New Set-up Questions/Reccomendations

[ayoungrad]

I have an older receiver and speakers that have been collecting dust but I'm looking into setting it back up for a turntable set-up. I have:

NAD T753 Receiver
Totem Acoustics Dreamcatcher speakers with sub

I'm thinking about getting this turntable but I'm definitely open to suggestions:

Rega Planar 3RS

I'm interested to hear any thoughts about a preamplifier. I have always liked tube sound but most seem to be extremely expensive. I was hoping for something under $1000.

I'd really prefer for everything to be under $2000.

Is my receiver going to be a limiting factor? The speakers? The turntable? Would I be better off scrapping everything?

Thanks in advance.

 

[VMAT4]

Are you really attached to the Totem speakers?

Your receiver should be transparent. After that it's a matter of phono cartridge and speakers, for the most part. Of course tubes will play apart if you incorporate them in the system.

 

[ayoungrad]

I loved those speakers. I guess I'm mainly attached in a nostalgic kind of way. And financial. I originally bought them 20 years ago because they didn't break the bank. Are they pretty limiting for vinyl? Any thoughts on a preamp with those speakers or a new set?

 

[DVDdoug]

I'm not a fan of vinyl, but...

The most important thing (and weakest link) is the record. ...How well it was made and the condition.

Next, the phono cartridge which will have an effect on frequency response, but that can be tweaked with tone controls or EQ. The cartridge can also make a difference with 'hard to track" records.

The phono preamp should be low noise and have good RIAA EQ compliance. But once the record starts playing, record noise will almost always dominate, and the EQ/frequency response on records is often "imperfect" too. I wouldn't go "too crazy" with the preamp.

The turntable itself won't make much difference. Almost all it has to do is play at the right speed. The only time I've heard a difference or problem from the turntable it was a cheap plastic "record player" with "rumble". And I've heard turntables with worn-out slipping drive belts or wheels. (I never had any problems with my 40-year old direct-drive Technics.

If I needed another turntable, I'd get direct drive. And I'd look seriously at the Audio Technica AT-LP120USB (whatever the current version is). It's direct drive and it comes ready-to-play with a cartridge, built-in preamp, and USB for digitizing records. (The only reason I still have a turntable is for occasionally digitizing a record that's not available digitally.)

Of course "look and feel" of the turntable may also be important to you.

I have always liked tube sound but most seem to be extremely expensive.

I'm not a fan of tubes either...

There is no "one tube sound". A good tube amp will sound just like a good solid state amp with no particular sound of its own (flat frequency response and no audible noise or distortion). If a tube amp has a "sound" it will sound different from another tube amp. For example, guitar amplifiers are not designed to be high-fidelity. They all have a different sound and most guitar players have their favorite guitar and their favorite amp. And guitar players tend to favor tube amps for the way they sound when over-driven into distortion-saturation.

It is more expensive to make a tube amp, especially a good tube power amp.

 

[ayoungrad]

Yeah. I have a house full of SONOS and its crazy convenient but nothing like vinyl. And I became a fan of tubes over the years from playing guitar. So I'm trying to head into less digital, less produced and less refined sound. Like looking into original mono press records sort of thing.

Anyone have any ideas for a reasonably priced system for that?

 

[watchnerd]

I have an older receiver and speakers that have been collecting dust but I'm looking into setting it back up for a turntable set-up. I have:

NAD T753 Receiver
Totem Acoustics Dreamcatcher speakers with sub

I'm thinking about getting this turntable but I'm definitely open to suggestions:

Rega Planar 3RS

I'm interested to hear any thoughts about a preamplifier. I have always liked tube sound but most seem to be extremely expensive. I was hoping for something under $1000.

I'd really prefer for everything to be under $2000.

Is my receiver going to be a limiting factor? The speakers? The turntable? Would I be better off scrapping everything?

Thanks in advance.

Does the T753 even have a phono input?

 

[BeeKay]

Does the T753 even have a phono input?

Nope. If NAD‘s specs page is correct.

 

[watchnerd]

Nope. If NAD‘s specs page is correct.

So if you're trying to keep it under $2K, the Rega costs $1800 before tax.

Probably $1900 with tax.

That doesn't leave much for a half decent phono stage. Even the Schiit Mani is $150.

(that's assuming you keep the speakers and receiver)

 

[spiral scratch]

looking into original mono press records sort of thing.

Not quite sure what this means, but if you're thinking about collecting original mono pressings the budget train left the station for those a long time ago. I mean you can find stuff around but it tends to be pretty beat up. Bespoke record companies are reissuing mono pressings now and then.

Whether getting started on a vinyl set-up is worth it to you, that's kind of an individual choice. A lot of people on this forum will tell you not to bother because it's more expensive than digital and the sound quality is handicapped by the vinyl format. That being said, many enjoy the sound of records.

I know you are looking for 'tubes' sound, the Parks Audio phono amps offer digital filters to give you that sound. They're also very versatile as far as matching loads and gains to various cartridges.

Personally I'd look around for a used turntable, especially if this is something that you just want to play around with. They are more expensive than they used to be but it's still possible to get something that works well for considerably less than new.

 

[watchnerd]

Not quite sure what this means, but if you're thinking about collecting original mono pressings the budget train left the station for those a long time ago. I mean you can find stuff around but it tends to be pretty beat up. Bespoke record companies are reissuing mono pressings now and then.

Whether getting started on a vinyl set-up is worth it to you, that's kind of an individual choice. A lot of people on this forum will tell you not to bother because it's more expensive than digital and the sound quality is handicapped by the vinyl format. That being said, many enjoy the sound of records.

I know you are looking for 'tubes' sound, the Parks Audio phono amps offer digital filters to give you that sound. They're also very versatile as far as matching loads and gains to various cartridges.

Personally I'd look around for a used turntable, especially if this is something that you just want to play around with. They are more expensive than they used to be but it's still possible to get something that works well for considerably less than new.

I have the Puffin and the 2H filter is interesting but in a phono context it doesn’t emulate the different soft clipping / headroom behavior of a true tube phono stage.

Whether that's good or bad is debatable.

 

[Balle Clorin]

The interesting thing about Puffinf 2H distortion feature is that it can be used to cancel distortion. I had a case where adding 2H distortion lowered the resulting distortion. If the phase is in correct relation this can happen.

 

[mike70]

technics mk7 or 1500C (if you don't like the pitch and lights) at 1100 USD is a perfect turntable.
cartridge? ... AT vm95ml (160 USD)
phono preamp? schiit mani (150 USD)

for almost 1500 USD you can hava a hell of full analog reproduction.

and please, do a proper cleaning of the records with a homemade solution (distilled water, surfactant), that's key to get better sound (even on brand new records ... record factories aren't hospitals).

 

[Roland68]

I have an older receiver and speakers that have been collecting dust but I'm looking into setting it back up for a turntable set-up. I have:

NAD T753 Receiver
Totem Acoustics Dreamcatcher speakers with sub

I'm thinking about getting this turntable but I'm definitely open to suggestions:

Rega Planar 3RS

I'm interested to hear any thoughts about a preamplifier. I have always liked tube sound but most seem to be extremely expensive. I was hoping for something under $1000.

I'd really prefer for everything to be under $2000.

Is my receiver going to be a limiting factor? The speakers? The turntable? Would I be better off scrapping everything?

Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't spend that much on a turntable. For example, in my experience, Project offers better value for money and usable devices between €300 and €900. You can sometimes find used (often barely used) top-of-the-line Project models for €400-€800.
You can upgrade the cartridge at any time.

The Fosi Audio Box X5 phono preamplifier scored incredibly well in Amir's test, and not just for its price range.

I would try the NAD first; it's a solid and good device. NAD has 35-year-old amplifiers and power amplifiers that beat current devices, such as SMSL GaN-based Class D amplifiers for €500-€700.

I also don't see any need for improvement with the Totem Acoustics Dreamcatcher speakers at the moment. There are currently enough speakers in this price range that are worse or at least not better.

The money saved would be better invested in music or other things.

 

[watchnerd]

The interesting thing about Puffinf 2H distortion feature is that it can be used to cancel distortion. I had a case where adding 2H distortion lowered the resulting distortion. If the phase is in correct relation this can happen.

Huh. What was the distortion coming from?

This sounds like it was some anti-phase source?

 

[Palmer]

I wouldn't spend that much on a turntable. For example, in my experience, Project offers better value for money and usable devices between €300 and €900. You can sometimes find used (often barely used) top-of-the-line Project models for €400-€800.
You can upgrade the cartridge at any time.

The Fosi Audio Box X5 phono preamplifier scored incredibly well in Amir's test, and not just for its price range.

I would try the NAD first; it's a solid and good device. NAD has 35-year-old amplifiers and power amplifiers that beat current devices, such as SMSL GaN-based Class D amplifiers for €500-€700.

I also don't see any need for improvement with the Totem Acoustics Dreamcatcher speakers at the moment. There are currently enough speakers in this price range that are worse or at least not better.

The money saved would be better invested in music or other things.

Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 - customer of mine bought it after my recommendation and is very happy with it. Was thinking Rega, but decided Debut EVO 2.

 

[JeremyFife]

Hey,
I'll echo what others are saying: don't blow the budget on a TT. Something like the Audio Technica AT LP120 is a good platform for a decent cartridge.
The cartridge choice is worth looking carefully at if you collect mono records. The Audio Technica VM range lets you swap stylii and also has mono specific options. That can make a big difference.

$100/200 for a phono stage (Fosi, perhaps) and you are good to go with money left for future upgrades.