dean_martin
06-02-2009, 10:01 AM
...yeah, ok... and a microphone too.
Finally have two tables and phono preamps settled into my 2 ch system. When I moved my stereo into a larger listening area, the Bellari VP-129 driving an Ortofon MC3-Turbo (a high output mc) on a Pro-Ject 1.2 just couldn't reach the listening levels I needed without straining. The combination worked well in the small listening room I was in before so I needed to get it back online soon. In the meantime, I was playing around with two carts for the Technics SL1210 Mk2 - Ortofon 2M Red and Grado Red. Both carts have higher output than the MC3-Turbo so volume levels were more acceptable in the new space.
However, I wasn't satified with the sound quality of either. The Grado attached to a Sumiko headshell seemed closed in (no frequency extremes) and the Ortofon 2M Red on the original Technics headshell seemed too agressive on leading edges of notes and a little irritating with high frequencies. My first step was to get a new preamp with higher gain - the Jolida JD9A. I was able to bring the Pro-Ject/MC3-Turbo back into the system with plenty of gain and after rolling in a pair of Sovtek 12AX7LPs for the stock tubes, I've been very satisfied.
Next, it finally occurred to me to try the Ortofon 2M Red with the Sumiko headshell. I had to add the supplied endstub to the tonearm to balance the 2M Red which is heavier than the Grado Red. The Ortofon 2M Red's output is a little higher than the Grado's so it would be preferable with the Bellari in the new larger listening space. As it turns out, the 2M Red attached to the Sumiko headshell performs better. The highs are smoother and the aggressive attack on leading edges is not as prominent.
It's taken me since Christmas to get the setup just right, but it sure is fun having two tables going! (I've asked myself why fool around with two tables and two preamps? Why not just put all that money into one higher-end analog setup? Answer: I don't know.)
Rest of the system:
Jolida 202 integrated amp
Jolida JD100A cdp
Old Yamaha tape deck and Yamaha tuner (Jolida has only 4 inputs so tuner's output is running through tape deck)
Soliloquy 5.0 standmount speakers
Finally have two tables and phono preamps settled into my 2 ch system. When I moved my stereo into a larger listening area, the Bellari VP-129 driving an Ortofon MC3-Turbo (a high output mc) on a Pro-Ject 1.2 just couldn't reach the listening levels I needed without straining. The combination worked well in the small listening room I was in before so I needed to get it back online soon. In the meantime, I was playing around with two carts for the Technics SL1210 Mk2 - Ortofon 2M Red and Grado Red. Both carts have higher output than the MC3-Turbo so volume levels were more acceptable in the new space.
However, I wasn't satified with the sound quality of either. The Grado attached to a Sumiko headshell seemed closed in (no frequency extremes) and the Ortofon 2M Red on the original Technics headshell seemed too agressive on leading edges of notes and a little irritating with high frequencies. My first step was to get a new preamp with higher gain - the Jolida JD9A. I was able to bring the Pro-Ject/MC3-Turbo back into the system with plenty of gain and after rolling in a pair of Sovtek 12AX7LPs for the stock tubes, I've been very satisfied.
Next, it finally occurred to me to try the Ortofon 2M Red with the Sumiko headshell. I had to add the supplied endstub to the tonearm to balance the 2M Red which is heavier than the Grado Red. The Ortofon 2M Red's output is a little higher than the Grado's so it would be preferable with the Bellari in the new larger listening space. As it turns out, the 2M Red attached to the Sumiko headshell performs better. The highs are smoother and the aggressive attack on leading edges is not as prominent.
It's taken me since Christmas to get the setup just right, but it sure is fun having two tables going! (I've asked myself why fool around with two tables and two preamps? Why not just put all that money into one higher-end analog setup? Answer: I don't know.)
Rest of the system:
Jolida 202 integrated amp
Jolida JD100A cdp
Old Yamaha tape deck and Yamaha tuner (Jolida has only 4 inputs so tuner's output is running through tape deck)
Soliloquy 5.0 standmount speakers