I'm brand new to the forum and this is my first post. I've been reading up on analog gear lately, having just gotten my old records and tt out of storage. I love the way this stuff sounds, especially the old blue notes, so I want to hear better what all the fuss is about. My first question is which part of my system to upgrade first, as it's all pretty mediocre at the moment. I have an old Scott TT w a new belt and stylus, sporting an excel catridge. Nothing special at all, but it does get the music out and shows me what more there can be in those records. I've been looking locally at what's available, and there's a project dealer with new and used stock, and I'm going to go listen to a used Debut tomorrow. He also carries their higher end stuff, as well as Nottingham and Michel tt's, mostly out of my price range at the moment (given my need to upgrade my whole system). There's also a tt repair shop that offers old Thorens tt's at about the price of a used Debut, and the owner totally poo pooed the new Projects and REgas when compared to the Thorens. He's not really set up for me to try his tt's at home, so I have to go there and get him to hook stuff up. So my first question is, entry level, would you go w an old thorens or w one of the new Projects or Regas? If the latter, would you consider having it shipped overseas, or is a TT too sensitive to make it alright over such a trip (I live in Israel, and may be able to get a better deal on a better TT if I buy off ebay, say)? The project Debut is sort of my first choice in principle, though its cartridge isn't anything special from what I've read, and there are upgradability issues. What exactly are those issues, lack of VTA adjustment? How important is that? Next big issue is which part of my system to upgrade first, i.e. which will make the most difference right away. I'm guessing it's all equally important, but for irrational reasons I want to get a TT first, then speakers, then an amp (I own an old Marantz 1515 tuner/amp at the moment). What would you change first? The same dealer has a pair of showroom Canton speakers for $700, which I'll listen to also, and someone else is offering a used set of B&Ws for 500, so that's roughly what I'm thinking of. Finally, I'd like to get some of those new LPs I've seen online, and just buy LPs online generally, and wanted to know where are good reliable places to buy. I found acousticsounds.com, and looked thoughamazon, but wondered if there was somewhere else to browse. I know these are a lot of questions, so I appreciate your time and any help you might give. Thanks,
I personally would rather have a new Pro-Ject or Rega than an old Thorens. Should be hassle free for the most part. If you are going to go and waste the time of a dealer to listen to his Pro-Ject tables and decide you would like to buy one then buy from him. If it costs s few extra nickels then that's the price you pay for the service he's has and will provide.
Music Direct is another online source for records.
I agree with Art. Furthermore, TTs are sensitive to set up. Cartridge alignment, TT placement, etc. make having a local person much more valuable. I'd take a slightly inferior TT from a local guy over a better TT online.
I'm a fan of the Rega decks. I own a Pro-Ject Xpression, but had I to do over again, I'd have went with a Rega. With that being said, I have no regrets nor complaints about my Xpression.
If you're going to upgrade the entire system, it really doesn't matter much which part you upgrade first. If you upgrade the speakers first, make sure your current amp is strong enough to drive them sufficiently. An underpowered amp will ruin speakers far easier than anything else.
The Pro-ject and Rega TT are a great way to get the most bang for the buck and get a real feel for vinyl. If you absolutely love vinyl, then you can always look to moving up these lines or go to a more high-end TT. With a Pro-ject and more so with the Rega's you'll get a reasonable price on the used market if you decide to upgrade. I own a Goldring GR1.2 myself, which is built by Rega and think the bang for buck is hard to beat. The Thorens would be more for someone who likes to spend more time tuning their TT then listening to music but from what I've heard, if you get the tuning / setup right, they are very hard to beat from a sound perspective. Take your time with finding an amp and speakers, listen to a few systems and find out what you like...it's a critcal step to your enjoyment.
Thanks everyone for your help, it confirms the direction I was going in. I just had a quick question about TT setup. I looked up the specs on my cartridge and the cartridge db gives 1-2.5 VTF. Does that mean I have to set the tone arm weight at 2.5 after zeroing, or at any point between 1 and 2.5? FWIW, the cart is an excel es 70s. Thanks.