David Loyd Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 EDIT: I purchased the Focal chorus speakers and put the vintage receiver in storage and replaced with a marantz PM6004.Now I need advice on cartridge replacement. Should I try replacing the cartridge myself? Or is it best left to a pro? I just purchased a Denon DL-110 to replace my Rega RP1 stock cartridge. Thanks in advance. Hi everyone, I'm buying a separate amp and speakers for my new setup. I'm trying to keep it around $800, no more than $1000. Heres what I've narrowed it down to. Receivers: Marantz PM6004 or Yamaha Natural sound Stereo Receiver -R500BL Speakers: keeping it bookshelf because I live in a townhouse. Focal Chorus 706V vs Klipsch RB-51 2bk I think I have my mind set on the yamaha and Klipsch combo. I like both the yamaha and Marantz receivers, but the Yamaha seems to have a bit more power. Same with the speakers. The Focal have a really nice midrange to me, The Klipsch sounds very good as well, but seems to have more bass presence. Can you guys give opinions, possible other options? AM I making a good choices here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Well these are two different things. The PM5004 is an integrated amp, while the R-S500 is a receiver. Out of the two, PM5004 hands down. A fairer comparison would be the PM5004 and A-S500. For the focal or klipsch speakers I'd probably still pick the Marantz. Power rating isn't everything. My chioce would be Marantz + Klipsch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooks Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I've got Klipsch RB61s hooked up to Marantz pm6004. Sounds great. Have never used a Yamaha, so I can't compare But if you're hoping for volume and bass I have absolutely no complaints with my set up in those departments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 So guys, school me, what's the difference between an integrated amp over a straght up receiver? What are the pros or cons of one over the other if there is one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dethrock Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 From the Beginners Guide to Hi-Fi (go figure): II. AMPLIFICATION Integrated Amplifier It is a combination of two basic components: a preamp and a power amp, in one box. A preamp has a similar job to the phono preamp, but is not to be considered the same/an alternative. The preamp stage within the integrated amplifier provides the selection between inputs and adds a volume control. It also adds tone controls, equalization and other similar features, depending on the model. The power amp section can be thought of as kind of a signal multiplier. It amplifies the signal, received from the preamp section, by a fixed factor. It is like a big power boost, providing speakers with a suitable level signal. Receiver It is essentially an integrated amplifier with added features. Vintage receivers usually only added an analog tuner to the box. In 70s and early 80s they were the most common choice of hi-fi enthusiasts, which resulted in their reign both in budget segment as well as higher class equipment. Today, many more features are added, from simple stereo receivers with tuners, ipod docks and wireless connectibility to multichannel beasts with more connections than Aristotle Onassis. The quality, especially in the budget segment, suffers. slinch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 Thanks dethrock I appreciate the clarification. Ill have to go back and listen again before i make my choice. They both sounded great but the yamaha sounded slightly better to my ears, of course they only had a few 'audiophile' quality records to demo with, so ill be sure to take some of my favorite punk and metal vinyl next time to get a real feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I can't comment on the speakers as I have only heard the Focal but of the amps the Marantz will give more depth even though it's lower powered, Yamaha tend to tailor their sound higher up which after time might be a bit fatiguing on the ears if you use a lot of digital sources. That sounding better initially thing is what Bose has taken to new levels to draw you in and one of the oldest tricks in the book, with Yamaha it's just the way they make their amplifiers and a case of personal taste but the side effect is you initially perceive that higher up sound as detail against an amplifier that has it's sound more centrally placed and over time you find out it isn't true, this can lead to ear fatigue if the speakers have the same philosophy and you listen to CD's or MP3's for a long time. The Receiver attachment seems to be a uniquely north American thing which I have never understood, putting any sort of radio device in an amplifier is never a good idea as you have to do a load more work making sure the RF noise doesn't enter the amplifier path. Bottom line listen to peoples advice but buy with your ears, if you prefer the Yamaha sound go with it but a 2nd listen is definitely needed once you have taken in what other advice you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 I can't comment on the speakers as I have only heard the Focal but of the amps the Marantz will give more depth even though it's lower powered, Yamaha tend to tailor their sound higher up which after time might be a bit fatiguing on the ears if you use a lot of digital sources. That sounding better initially thing is what Bose has taken to new levels to draw you in and one of the oldest tricks in the book, with Yamaha it's just the way they make their amplifiers and a case of personal taste but the side effect is you initially perceive that higher up sound as detail against an amplifier that has it's sound more centrally placed and over time you find out it isn't true, this can lead to ear fatigue if the speakers have the same philosophy and you listen to CD's or MP3's for a long time. The Receiver attachment seems to be a uniquely north American thing which I have never understood, putting any sort of radio device in an amplifier is never a good idea as you have to do a load more work making sure the RF noise doesn't enter the amplifier path. Bottom line listen to peoples advice but buy with your ears, if you prefer the Yamaha sound go with it but a 2nd listen is definitely needed once you have taken in what other advice you get. This makes a lot of sense. Kind of like buying a turntable without a preamp and mp3 ability built within it. You get a more pure sound if all that stuff isn't involved yes? Also come to think about it, the yamaha receiver was a floor model and I'm assuming had gotten lots of use and had most definitely gone past the 'break in' period, where as the marantz was straight out of the box since they didn't have one set up yet on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 I found a Technics sa-202 in perfect working condition today at the local salvation army for $20. Im a sucker for vintage gear so i picked it up. Sounds pretty good with my new Focal Chorus 705 V speakers, the specs can be found here. http://www.classic-audio.com/technics-sa202-p-295.html Do you think the Marantz pm 6004 would still be a better fit with the new speakers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Just on age alone the Marantz should be better and the Technics isn't high up their food chain but still a nice bit of kit and a bargain at $20. If the Technics only owes you $20 and if you are handy with a soldering iron or know someone who is then replace the output caps that will give it a fighting chance of sounding at it's best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Just on age alone the Marantz should be better and the Technics isn't high up their food chain but still a nice bit of kit and a bargain at $20. If the Technics only owes you $20 and if you are handy with a soldering iron or know someone who is then replace the output caps that will give it a fighting chance of sounding at it's best. That's kind of what I was thinking as well. I truly love the way the 70's to early 80's receivers look. I guess I'll order a marantz and save this for my daughter when shes old enough. Thanks for the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 I need advice on cartridge replacement. Should I try replacing the cartridge myself? Or is it best left to a pro? I just purchased a Denon DL-110 to replace my Rega RP1 stock cartridge. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I need advice on cartridge replacement. Should I try replacing the cartridge myself? Or is it best left to a pro? I just purchased a Denon DL-110 to replace my Rega RP1 stock cartridge. Thanks in advance. If your asking the question it sounds like your not comfortable doing it yourself. It's not difficult but then I've done it loads, you might find it extremely difficult. Doing it on any arm like the Rega and Project that don't have a removable headshell is always more difficult just because of access though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 If your asking the question it sounds like your not comfortable doing it yourself. It's not difficult but then I've done it loads, you might find it extremely difficult. Doing it on any arm like the Rega and Project that don't have a removable headshell is always more difficult just because of access though. That's the issue. I did it on my last turntable which was an Audio Technica LP120, but as you mentioned, it had a removable headshell and I only replaced the stock cartridge with the same cheap stock cartridge. This is a nice cartridge replacement so I don't want to mess it or my turntable up. There's a guy locally that does that kind of thing but its a bit pricey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I'll do it for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorSelf Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Ive been looking into a dl-103. What are you switching from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I'll do it for free. There you go problem solved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 Ive been looking into a dl-103. What are you switching from? Switching it up from the Rega Carbon that came with the turntable when I bought it Savior. Purchased off Comet Supply thanks to the advice of other VC'ers here for under $100 shipped. FYI Comet Supply also has the DL-103 for $143. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 I'll do it for free. Kannibal if you live in the Northern VA area I'll take you up on that offer. honestly I think I'm going to try myself. I found a few tutorials that seem very detailed. As long as I take my time it should be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Kannibal if you live in the Northern VA area I'll take you up on that offer. honestly I think I'm going to try myself. I found a few tutorials that seem very detailed. As long as I take my time it should be ok. I was serious, and I do live in NOVA. I think it is something most people can do, and if you changed one with a headshell, you should be able to do this, just buy taking a title more care with the angles that you use when holding things. The cart itself is not fragile, so you can firmly hold it from the sides with the nuts (huh-huh. Yeah!) in place and drop the screw (uhhhh huh huh) in place and tighten it. But if you still don't feel comfortable, or want some assistance, feel free to send me a PM. cbbrew22, anthemforadoomed, tvham and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfranciosa Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 it's really easy to do this and not worth getting intimidated over. I've literally eyeballed every single install I've done for overhang and tracking and then measured with a protractor and not had to make any additional adjustments. cbbrew22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 it's really easy to do this and not worth getting intimidated over. I've literally eyeballed every single install I've done for overhang and tracking and then measured with a protractor and not had to make any additional adjustments. LOL, hey check out the human super computer over here!!! ajxd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 it's really easy to do this and not worth getting intimidated over. I've literally eyeballed every single install I've done for overhang and tracking and then measured with a protractor and not had to make any additional adjustments. Is that in the register of superpowers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loyd Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 Ok guys I've hit a bit of a snag. I just took off the old cartridge, seemed easy enough. Now I'm trying to replace with the new one and the connector clamps are loose. I assumed that it would be a bit tighter to where i could just connect them and it would just hang from the wires until the new one was screwed on. Am I Supposed to squeeze the connectors with the needle nose pliers while its around the headshell a bit so the attachment is tighter? Should I squeeze the connectors a bit before slipping them on the headshell so it does just hang there, Or should I connect the headshell with the screws on top first and then try connecting the wires? I'm sorry if I'm being over cautious. I just don't Want to damage any parts of this. Thanks again guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcguirk Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 You should use tweezers to carefully constrict the cartridge clips before attaching them to the cartridge pins. Just don't manhandle them, because you'll need a really stable hand, a vice, and a loupe to solder a new clip (ask me how I know). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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