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I've got a brand new Sony LX300 turntable for Christmas, plugged into the AUX input of my Panasonic SC-HC29 Hi-Fi. Love it! :D

This was my #nowplaying post on Instagram earlier this evening :)

 

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I had to get a new centre unit from IKEA to fit. Previously I had the Hi-Fi on top with a smaller Bush turntable underneath in the previous unit - but the Hi-Fi didn't fit underneath and my new Sony LX300 didn't fit neatly on top. So I had to stretch the whole thing out with a new centre unit. Hence why the cables are still visible - I haven't got round to drilling a hole in the back of the new cabinet behind the Hi-Fi to slot all the wires through there. Hopefully it'll look a lot more streamlined once I've done that - but I love my new set up!

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I've been putting together my setup over the past year or so with a lot of help from you guys here on VC, but unfortunately due to a turn of events in my life the project got set back a little bit.  I'm almost finished though!

Denon DP300F w/ Ortofon 2M Red (Coming Soon!) -> TCC TC-750 -> NAD C352 -> Radious R90HD's / AKG Q701's

I'll be sure to come back and post a photo of everything once I get the turntable and have it all setup, should be a couple weeks or so (if everything goes well).

Edited by Hanabi
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I'm slowly upgrading my setup but right now I'm pretty happy with it.  The Sansui is one of my favorite pieces of hardware I own.  Solid as a tank just how I like my electronics :)

  • Turntable: Sansui FR-5080S
  • Cartridge: Sure M97HE-AH w/ JICO N97HE stylus
  • Reciever: Onkyo TX-8020
  • Speakers: Klipsch Reference 5-1/4" Bookshelf Speakers w/ BIC Formula F-12 subwoofer

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So, I've had a bit of a swap around and added some new gear, basically splitting up what I had so I have two set-ups, one for listening (mostly vinyl) and one for TV (movies, sports etc)...

 

Music set-up:

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Rega RP3 with Elys Blue cartridge 

Cambridge Audio Topaz SR20

Monitor Audio Bronze 5's

Added new shelving for records here..

 

Then for my TV set-up:

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Samsung 50" UHD 4K TV

Yamaha RX-V481 

Klipsch RP-150M's

Apple TV

 

The guy in-store said the Klipsch speakers will need around 100 hours of play before they burn in properly. The plan is to eventually get rid of the Cambridge amp and purchase proper pre and power amp's for the vinyl set-up.  Any suggestions on what to buy for this are welcome, I'm a tradesman by profession, so by no means a rich man!

 

Cheers, H.

 

 

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@reesdog There's nothing basically wrong with your Cambridge apart from being on the same shelf as your turntable or any of the rest of that system for that matter, it should fit together very well so if you're going to replace the Cambridge with a dedicated pre/power I would save your pennies over time and make it a big change to either something new with valves (either valve pre and solid state power or valve all the way through) or if you want to go solid state then look out something exotic used, expensive solid state amps generally loose money quicker than valve amps so at the higher end there are better bargains with used solid state if you look about and solid state is harder to repair but more reliable, the hard part in getting valve equipment repaired is getting someone who's not scared of it.

The other thing I'd say is that is a very British system so you might want to stay that way to keep the tonal balance where you are used to it but that said go and listen to lots of stuff as it's the only way to find exactly what you like and don't compromise just becasue the dealer is telling you its a good deal, your ears know best.

Oh and you don't need to be a rich man just a discerning one.

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Thanks Allen for the advice, any brands you can recommend, will probably stay British as you said and most likely will buy brand new, but probably won't be getting them for about a year after this latest spend up.

 

Question regarding having the turntable on the same shelf as the amp, is that not ok? I thought it was more like don't have the turntable and speakers on the same surface because of vibration. There doesn't seem to be any issues with the sound currently. I could move the amp to the other end of the shelf if that would help..

 

Thanks again.

Edited by reesdog
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11 hours ago, reesdog said:

Thanks Allen for the advice, any brands you can recommend, will probably stay British as you said and most likely will buy brand new, but probably won't be getting them for about a year after this latest spend up.

 

Question regarding having the turntable on the same shelf as the amp, is that not ok? I thought it was more like don't have the turntable and speakers on the same surface because of vibration. There doesn't seem to be any issues with the sound currently. I could move the amp to the other end of the shelf if that would help..

 

Thanks again.

It really does depend on your budget becasue a lot of the proper British stuff is now a lot of money but if you want to stay solid state then I would say Musical Fidelity will give you some choice and also Creek, Myryad, Cyrus and Rega make some fine equipment and a decent range. Aimed more at the high end only there is Graham Slee, Meridian, Sugden and Chord but you are looking at real money with those. Also Nytech are producing again and the [new product looks very very good but I haven't as yet heard it and don't know how much it is. I would also look at some of the US made product as this seems to have moved toward a more British sound over the years at least at the high end. I've never been a fan of Linn or Naim electronics but I understand Naim equipment now sounds a lot nicer, still over priced but nicer sounding at least.

 

If you go valve then my first choice would be EAR, Tim Paravincini is a genius of the highest order and anything he touches is audio gold, expensive but you can hear why. There is also Quad, Croft, Puresound and possibly Icon Audio, Audio Innovations and Lumley but again a lot of the US made stuff is very British sounding so certainly people like Conrad Johnson, Rogue Audio, Raven Audio or Audio Research to name four and I know there are quite a few others I've forgotten to mention.

 

On the table being on the same shelf as the amp it's not good practice becasue of electrical noise and power supply hum being transmitted through the wooden shelf but no it's certainly nowhere near as bad as having the speakers on the same shelf. You can use a sheet of glass to stop it if you detect a problem which is why a lot of the racks and shelves use glass.

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Wow, thats some great info, thanks Allen. I'll do some research on those brands you've mentioned, a lot to take in, but thats part of the fun right, checking out different gear and seeing what suits you the most. Also, I've moved the amp to the other end of the shelf so I shouldn't have any issues with electrical hum now. Pleased with how its all sounding for now. Nice one!

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On 22/01/2017 at 5:30 PM, reesdog said:

Wow, thats some great info, thanks Allen. I'll do some research on those brands you've mentioned, a lot to take in, but thats part of the fun right, checking out different gear and seeing what suits you the most. Also, I've moved the amp to the other end of the shelf so I shouldn't have any issues with electrical hum now. Pleased with how its all sounding for now. Nice one!

Not a problem but remember this is just my opinion and things I've heard and like so it doesn't mean you will agree, listen to as much as possible before you lay out serious money unless you get it at a good enough price to move it on if you don't like it, your ears know best not mine.

 

The only other advice I can give is if possible don't sell the old thing until you've had chance to try the old and the new side by side for a while so you can be absolutely sure that shiny new purchase really is more to your liking.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sweet - the setup I have was gifted to me from my mother in law. She purchased both new in 1978.  Still have the original boxes.  The table works great, except I have to monitor it, as the arm doesn't automatically drop anymore i have to manually set it - nor  does it pickup and retract without skating it's way back across the record - the small crescent shaped guide piece had broken off  - but I've learned to deal with it.

Edited by jakethegriff
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  • 3 weeks later...

It's been a while since I posted a setup photo.  I think I'm finally at a place where I have some really good synergy.

Clearaudio Concept TT w/ upgrade PSU and Ortofon 2M Bronze

Rogue Audio Ares Phono Stage (Mullard 12ax7 and Radiotechnique 12au7)

Raven Audio Osprey (JAN Phillips, Mullard, and Brimar tubes)

Nola Boxers

Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies with upgraded PSU (no headphones right now, saving for Audeze LCD-X)

 

Listen to mostly jazz, post rock, some psych, electronic.

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On 3/5/2017 at 0:44 PM, adamha21 said:

It's been a while since I posted a setup photo.  I think I'm finally at a place where I have some really good synergy.

Clearaudio Concept TT w/ upgrade PSU and Ortofon 2M Bronze

Rogue Audio Ares Phono Stage (Mullard 12ax7 and Radiotechnique 12au7)

Raven Audio Osprey (JAN Phillips, Mullard, and Brimar tubes)

Nola Boxers

Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies with upgraded PSU (no headphones right now, saving for Audeze LCD-X)

 

Listen to mostly jazz, post rock, some psych, electronic.

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How do you likes the Ares Phono Stage?  I'm still saving to upgrade my turntable but my next move after that is going to be to get a separate phono pre.  I am VERY happy with with built in Phono in the Cronus Magnum but eventually I want to go the Ares route.

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On 3/7/2017 at 3:21 PM, drewvandal said:

How do you likes the Ares Phono Stage?  I'm still saving to upgrade my turntable but my next move after that is going to be to get a separate phono pre.  I am VERY happy with with built in Phono in the Cronus Magnum but eventually I want to go the Ares route.

I like the Ares.  I've had it about 8 months.  I previously had a battery powered Musical Surroundings Nova Phonomena 1st edition, which really was a good Phono stage.  The Ares definitely has a lower noise floor and is quieter.

 

There are some minor things about the Ares that bothered me with some low level hum in one channel and I was thinking about making a big jump to another Phono--but, I did some tube rolling and was much happier with the results.  I currently have Mullard NOS 12ax7's in the input stage and Radiotechnique 12au7's in the secondary stage. Both platinum grade from Upscale Audio.  The Mullards are pricey and honestly, overrated (I had a pair of Sovtek 12ax7lps) which I thought were almost as good or better until I rolled a pair of tubes in my Raven amp and found much better synergy with the Mullards.

 

There is a ton of hype surrounding Rogue Audio...and I think some of it is justified and some of it might be overrated compared to comparable brands.  From everything I've read the Ares is superior to the inboard stage on the Cronus Magnum, and they are pretty easy to find on audiogon for around $1,000-$1,200.

 

I think they are a good value at that price.

 

Edited by adamha21
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8 hours ago, ajxd said:

Fuck your records, post better photos of your gear please. And list it out. That's one hell of a table!

Ok so

Hanss T-30 Turntable

Hanss PA-23 Phono Pre Amp

Drawmer HQ Preamp

Genelec M40 with a 5040 Sub.

Clearaudio TT5 Arm

AT OC-9 III Cart (normally have the Grado Statement Sonata but it needs a retip)

 

pics as follows :) 

 

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My new turntable arrived today, could not be happier with how it sounds and the cart isn't even close to broken in.  BIG shout out to Soundstage Direct for being so rad and easy to work with.  Setting this up took 10 minutes.

 

VPI Scout 1.1 w/ 2M Bronze

Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum

Bowers & Wilkens CM8

Kimber 8TC's

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  • 2 weeks later...

Klipsch 150m train from a shoebox sized student apartment bedroom. Great speakers. 110sw in the mail (should be here Monday.)

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This is as far back as I can get for the picture.

onkyo a9050

klipsch 150m

klipsch 110sw (not pictured)

debut carbon espirit sb (downgraded from an RP3 carbon. the belt would constantly roll off).

pioneer cts44

 

in dire need of natural lighting, a collection list, alphabetization and a dedicated camera. I also have a couple unpictured shoeboxes of tapes because I can't find more napa valley 100 shelves at the thrift.

Edited by EGsynergy
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/31/2017 at 10:49 PM, EGsynergy said:

Klipsch 150m train from a shoebox sized student apartment bedroom. Great speakers. 110sw in the mail (should be here Monday.)

iL9Mjkk.jpg

This is as far back as I can get for the picture.

onkyo a9050

klipsch 150m

klipsch 110sw (not pictured)

debut carbon espirit sb (downgraded from an RP3 carbon. the belt would constantly roll off).

pioneer cts44

 

in dire need of natural lighting, a collection list, alphabetization and a dedicated camera. I also have a couple unpictured shoeboxes of tapes because I can't find more napa valley 100 shelves at the thrift.

Whoa did Cigarettes After Sex put out that EP on vinyl? 

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