Try a Denon DL103.
I used one on a Manticore Mantra of similar quality/design to your turntablearm and it sounded superb. Sounded pretty similar to NP5/ndac I’m also using.
I’m now using a DL103R on a Denon DP3000NE.
Although, every record isn’t going to sound superb. Some records just don’t sound very good.
An excellent suggestion, thank you, will definitely try the plain DL103. Is the R version very different?
Do what I do and keep what you have but leave vinyl listening to days when you have 3-4hrs spare and treat it as a special occasion. I have a Supercap powered Prefix S with a K17D3 cartridge. To me it’s better than streaming and I just accept it as it is.
My custom-built Thorens TD160B MKII and the newly refurbished Thorens TD125 MKI which will soon be playing together with the Cyrus Phono Signature and Cyrus PSX R MKII. Exciting.
This P8 is incredible… besides being beautiful (in my opinion!), it’s musical… in fact, having still owned the P6, it’s a P6+++, still that beautiful coherence, that fluidity, much more dynamic but with better timbre, more detail without any harshness, it’s superb to listen to! My Moon 180 streamer is far behind…
A superbly elegant looking TT. Far prefer this to some ot the metal monstrosities.
I’ve made a few posts recently bigging up my new wonderful nss333.. but “Rattle that Lock”, Dave Gilmour on vinyl on my MG-1, well… the 332 really sings, next level, out of this world!
I have the same condition - it’s called Retroitis Senelis
Continuing the posts earlier on this thread re anti skate and the Wally Skate tool…
A youtube video popped for me yesterday by ‘my own devices audio channel’ entitled ‘precision meets mastery: wally tools redefine turntable setup mastery’.
The guy liked the tool quite a bit. However it was interesting in that his results were nowhere near the Wally general guideline of 9-11% of vtf for either of his 2 turntables.
On his Linn the AT cart he uses is set to vtf of 2.0 and the Wally Skate tool arrived at an AS setting of 1.8.
On his Rega the cart is also set at 2.0 vtf and the Wally AS tool recommended AS of 1.2.
These numbers are 90% and 60% of vtf, not 9-11%.
Just throwing this out there for anyone interested.
I use the Wally Skate tool for my Clearaudio tonearms. I set AS for all of them at 10%.
It’s a great tool. Equally important for verifying that your tonearms don’t have any problems binding (e.g. from wiring issues inside the arm) as it is for setting AS.
Rega’s antiskate scale is notoriously inaccurate but purports to be marked for the corresponding tracking weight, not the antiskate force. 1.2 on their antiskate scale for a tracking weight of 2g comes as no surprise. I suspect the skale on the Linn is also marked with the tracking weight and a bit more accurately than Rega manage.
Jdp
What this thread has shown me on the anti-skate issue is that i now understand why cartridge companies don’t generally advise on antiskate. It isn’t just a cart issue…it is the length of the tonearm, the quality of the tonearm bearings, and probably other stuff. There is no universal answer.
For your 12” arms i think you are absolutely right on 10% and i would do the same. In fact i have read other stuff with users of long arms and frequently they set it to zero. A few 12” arms don’t even bother with an AS setting capability.
For 9” arms i am not so confident. It probably works great on your arm, but on my cheaper Systemdek iix with Profile 2 tonearm i don’t think it is a good choice. The tester on youtube found 90% and 60% on his two 9” arms.
I am inclined to follow the recommendation of Ted Shroder (Schroder tonearms) and Peter Lindemann (Soundsmith carts). They recommend setting AS at the point where the tonearm slowly (loosely defined) moves to the center on an ungrooved record or presumably laserdisc.
On my Systemdek the tonearm stays in the middle of the grooveless laserdisc from 1.5 to 2.0. At 1.25 it moves slowly to center. 1.25 is 50% of the vtf on the At33mono cart i am using. I see no deflection when the cart falls or rises from the record.
On the Linn/Aro/Krystal my dealer has decades of doing this and he chose vtf 2.2 and AS middle rung which is 2.0. I am sticking with that.
In addition to my 12” tonearms, I also have a 9” tonearm and using the WallySkater I also set that to 10-12% AS.
The Lyra distributor told me that using the technique of setting AS using a blank record results in AS that is about 50% too high and can result in extra wear to the right channel. They told me to never use that for setting AS on my Lyra cartridges. I’ll trust J. Carr’s (Lyra designer) advice on it, and stick to using the WallySkater for all my tonearms.
Jdp
Usually the way the blank record test is done is to set AS at the level where the cart doesn’t move in either direction. I agree this will result in too much AS. The Schroder and Lindemann recommendation is to set at a lower level where the cart will move to the center but in a controlled way.
I certainly think you are doing the right thing in your situation listening to the manufacturer of the cartridges you use.
I understand the method to do it with a blank record, where it very gradually moves inward….i.e. the Soundsmith way. That’s exactly what Lyra told me is wrong and shouldn’t be used. It results in AS set way too high.
Picked up this used ProJect RPM 9 from a friend, paired with a new Denon DL-110 cartridge, to scratch the Vinyl itch.
Enjoying it very much so far.
Hi Southernjock. Is that a Mu-so 1 or 2 and is it easy to connect the bluetooth to it.
Hi.
Yes, it’s a Muso 2.
Yes, very easy to connect via bluetooth. The initial set up out of the box while it finds it, takes a wee bit of time, which is maybe what a couple of reviewers experienced. But once it’s found it, it seems rock solid and connects very quickly indeed.
I also have a QB2 and it connects to it (not at the same time) very quickly.
It seems to remember which it connected to most recently; so if I want to connect to the other one, I have to switch the most recent one off at the wall, otherwise it will switch it on and connect to it (even if it’s on stby).
Sorry for the long reply and hope it makes sense.
In summary, they connect very well.
Many thanks for the info. Much appreciated.
