACD player but really still enjoy the vinyl sound vs even SACD.

I have had a Linn LP12 w/Akito arm and van den Hul MM-1 moving magnet cartridge for about 8 yrs. Over the years, i added the Trampolin, Cirkus, and finally the Lingo about 3 yrs ago. Like the fellow above, I use an Audio Research PH-3 as a phono section. This all sounds very good and I have been very satisfied w/my analog playback. Recently I bought a new van den Hul MC-1 special moving coil for this turntable but haven't yet installed it because I will have to mess around w/the phono preamp too. For a year or so, I have been looking around for a used Ekos tonearm for this turntable, because my dealer thinks that will bring a great improvement, more than any new cartridge (this is the Linn doctrine; you change/improve your cartridge last, after you have perfected every other aspect of your turntable system). For some reason, on a whim in January I started looking on Audiogon not just for an Ekos tonearm, but for a whole Linn rig w/Ekos and everything else. Found one in about a week and purchased it for $3500 plus a Rega 25 w/Benz Glider that I had bought but hadn't yet used. What I got in this trade was another LP12 w/Lingo, Trampolin, Cirkus etc., Ekos, and Archiv II. Now I have two Linns! One runs through the PH-3 in my rec room system, the other one through my Ayre K3 w/phono stage in the living room. I love both my LP12s and sometimes move them around or run a record upstairs and then downstairs to hear which particular turntable sounds the best on that recording. I am really spoiled! and I owe it all to Audiogon.

VPI TNT 3 However what's important is what is underneath
the table supporting it. originally I wanted a table to fit on top of my target rack, on the shelf that you can level.
I do not think this will dampen the resonance. I designed my
own table using a Michael Green clamp AV rack, two cinderblocks,cut 2 by 4's to lift the table, spikes, etc.
The final test is to play a record, jump up & down a couple of times next to the table, & if the record doesn't skip
you have a good turntable base.

Zarathustra S4 /Pluto 6A prestige arm (rewired) / Clearaudio Discovery "special". Have had it for 12 yrs (the cartridge is new, ofcourse). I took a long trip getting there, with a succession of TTs. Thorens 160, Rega, Linn/Ittok (Valhala - no cirkus, trampolins, at the time: had to tune it 1/week), Pink Triangle PTToo/Alphason 100/V... and cartridges: Vden Hul MC 10 - 20 - Grasshopper, Lyra (Clavis), Koetsu (Red Sig), Ortofon MC 10 (?) - 3000, B-Point Special...
Guess I settled with the S4 because it is simple to use (no platter tuning required) and offers detailed sound.
Spent a lot of time with cabling too, but that's another subject.
Regards!