e-bay said i won, what do you think:? b&o 1900

[herm0016]

i picked up a B&O 1900 TT complete with cart, a mmc 20e for about 75 bucks. I think i did ok, as long as the cart is not totally crap. I could not find too much info on this particular model but noticed that most of the b&o stuff was pretty good.

Where can you find new carts for reasonable prices? I know they will probably be more than what i paid for the TT.

I am kinda a NOOB to analog. i do have a fairly extensive record collection inherited from my mother and do listen to it when i am there. thanks for any help.

[dingus]

Where can you find new carts for reasonable prices?

as far as i know ... you cant, they are not made anymore. http://www.sound-smith.com/cartridges/ sells after market replacements but i have no idea how close they are to the originals or how they sound.

[dingus]

sorry, i forgot to add that you could do a lot worse for $75, providing as you say, the cart isnt totally crap. i think at retail, they are overpriced, but they make a decent TT.

[PeruvianSkies]

Why ask AFTER the fact?

[dingus]

i'm not trying to speak for the OP, but sometimes you buy on impulse or roll the dice and find that time does not allow for proper research.

[royphil345]

Soundsmith is the one making replacement cartridges for B&O. Their version of the MMC 20 e is $229.00. You could spend more and get a nude stylus or a fancier stylus shape. http://www.sound-smith.com/cartridge...x.html#classic

That's why the B&O tables sell for very reasonable prices. For that kind of money, you'd have many, many cartridge choices for a standard table. Still... I think it will be worth the money for the sound you get... Maybe not the bargain you thought it was...

Unfortunately, you almost have to assume the stylus is toast on any used table. Your records are at stake... Record damage begins to occur before you can hear that a stylus is getting worn. If there's someone in your area with a stylus microscope that knows how to use it (rare), you could have it checked out.

A new belt might be a good idea. Sometimes they are already replaced by the seller on an older table. That table uses a belt / idler wheel drive. Very, very lightly sanding around the idler wheel and applying some belt dressing usually does wonders for torque and speed stability on older tables. The idler wheels tend to get a very thin, hardened glaze around the edge over time that is very slippery.

Congrats on your new table!!! I hope it arrives safely. Chances of that seem to be about 50/50 when purchasing a used turntable on eBay. Definitely insist on an insured delivery method (UPS, FedEx, or insurance added to USPS). Do not go through with the deal unless you have it in writing that the package will be insured.

[nobody]

I had one of those B&O tangential tracking tables years back. It looked really nice, lasted forever, and sounded good, but I ditched it because the cartridges went out of circulation, outside those really expensive soundsmith jobs. Besides that, it's nice to be able to choose from a variety of carts instead of being stuck with one brand.

To be honest, it will do the job and will sound nice, but if you have to spend almost $250 on a new cartridge, it gets to the point where you can grab something else that you can use multiple cartridges with for not a whole lot more.

[herm0016]

i'm not trying to speak for the OP, but sometimes you buy on impulse or roll the dice and find that time does not allow for proper research.

yea, i def. did not have a lot of time. i asked a few people that i know and did a lot of looking online and found out very little about the TT. For that kind of money i can always relist and take a little loss if it turns out to not be up to my liking. now i just have a pick up a nad pp2 or possibly a creek depending on what i find.

thanks for the input guys. maybe i will start re-building the carts myself. i know a lot of labs on campus that have some equipment to work on small stuff.

[royphil345]

I briefly used a NAD PP-2. It was decent when used with a power supply with a higher amp rating. It was really bad with the stock one ( "stuffy" and "muffled" sounding). I liked how it wasn't as thin sounding as some entry-level phono stages, but I think the bass weight is effected by the built-in sub-sonic filter which can't be turned off. There was a seller on Audiogon selling them with an upgraded power supply. Don't see him now...

The Creek is nice, but pricy... About the best deal going on an entry-level phono stage right now is the Cambridge 640P. One reviewer said it performed equally well to the more expensive and well-reviewed Graham Slee Fanfare. http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/3_phono_preamps_e.html It's considerably more expensive than the moving magnet only 540P, but the specs and sound are better for moving magnet as well as moving coil capability being added.

On a rock-bottom budget, I'd be tempted to try the Pro-Ject or Music Hall stages over the NAD.

Best price I've seen with free shipping on the Cambridge and some others... http://decibelchicago.stores.yahoo.n...mplifiers.html

[JohnMichael]

The Creek is nice, but pricy... About the best deal going on an entry-level phono stage right now is the Cambridge 640P. One reviewer said it performed equally well to the more expensive and well-reviewed Graham Slee Fanfare. http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/3_phono_preamps_e.html It's considerably more expensive than the moving magnet only 540P, but the specs and sound are better for moving magnet as well as moving coil capability being added.

On a rock-bottom budget, I'd be tempted to try the Pro-Ject or Music Hall stages over the NAD.

Best price I've seen with free shipping on the Cambridge and some others... http://decibelchicago.stores.yahoo.n...mplifiers.html

A friend and I exchanged phono preamps. he has my Rotel and I have his Cambridge Audio 640P. The CA is more refined than the Rotel. The 640P has more extended highs and wider soundstage along with a more detailed midrange. Amazing for the money. I was not interested in hearing it but I am glad I did.

Here is a link that also shows the internal construction.

http://www.spearitsound.com/Cambridg...Audio_540p.asp

[herm0016]

how about the creek obh-8? i saw one on audiogon for less than $100. thanks for the input on the preamps. the cambrige was in the running and now is back, though it is a bit more expensive. how about the TCC 750 or similar from www.phonopreamps.com? i see that they are not as expensive but i do not know how the quality is. thanks.

[royphil345]

A Creek for $100.00 would be a bargain. I've heard a TC-750 and it's not bad at all. I'd take it over the NAD with no upgraded power supply. It comes very close in performance to most of the $100.00 entry-level phono stages at half the price.

Maybe pick up a TC-750 until your budget recovers from the table and cartridge... Sell it on eBay and upgrade later if you get the "itch". It's a bargain. You should be able to get very close to what you paid if you sell it. No sense spending more for something that will still likely be a "stepping stone". If you spring for the Cambridge, it's probably all you'll ever need.

[herm0016]

i did pick up a tc-750, and an electronic scale from e-bay to make sure i'm not wearing out the cart. I hope it gets here soon. i am excited to finally have a tt setup!

[herm0016]

i got my TT today from my friendly fed ex guy. It is in awesome shape and runs well. I have not gotten my pre yet, but will by the end of the week. the cart looks great, and was just dusty like the rest of the TT, the needle was not gunked up at all. except for little tiny scratches in the dust cover it looks brand new. I cant wait to get the pre so i can play it!

[royphil345]

GREAT!!! I'm glad it made the trip safely.

Not gunked up is a good start... A worn stylus is more of a record cutter than a pickup though. The slightest flattening of any rounded edges turns the stylus into a blade that will do permanent damage to your records. There's really no way to tell without a pro stylus microscope and a trained eye. You're playing with fire if you don't have that cartridge inspected or replaced. A new elliptical stylus will be good for at least 500 hours of play. Higher quality diamonds and line contact styli will last longer.

[herm0016]

thanks for the advice. i think i will take in to the bio-materials lab and take a look at it. even with the untrained eye i should be able to see what kind of shape it is in. there is a real nice scope there.

[jvc]

Where can you find new carts for reasonable prices? I know they will probably be more than what i paid for the turntable.

Here's a site that has some, and the prices aren't too bad:
http://www.needledoctor.com/Online-S...ono-Cartridges
and more:
http://www.garage-a-records.com/cart.html
http://www.adelcom.net/cartridge.htm
http://www.sound-smith.com/cartridges/index.html

Maybe you can find one you can use, at one of those sites.
Good luck!

[herm0016]

The TT sounds awesome. the sound stage is amazing even on my cheap speakers. i started off by listening to a recording of our pep band done in our performance space. I can pick out different instruments in the same section. I cant wait to get the rest of my vinyl up here.

the vinyl version of this cd.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mthpb

[royphil345]

Excellent!!!

I love a happy ending...

Get that stylus checked and don't be a stranger here.

[jim goulding]

I have fond memories using this little gem. It's so easy and pleasant to use. You should notice a warmth to your music as this was a B&O signature in the day. The sound certainly agreed with me.

[Reticuli]

TCC-750LC v. Bellari tube unit?

I own two TCC-750LC models that I use for DJing. They exceed the quality of most phono preamps in most DJ mixers. They also allow me a better baseline for comparing mixers, since the phono stage on a lot of them vary more in quality than the line-level path. I also find that you can get the best sounding mixing boards for only around $500 used and they just need phono upgrades. That's a lot more reasonable than spending 2-3 thousand for an FF series Formula Sound, not to mention you can use the separate phono amps for listening purposes, as well. So I'm wondering, how much of an improvement would the Bellari tubey be over the TCC for MM carts?

By the way, I have a variety of headphones, including ER4S's that I've been using for 8 years. How does the headphone amp compare to the ones in good Denon and Harman gear? Is it o.k. to have them in the same box like that? Also, does the headphone jack override the main out on the Bellari?

And is this the tube equivolent of a dual-mono opamp design like the Project SE?

I know the TCC is a freakishly simple transistor and resistor type design with no opamps or internal current regulation. I've heard dual-mono opamp designs with regulation would be a huge improvement, but considering how cheap and underdesigned the TCC is, I don't know how it can sound so good as is.

Thanks.

Ben G.