Hi all. I got my first turntable and am enjoying it! And, in pursuit of perfection, I am wondering what improvements I could make.
I changed the felt for a cork mat. Not sure that makes a big difference but honestly I didn’t really A/B it against the felt.
I have read about the Acrylic platter. That seems like an option. But I expect that a better cartridge may have more impact. But since I am new to vinyl I thought I ask the wisdom of this helpful crowd.
Gear: Naim New Classic 200 line (no PSU) with Focal Sopra 2.
My suggestion is to ignore your current project turntable and start saving for something on the same level as your amps and speakers. You’re at least looking at a Rega rp8 / Linn lp12 to have something on the same level.
The Project turntable is a fine player - I have it as well - but upgrading at it is basically loosing money on the serious step you need to make to better it.
What you can do in the meantime, is buying cheap old but good vinyl, learn how to clean it properly and enjoy it.
Well that puts me in the 2K to 3K turntable category right? Now I know this is basically unanswerable but how much will this differ in your view?
Please consider that I am also looking at a Rel S510 subwoofer and possibly a Naim PSU. Maybe you can share your thoughts on improvement in relation to such upgrades?
The Project is fine as an entry level TT but really has no place in a nice system such as yours. I’d just grow your record collection and then move to a really good TT. The Rega P8 and P10 are both excellent.
But given you seem to want to improve the electronics it’s worth reflecting on where you want to take things. Do you really want to spend £30 on LPs when you can get a download for £10, or stream as part of a Tidal subscription.
Be careful you don’t get a severe case of gear acquisition syndrome. Do you really need a sub with those massive speakers? Do you really need a much better TT if you only have a few records? Do you need records at all? With the Sopra 2, it’s probably a 333/332/350 setup that you should be looking at long term.
I really have used digital only since forever. Streaming is the basis for my listening but I like the process of slowing down with vinyl. And now that I have my endgame set I want to try all formats. Also considering CD since vinyl is quite expensive.
Have a look at the Vertere DG-1. It’s excellent and designed to be very much ‘plug and play’ with minimal fiddling about. I have one with my 222/250. Sounds really superb. I have a couple of 100 LPs and its a good excuse to collect more (I buy used and run them through a record cleaning machine).
I also had a look at the Debut Carbon Evo, but my dealer pushed me to go further if I’d really would like to have fun with vinyl … these kind of cheap tables are obviously not really bad, but compare that with an MP3 kind of quality.
I also have a limited - but growing - vinyl collection … I like the physical part of it and putting a record on the platter, but also buying/ collecting second-hand stuff which brings back memories …
I havent experienced the difference between turntables but the comparison with MP3 seems off. You are comparing lossless format vs same format on different player.