andynz Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 I seem to be experiencing listening fatigue with my system... i don't play my records too loud, but even at a modest volume, after an album or so, they don't seem to be too pleasing to the ears/easy to listen to. It seems to be on mulitple albums, not just one or two - and albums that are well mastered/pressed. I wondered if it's a component, or combination of components in my set up. My set up is: Pro-ject P1.2 w/ Ortofon 2M Blue -> Pro-ject Phono Box -> Rotel A10 -> Q Acoustics 3050's. My suspicion is that it's the Rotel (or it's paring with the 2M Blue), and wondered if anyone has any experience with the A10. Perhaps it's a bit harsh or overly detailed/analytical sound? I have been considering trying a Marantz (PM5005 or PM6006) which seem to be reviewed as having a slightly warmer sound? Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 Get a Marantz mitchard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchard Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 3 hours ago, Tommy said: Get a Marantz This is always the correct answer. youspinmeround and Tommy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youspinmeround Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 I would also recommend going to the Steve Hoffman forums. You will find countless of threads and opinions on this "fatigue" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andynz Posted January 1, 2021 Author Share Posted January 1, 2021 Thanks for the responses. The feedback on Steve Hoffman seems to suggest a number of my components together add up to quite a quite bright sound, which may be the cause. The Marantz certainly looks worth trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andynz Posted January 1, 2021 Author Share Posted January 1, 2021 (edited) . Edited January 2, 2021 by andynz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circuit bored records Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 On 12/29/2020 at 5:31 AM, Tommy said: Get a Marantz While I’m a big fan, I think this blanket statement won’t actually solve OP’s problem. The 2m blue is known as a very bright cart, and has been reviewed as fatiguing to some (myself included) While it’s true the Rotel might be amplifying the problem produced by the cart (no pun intended), a 2m blue paired with a marantz might still be too bright for OP’s preference. I’d personally start with a new cartridge as it’ll be the easiest part of the system to invest in and would most likely solve the problem. andynz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andynz Posted January 2, 2021 Author Share Posted January 2, 2021 I’ve been considering giving the Nagaoka MP-110 a try, that might be a cost effective experiment. Last night I played a few records through my headphones, definitely still quite bright, turning the treble down definitely helped a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circuit bored records Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) 9 hours ago, andynz said: I’ve been considering giving the Nagaoka MP-110 a try, that might be a cost effective experiment. Last night I played a few records through my headphones, definitely still quite bright, turning the treble down definitely helped a bit. The Nagaoka would be a good choice after disliking the Ortofon. I went from a 2M blue to an AT-440mla (current equivalent is the VM540) and have never looked back. They are hands down my favorite cartridges I’ve heard in the $200-$300 range. I also own a Denon DL-110 that I’m a fan of as well. A system should sound good on direct or pure direct mode or there’s something to be improved. No EQ should be needed. Edited January 3, 2021 by circuit bored records Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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