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Recommended speakers / turntable for Yamaha AS-500


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Hi there,

As I can see the Yamaha AS-500 is a rather popular amp here. I got one in pristine condition and paired it with an old Sony PS-LX4 turntable (with Ortofon OM10 cart) and two big floor standing speakers (Teufel Ultima 40 Mk II, they are quite popular here in Germany).

I am not 100% happy with the sound. The cart cannot be blamed as it is new. The speakers were bought to a guy who used them for 6 months only and they are quite ok.

 

For those of you who own the AS-500, could you recommend some floor standing speakers and turntable? The latter is easier to recommend as a good Pro-ject Debut will do the job (not willing to spend more than 300 euro), but I would invest up to 700 euro approx on the speakers. The room is 25 sqm.

 

Would appreciate your input guys.

Many thanks.

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12 hours ago, kindgott said:

 The cart cannot be blamed as it is new.

I disagree.  The turntable (and cartridge) is the obvious bottleneck of your system.  Your amp and speakers are actually decent and the cartridge on your table is considered entry level at best.

 

When you listen to a different source, such as a CD player or an iPod on the same amp and speakers I would wager to say that the quality would be much better than when you listen to your turntable.   If you are unhappy with the way other sources sound out of the same speakers as well, I would recommend not to take advice from people on the internet and find a local hifi shop where you can demo some speakers and hear which ones you like for yourself.
 

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7 hours ago, yanquiuxo said:

I disagree.  The turntable (and cartridge) is the obvious bottleneck of your system.  Your amp and speakers are actually decent and the cartridge on your table is considered entry level at best.
 

Thanks for your reply Yanquiuxo (another fellow GYBE! fan here). As I wasn't very sure about this turntable because of little feedback about it I didn't want to heavily invest on the cartridge. After all this turntable costed 60 euro, same as the cartridge.

 

I read that Ortofon OM10 is quite similar to the 2M Red, but the latter seems to be quite bright and that may not pair well with the sound of the AS500, right? 

I am happy with the sound I get from other sources (cd and chromecast audio), not so happy with the sound from the turntable. Given the peculiarities of the Yamaha AS500 what cartridge would you recommend? Or would it make sense to invest in a turntable instead of a cartridge?

 

Thanks again for the comments. 

Edited by kindgott
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9 hours ago, kindgott said:

Thanks for your reply Yanquiuxo (another fellow GYBE! fan here). As I wasn't very sure about this turntable because of little feedback about it I didn't want to heavily invest on the cartridge. After all this turntable costed 60 euro, same as the cartridge.

 

I read that Ortofon OM10 is quite similar to the 2M Red, but the latter seems to be quite bright and that may not pair well with the sound of the AS500, right? 

I am happy with the sound I get from other sources (cd and chromecast audio), not so happy with the sound from the turntable. Given the peculiarities of the Yamaha AS500 what cartridge would you recommend? Or would it make sense to invest in a turntable instead of a cartridge?

 

Thanks again for the comments. 

Well since you are happy with the way other sources sound I wouldn't rush out and buy new speakers just yet...  The cartridge is going to be your cheaper fix to the problem, I have no personal experience with that turntable but from what I read online it is somewhat decent, probably worth keeping and throwing a nicer cart on there for the price you paid, if anything as a backup table for the future if you do end up upgrading.

 

The 2M Red is a good step up over the OM10e or the Shure M97xe is also a decent suggestion for a similar price point.  I'm personally not a big fan of the brightness of the 2M Red and prefer the Shure over it.  The AT-440mlb is my personal choice for a bit more budget.  

 

My main suggestion if you decide to replace the cart is make sure you align it properly (or have it professionally installed) because it can easily take a $100 cartridge and make it sound like a $10 one if not properly installed.

 

For turntable suggestions if you want to replace yours all together, you are going to want to visit this thread here: 

 

 

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