VinylPlayer

Bought the Klipch RP-600m https://imgur.com/05S6Z9e

Not my first language..

No it is so-so. But you are equipped with ears. Take a good recoding with your favourite music that has little base. This is good training also and cost nothing to get better sound. 1. Put your speakers approx 1m from the wall. Listen to the base notes. They should be thin but distinct and fast but Less hefty. 2. Move your speakers as close to the wall as possible. Now there should be a lot more base then before. But it is now not so defined and muddy. Here you can go back and forth between 1 and 2 above. To learn and hear the difference and what to listen for. 3. Start at the wall and make sessions there you pull out the speakers from the wall more into the room bit by bit. Now when you know what to listen for you will hear muddiness disappear and more controlled base notes for every bit you take the speakers out from the wall. But at a point you feal that to much base information has disappeared. Then it is time to move them back a bit closer to the wall and you are close to fine-tune the distance! Congratulations you have now a distance that applies to your preferences and type of music with your ears! So 200 mm is for those that do not care and do not know why and what the distance is affecting. You want as much SQ you can get from your hard earned money.

What!! That seams to be non existent QC.. like you said. Grado say that the test them and approximately 15% of the production run will get to be green. That is for 1 and maybe also the new 2 models also.. Appears not be true if they do that for the 2 models.. Maybe the demand is so high for black that they maybe do not test them at all? Hope all will be solved for the best!

What happened!

Yee I read little about the grado black 2. And it looks promising. It is also like the nagaoka mp-110 a MI cartridge (yes it is hard to find out the type because they have several different names for the same "type"). And like the sound Smith that is a better way to go than MM. And how the two cartridges perform I am almost willing to believe that. The grado black 2 has not so many YouTube videos and it is a pretty new cartridge. So I am very interested to hear from you what you think of the cartridge. Happy listening!

Wow you really like to buy cartridges! Are you looking for something special sound wise?

So in summery: If your RIIA data sheet tell you it has better performance the lower the gain is. Then go for the lowest gain setting you can use without getting into so that the preamplifier are distorting or clipping! Than you have lost sound quality and gained nothing.. With other words if you use the preamplifier volume knob at 40-50% and lower the RIIA gain a notch and then you need to turn the volume knob maybe to 60-80% instead. To get the same sound pressure level as before. But now the signal that are going into your preamplifier are having better SNR and THD. (Warning! But be aware that do not have the volume knob cranked up so far when you switch to another source on your preamplifier..)

If it is a strict 2ch system then buy 2. I presume you listen to other things also than vinyl. (Vinyl mastering has mono base..) You can not get to much base! My friend has a dedicated 2ch listening room. And have built a long time ago two base towers with each having 4 12" drivers that are infinity servo controlled. Why should anybody doing such a thing?! The benefits is that they most of the time do not need to move so much. With that amount of cone area they produce a lot of air movement together with just a minimal movement. That makes the eight 12" to never distort and easier to make a controlled base tone. He will go lower and with total control even sub Sonic. You will experience the music not only with your ears but also feel it. With that said. If you do not have the constraint of wife acceptance criteria. You can never have too big speakers..:)

Yes you are right! You will get a lower signal level/strength to your preamplifier. That level will be needed to be "in some cases" more amplified to get the desired level to your power amplifier/s. But as long you do not drive your preamplifier to hard into that it will start to get into distortion. Then I think/guess you will be fine. I wrote above "in some cases" that if you use a active preamp that utilize a active amplified output stage. When you use a passive preamp that is just a volume potentiometer (and perhaps input selections) the only thing between your RIIA and power amplifier is a set of selected able resistors that are the volume potentiometer. So if you select x ohm or y ohm before the signals go to the power amplifier will not effect anything as I see it.

I read the manual for my RIIA amp. It is a schiit mani but this may be applicable on many other riia:s. I discovered in at schiit home page that the lower the gain are set then the better performance will be given to you! The schiit gives at 30dB THD: <0.005%, SNR: >90dB But if I use the standard MM mode a 42dB THD: <0.008%, SNR: >82dB And so on.. I use a passive preamp so if I go with the lower gain at 30dB and then I only need to turn the volume potentiometer more and as long the sound levels are sufficient I do not care. If the volume knob is at 11 o'clock or 3 o'clock.. So now at 30dB I utilize better the RIIA preamp and enjoying the: THD: <0.005%, SNR: >90dB Instead! And the full value/performance are utilized of the RIIA. http://www.schiit.com/products/mani Gain 1 = L, Gain 2 = L (Decca Mode) Gain: 30dB THD: <0.005%, A-weighted, at 1V RMS SNR: >90dB, A-weighted, inputs shorted Crosstalk: -75dB, 20-20kHz Sensitivity: 9mV for 300mV output Overload Margin: >20dB Gain 1 = L, Gain 2 = H (Standard MM Mode) Gain: 42dB THD: <0.008%, A-weighted, at 1V RMS SNR: >82dB, A-weighted, inputs shorted Crosstalk: -75dB, 20-20kHz Sensitivity: 2.3mV for 300mV output Overload Margin: >20dB Gain 1 = H, Gain 2 = L (Low Output MM/High Output MC Mode) Gain: 48dB THD: <0.01%, A-weighted, at 1V RMS SNR: >80dB, A-weighted, inputs shorted Crosstalk: -75dB, 20-20kHz Sensitivity: 1.3mV for 300mV output Overload Margin: >20dB Gain 1 = H, Gain 2 = H (MC Mode) Gain: 59dB THD: <0.03%, A-weighted, at 1V RMS SNR: >70dB, A-weighted, inputs shorted Crosstalk: -75dB, 20-20kHz Sensitivity: 0.3mV for 300mV output Overload Margin: >20dB

I had hum (or maybe it is confused with grounding). With 2 different riia amp:s. And it turned out that there where no issues with them.. But that all issues disappeared when I replaced the RCA cable from the TT. The original Thorens where unshielded. Desoldered the old one and put a triple shielded one. And the issues where history since then. The signals from the cartridge is low and easy to disturb. Good luck and happy holidays!

Nice! If I were you and wanted to improve your sound experience. As I see it you have a decent system that do most of the things. If you swap some of your components to something perhaps better than you will end up with a similar system at the end. But that do the same but sounds differently and maybe better to your liking. But where you do not have anything today is base. You do have 0 decibel in the range from 20 to approximately 100 hz.. So there you can invest in two base speakers. Than your system will be more complete in sound reproduction.

A good choice I believe. I have a 2m black and it is so good almost too liner. When you listen to productions of today it was like to listen to a CD. In that regard that it were almost boring and sterile.. to buy a new tip is rather expensive. So I bought the mp110 like you. And installed it yesterday. After hearing allot of good things about it. I may need to do some more adjustments. But the good news were that it is better at voices and they get more presence and it is little more musicality somehow. Hard to describe.. Good luck with setting it up. And it will for sure be a upgrade for you. Let us hear from what is your thoughts after a while!

1. Vinyl records are made of different quality off vinyl/plastic. 1a. They all have more or less clicks and pops. Take two brand new records from different manufacturing plants. And listen. And you will hear more or less clicks and pops between those records. And one off them can bee dead silent but not the other one.. Why is that? Yes the plastic formula differs. Today even colored vinyl sounds ok because of advancement in material formula.. 1b. The different plastic material formula give us different properties. Like that some records wear out and gives more clicks and pops quicker than others that withstand wear better. This above gives you less hifi experience for each playback because it is a wear with each playback. That will be appearent sooner or later because of the wear. And this is is separately from if you have the cleanest records in the whole world. The diamond tip will wear the groove regardless of your cleaning procedure... One thing is certain that it is a little bit exiting to play back a record. Because it will every time be a little bit different (read worse).. (if you are a little bit mean) ___________ Then we come to things that has nothing to do with clicks and pops.. 2. On top on this you have cartridge alignment: 2a. This is not trivial because there is more than a handful different curves to choose from with each one has different diameters that is slightly better than another curve. And of course you can with tools calculate your own curve for your turntable, axle to arm pivot distance. But no one is perfect. They has only more or even little more angle error. 3. Hight of tonearm (SRA). So the tonearm are parallel to the record. Let say that this is the setting that has the best sound (probably not). And you have a 200g record and a standard let's say 100g. Then the 200g is twice as thick and rise the cartridge higher up. And your tonearm is sloping down. Just nearly not measurable but you can hear it (if you a and b and has a good system). And another factor is also that different vinyl cutting machines has a slightly different angle.. 3a. Higher in the back of the tonearm 3b. Lower in the back of the tonearm 4. A handful types of needle shapes. With shibata and types alike that has more contact with the groove. And of course gives you other disadvantages... 5. Needle pressure affect bass response and vocal definition, among others. Just the right amount to get find the sweet spot. 5a. Too much or.. 5b. ..to little will make the one ore the other to almost disappear. 6. Antiscate.. .. follow the needle pressure. 7. Azimuth depending on the shape of the diamond tip it will be more or less sensitive to this adjustment. And more or less sensitive with different records! Some records is not affected but others will not give you the right center image. 8. The rotation speed is usually off with a couple of percent for beltdrive turn tables. And vary between new belts. My speed where of with 0.2 rpm to slow and I thought it would get better with a new belt. But got even worse.. ..quartz turn tables has a big advantage here.. This is only some things regarding adjustments, to get under control. To get some decent sound. And then we have not touched the RIAA and other things! I know that this is a vinyl community. But with all of the above plus other things makes vinyl not for everyone. If you are not willing to put in time to learn and try what the sound diffrens between for example the lowest recommended tracking force and highest for your cartridge. Then you can never adjust the tracking force so that it sounds good to YOU! If you let someone else makes the setting for you.. then it sounds good to them and it has nothing with your preference to do. I envy the guys that plays CD/SACD. One hi end guy that only plays CD and SACD told that he will go back in time and start use vinyl the day when I start to drive an old comfortless car from the seventies! He have a point in that when the optical media is contactless and his 20 years old CDs sounds the same as day 1 if not better because today he has 10 times better CD drive than he had for 20 years ago.. We both bought the same recording he on CD and I on vinyl. Today my record is full of cracks an pops when it turns out that the vinyl record on this release was bad in withstand wear.. I will go back to CD when I have room for it. Approximately more than 90% of each of our vinyl collections are 33 rpm 12 " records.. But if the manufacturer makes limited runs with only 1000 copies from each stampers to keep the sound quality up. Or make all albums instead in 45 rpm to give better sound quality. Or mastered in half speed to get better sound quality. And so on But we still have >90% of our collection that are nothing of the above. In other words we are OK with lower fidelity! That contradict the purpose of going back to vinyl from the superior CD media.. (of course with a good CD player) And yes there are OTHER reasons to play vinyl than expecting hi fidelity..

Yes, that may be the case but I don't believe that. Because then the week channel should be on all records during play back. Another thing is when I think of it. That the shibata are "slim, highly polished profile allows an exceedingly wide contact area to the groove walls" With that in mind. It makes sense that shibata are more sensitive to azimuth than more common shapes. In other words if azimuth angle is off by 1-2 degrees than the opposite will occur than "wide contact area to the groove walls"..

Good, then it may been little bit interesting. And as a side note I really like James Blunt album. It has a heavy and distinct base in some of the tracks (mono bass?). As a vinyl lover that listening to old and gold. With is far from great as in the 70-ies (of course there are exceptions). The great thing is I have also discovered that my new RIAA stage can reproduce lower frequency than the old one.

I have found something that is not described in such details. The question what azimuth angle adjustments does for the sound and what to listening after. I have a rather fine pickup a ortofon 2M black shibata diamond (that can make it more sensitive). DEPENDING on what record you use. Azimuth angle are from almost none affected to other records that are more effected/sensitive. That is one reason why it is such a hard way to get this right! I have everything adjusted to perfection except one angle. The azimuth.. I thought I needed expensive instruments to adjust it.. I have put azimuth to parallel and in level with the record. Yesterday night I sat down to listening to a new bought record. And noticed the artist where more to the right than in the center of the image. And that is something I have experienced with some of my records.. But ok what do I have to loose? It is just to rotate the headshell some degrees back and forth and listen. And now it happens things! Of course I rotated the headshell and got the azimuth worse and the artist event even further out of center.. Ok now back to 0 degrees and past it to approximately 2 degrees of. And now the artist got back to the center of the image as it should be! My question where ok now it is adjusted for two of my more sensitive records. And they are now great! But the question is what has happened with my other records that the artist where already in the center of the image, after my adjustments? I put my well known Adele 25 and she was still in the center of the image! So different records are more or less sensitive to azimuth regarding the center image. So witch two recordings do I experience that it is easier to adjust the azimuth by ear? James Blunt ‎– The Afterlove Label: Atlantic ‎– 0190295850784 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold Country: Europe Released: 24 Mar 2017 Genre: Pop James Blunt is a new production and the artist shall be in the center of the image. This recording is recorded with a very broad listening stage. That make it easier to hear and get him in the center of the image. One of the tracks that is good to listening after, that James are in the center is "Make me better". Various ‎– Chasing The Dragon Label: Chasing The Dragon ‎– VAL007 Format: Vinyl, LP Country: UK Released: 2014 Genre: Jazz, Classical Here on this audiophile recording with Mike Valentine's magical placements of his microphones. Here listen on B side on track "soprano" Daisy's beautiful voice shall also be in center of the sound stage. And remember that the shibata shaped diamond CAN make it more sensitive to azimuth adjustments. Other shapes (elliptical, cylinder and so on) may be is not so sensitive.

Another way to attack the problem is to vibration isolation the speakers against the floor. (If no vibration from the speakers find its way to the TT then that problem solved) Of course you still can vibration isolate the TT.. By taking out the vibrations at the source as the speakers generate them have also more benefits. Like that less distorted base sound travel in your build construction. Some say that the speakers also sounds better when they are vibration isolate from it's suroundings... In other words do not just stare at the TT. The vibrations are coming from somewhere and maybe you need to fix the source.. Inspiration: A intuitive video..

If we put it like this: It is not easy for any cartridge to perform if you give it the next worsts conditions. Different alignment curves (mathematics formulas) are performing better or worse on different parts of the arc/radius. The baerwald is one of the worst performing = high TDH. The radius 97mm to 67mm segment where Löfgren "B" is considerably lower then UNI-DIN and Löfgren "A" (Baerwald) and especially Stevenson. Read more at http://www.analogplanet.com/content/uni-din-versus-löfgren-b-just-clarify#f5HMZJ5TldbLSeIL.99 So if I where you I would go here and follow the instructions: http://jaguaraudiodesign.com/blog/1066/turntable-setup-free-accurate-protractor/ And for free you will be able to print a custom protractor that is just for your table! And use Löfgren B. Maybe Löfgren where not happy with his own calculations and the second way around he improved the mathematics formula.. God luck!

How did the tests fall out? And what do you think of the Schiit Mani or you maybe did not have another RIAA there to compare against?

Two amplifiers. That I bypassed the volume control so the input signal goes directly to the circuit board. Instead of first looping through the volume control. So now it's two pure power amplifiers. But I am not using them as mono blocks (there are a switch underneath). I use them dual amps to my bi-amped B&W 804.