Hi All,
I now run a setup of Thorens 148A with Goldring 2200 with a Cyrus phonostage+PSU.
I’ve been considering to replace the cartridge with a MC one but then I thought of utilizing the Cyrus by adding another TT with MC in parallel.
Rega P8 with Alpheta.
Does it make any sense?
Would I really play rock music on MM and classical/Jazz on MC?
Or will it be just a transitional period before I sell the MM one?…
Would love to hear some experience on this 
As nice as the modern Thorens is, I reckon that if you get a P8 and Apheta 3 MC then you’ll soon be wanting to play everything on the Rega deck. In fact, it may make a lot more sense to consider trading in the Thorens for the next step up, a P10…
I was looking at the P8 because I found one in mint condition (per your recommendation in past discussions) so it make sense… no trade in option.
So practically, there is no real reason to keep two TT with different cartridges for different types of music… is it?
A really good turntable should be pretty agnostic in the music it plays well. I guess an argument could be made for having a separate Mono arm or deck though.
You could buy a Technics SL1200GR, which apparently is on a par with the P8.
Or any other TT with removable headshell. 
I listened to a Technics 1200G against an RP10 and didn’t think they were close at all. I found the RP10 far more engaging, the 1200G much more laid back by comparison.
On the contrary.
Many people believe MC is the miracles.
I’ve heard about people buying expensive coils for their Rega P1 or Project entry level decks 
Its mad.
Somebody on the forum auditioned a 1200GR and P8, and purchased the 1200GR.
The beauty of removable headshells is, you can easily swap from laid-back to not laid back by easily swapping in a headshell with a Denon dl103. 
Trust me, I’m no stranger to the delights of removable headshells (I must confess to having around 45 or so in my collection), especially with a collection of classic turntables, and agree that they do suit something like a DL103 very well, but for maximum performance I would likely use something different.
My thoughts exactly.
Sounds romantic to have two TT - one with MM and other with MC… but at the end of the day I will use just one of them…(MC).
Guess it is better to save the space and trade on the Thorens with MM to something with MC
No. Someone could try to make the argument of keeping one with a mono cartridge suitable for pre-1968 records only, but that is a really marginal use case, and most people would do fine with a mono switch on a preamp/phono stage for the majority of mono records.
Knowing now that I will finally be using only one TT… maybe it makes more sense to start with replacing the Thorens cartridge to MC one first… appreciate the difference and then upgrade to P10…?
I’m not sure how well an MC will work in the Thorens arm. MCs tend to ask more of the tonearm in particular.
Wasn’t me but I remember the thread. It’s important to remember that cartridge, deck, arm, phonostage all form a whole, not the deck alone. So it’s hard to know what they were presented with.
But people also just like different presentations. I worked in retail in the 90s and we had a maxed out LP12 on hand for years. It never once got my juices flowing. To my ears, my 1200GR is more engaging and snappy despite the fact my deck, cartridge, and phonostage all together would’t have even bought the cartridge on the Linn.
@Richard.Dane that must be the first time I’ve heard the 1200 described as “layed back”.
Same here, I half wonder if was possibly another component like the cart?
I’ve never heard a P10 though, so I might also simply have a different frame of reference to Richard.
Just making sure… Rega Planar 8 tonearm is well for MC… right?
There is nothing stopping you using a MM on a RP8 or RP10 of course.
But I’ve moved from a Exact MM on a Rega Planar 3 to a LP12 with a MC, and the later is significantly better for rock music.
I’d suggest running with a MC and just reads read reviews or get feedback from others as to which MC is best suited for your taste in music.
You can’ have too many tables or arm / cart combo
That would be utterly mad - have a decent cartridge in the first place, and all will be well, whatever music is played.
Here’s a Goldring-rebuilt Troika.
And a Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua.
When my Rega Exact on the hot rodded Rega P3 needed changing I got to looking at and listening to new TTs. I ended up swapping the whole thing for a Vertere DG-1 with it stock magneto MM - a huge step up and it sounds great with anything I put on it.
