Improving Vinyl Setup with NAD C316BEE, AT-VM540ML & Wharfedale Linton

[beatleswho]

Hi everyone,

I’m new to this forum and really appreciate the depth of knowledge I’ve seen here. I’ve been into vinyl for years and am now considering my first serious upgrade. My current setup is:

• Turntable: Technics SL-D3
• Cartridge: Audio-Technica AT-VM540ML
• Integrated Amp: NAD C316BEE (original version, no DAC, no phono stage)
• Phono Preamp: NAD PP2
• Speakers: Wharfedale Linton Heritage 85th
• Room: Medium-sized living room, mostly vinyl listening (rock, jazz, classical)

I recently changed speaker positioning and that alone brought noticeable improvements. Now I’m wondering what would bring the most meaningful upgrade in terms of soundstage, clarity, and overall dynamics.

My main options are:

1. Replacing the NAD PP2 with a better phono preamp (e.g., Rega Fono MM MK5, Cambridge Alva Duo)
2. Replacing the NAD C316BEE with a higher-end integrated amp (e.g., Rega Elex MK4, Magnat MA 900, Marantz Model 50, Cambridge CXA81 + separate phono, etc.)
3. Keeping what I have and investing elsewhere — or just sitting back and enjoying the music.

Budget is around $1,000–$1,200 USD.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you’ve used these components or moved on from something similar. Any advice is welcome.

Thanks in advance!

 

[staticV3]

Now I’m wondering what would bring the most meaningful upgrade in terms of soundstage, clarity, and overall dynamics.

Budget is around $1,000–$1,200 USD.

Parks Audio Waxwing

WiiM Amp Pro/Amp Ultra

miniDSP UMIK-1

and consider adding a sub or two later on

 

[Svend P]

Let me be the first(but probably not the last) to tell you to skip the vinyl ...

An amplifier with room correction and a measuring microphone would bring the biggest improvement in your setup as staticV3 also recommends

'Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?'

Mar 31, 2022

Please note: due to lack of oversight, this thread has been locked. More current discussion of vinyl playback, can be found at the following thread…

The Courteous Vinyl Playback Discussion

There have been a number of threads started that seem to descend into vinyl bashing, bullying, and lack of respect. The title of this thread should set the tone. If your are tempted to post here in a “Tellarite” manner - Trekkies will recognize this reference - don’t do it here. Instead start...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I'm a member of a couple of reddit audiophile threads where people post pictures of their rigs and most of the time they include turntables and every time I see one my mind is blown because I outgrew vinyl only a few years after buying my first CD player in the '80's. Back then I had a tape deck, a turntable and a...

• carewser
• Replies: 11,741
• Forum: Music Reviews and Discussions

• 

 

[mglobe]

Parks Audio Waxwing

WiiM Amp Pro/Amp Ultra

miniDSP UMIK-1

and consider adding a sub or two later on

This, but you could probably keep the Integrated amp in the chain and skip the WiiM.

 

[staticV3]

This, but you could probably keep the Integrated amp in the chain and skip the WiiM.

The WiiM for its built-in loudspeaker correction as well as room correction, which can improve sound quality drastically.

 

[DSJR]

You use a vinyl source with speakers hard into CORNERS??? I've no idea how much extra (too much) bass you're getting there, but the Super Linton may be worth saving for as the bass response is a little leaner judging by measurements done in free-space. Adding proceeds from your Linton 85 sale may make them affordable/

The PP2 could usefully be upgraded (I remember it as a bit subjectively soft around the edges). The deck itself MUST be properly sited well away from the speakers, on a solid support and I'd suggest using it with lid removed too (even the more solid higher models should be used this way in my experience). In a vinyl system, get the deck-end messed up subjectively and NOTHING you do after will bring it back... The Cambridge Duo seems an excellent phono stage and of course the @Michael Fidler designs are superbly hand made and not silly-expensive. I'm still heavily into the hifi hierarchy mode where vinyl is concerned and back when I was a dealer, easily demonstrated. Digital is totally different these days and you can use an inexpensive dac and large top-notch speakers with no subjective loss, but you can find out all about that yourself by trawling around threads here

If you hang around here, you'll notice the general dislike of vinyl as a main source as in ASR terms, it's simply not good enough objectively. Many of us still have good collections of records and like to play them from time to time and records CAN sound very nice indeed - I hope you're not buying new vinyl cut from digital masters though as for the money, that really is ridiculous to be honest - sorry if I appear rude here..

I have to say the speaker position is a potential killer for any good sound quality, but we do get used to it and make all manner of excuses (I'm doing it now with my rig I have to say, but as nobody else hears it, including my better half, that's my issue alone!).

 

[mglobe]

The WiiM for its built-in loudspeaker correction as well as room correction, which can improve sound quality drastically.

I misread, and thought the proposal had a MiniDSP processor in the chain, not just the UMIK. My mistake.

 

[digitalfrost]

You speakers are really good. The amp is good enough. The cartridge is also nice. I think what we have to look at is cartridge loading.

Hagerman Technology LLC: Cartridge Loading

What I would do is, buy an audio-interface. It will allow you to make measurements of your system when combined with a calibrated microphone, and it will allow you to record vinyl to compare the results.

Here is a picture of my vinyl setup with VM95ML:

https://imgur.com/mIgnIRn

You can see that from 1khz up, the vinyl recording and the digital recording are identical (bottom graph). That is what a good cartridge with proper loading can do.

Here is a measurement of your VM540ML: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...tridge-measurement-library.46108/post-1649445

It either is a bright cartridge or it has the same problem that most MMs have which is a sensitivy to high capacitance that will raise the high frequency region. In any case, to improve things here I think measurements are the way to go, both of the turntable and the speakers. Also being able to measure the speakers might open up very obvious ways to improve room acoustics.

If your replace your phono pre it for sure should be one with selectable impedance + capacitance settings. Replacing the amp is the worst use of your money.

 

[DVDdoug]

If we didn't have digital and I was still playing records, I'd probably buy the Waxwing. I occasionally digitize a record and I use software to clean-up the "snap:", "crackle", and "pop" but the software I have doesn't work in real time.

...I guess the Waxwing is for people who don't like the "warm crackle" of vinyl.

A different cartridge usually makes a difference in frequency response, but that can be fixed/adjusted with tone controls/EQ. And you an adjust it to-taste or for different records and you don't have to try every cartridge in the world to find one you like. You might also find a cartridge that tracks better with less tracking distortion on "hard to track" records.

The capacitance load on the cartridge also affects frequency response. There's usually a spec for the cartridge and it can be too high or too low. But the actual capacitance depends on the wiring in the turntable, the cables to the preamp, and the preamp itself so it's usually unknown.

A different turntable probably won't make a difference unless something is horribly wrong.

Now I’m wondering what would bring the most meaningful upgrade in terms of soundstage, clarity, and overall dynamics.

Soundstage and dynamics are in the recording. Soundstage is also influenced by your speakers and room acoustics, and of course your brain, since it's an illusion with the sound actually coming out of your speakers.

If "clarity" means strong high frequencies, EQ is again the answer. Or another cartridge may have stronger highs. If it means less distortion a better cartridge might help but vinyl distortion is usually on the record itself and can't be fixed.

Your phono preamp (built into your preamp?) is probably OK too, unless you're getting excess hum or hiss. The RIAA EQ can sometimes be "off" which makes your frequency response off, but again you can fix it with EQ or tone controls.

 

[Multicore]

Now I’m wondering what would bring the most meaningful upgrade in terms of soundstage, clarity, and overall dynamics.

WiiM Amp Pro/Amp Ultra

Agree 100%. The most meaningful upgrade in terms of soundstage, clarity, and overall dynamics is to install exatly this equipment and then when you play an LP you should set it spinning on the TT and then, instead of dropping the needle, play it from the WiiM instead. This also improves the life of your needle and prevents further wear of the vinyl.

This is actually what I do. Well, not 100 % because my LPs are out of order and I usually can't be bothered to locate the one I want to listen to.

 

[king0188]

Hi everyone,

I’m new to this forum and really appreciate the depth of knowledge I’ve seen here. I’ve been into vinyl for years and am now considering my first serious upgrade. My current setup is:

• Turntable: Technics SL-D3
• Cartridge: Audio-Technica AT-VM540ML
• Integrated Amp: NAD C316BEE (original version, no DAC, no phono stage)
• Phono Preamp: NAD PP2
• Speakers: Wharfedale Linton Heritage 85th
• Room: Medium-sized living room, mostly vinyl listening (rock, jazz, classical)

I recently changed speaker positioning and that alone brought noticeable improvements. Now I’m wondering what would bring the most meaningful upgrade in terms of soundstage, clarity, and overall dynamics.

My main options are:

1. Replacing the NAD PP2 with a better phono preamp (e.g., Rega Fono MM MK5, Cambridge Alva Duo)
2. Replacing the NAD C316BEE with a higher-end integrated amp (e.g., Rega Elex MK4, Magnat MA 900, Marantz Model 50, Cambridge CXA81 + separate phono, etc.)
3. Keeping what I have and investing elsewhere — or just sitting back and enjoying the music.

Budget is around $1,000–$1,200 USD.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you’ve used these components or moved on from something similar. Any advice is welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! How does your c316bee work with linton? Dose its 40 watt power enough to push linton?

 

[beatleswho]

Hi! How does your c316bee work with linton? Dose its 40 watt power enough to push linton?

I think they work wonderfully! I’ve actually never used them with any other amp, which is why I was asking whether an upgrade would be a good idea. But I really love the sound of my current setup, and after reading so many great things about the NAD C316BEE, I’ve decided not to make any changes.

 

[Bob from Florida]

Hi everyone,

I’m new to this forum and really appreciate the depth of knowledge I’ve seen here. I’ve been into vinyl for years and am now considering my first serious upgrade. My current setup is:

• Turntable: Technics SL-D3
• Cartridge: Audio-Technica AT-VM540ML
• Integrated Amp: NAD C316BEE (original version, no DAC, no phono stage)
• Phono Preamp: NAD PP2
• Speakers: Wharfedale Linton Heritage 85th
• Room: Medium-sized living room, mostly vinyl listening (rock, jazz, classical)

I recently changed speaker positioning and that alone brought noticeable improvements. Now I’m wondering what would bring the most meaningful upgrade in terms of soundstage, clarity, and overall dynamics.

My main options are:

1. Replacing the NAD PP2 with a better phono preamp (e.g., Rega Fono MM MK5, Cambridge Alva Duo)
2. Replacing the NAD C316BEE with a higher-end integrated amp (e.g., Rega Elex MK4, Magnat MA 900, Marantz Model 50, Cambridge CXA81 + separate phono, etc.)
3. Keeping what I have and investing elsewhere — or just sitting back and enjoying the music.

Budget is around $1,000–$1,200 USD.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you’ve used these components or moved on from something similar. Any advice is welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Parks Audio Waxwing, a record cleaning machine, and buy more records. Links below.

Amazon.com

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_252VCE2/Pro-Ject-VC-E2.html

New releases may require buying new, but you can have a lot of fun finding clean used records at decent prices.
Your room is the largest variable, as you discovered with your recent repositioning of speakers. Modest changes within limits of one's needs to to satisfy WAF - if applicable - will likely yield improvements.