Turntable Upgrade?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by sunsetandgower, May 16, 2015.

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  1. sunsetandgower

    sunsetandgower Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I'm not sure if based on my situation an upgrade is even necessary but would love some opinions.

    I have a Pioneer PL-12D with a Shure N97XE stylus - currently I'm in the process of getting rid of the trashed clearance records I have been buying and upgrading to better quality, trying to turn vinyl into a curated collection rather than having to have "everything" because it's a dollar a pop.

    My main interest is 80's and 90's rock/pop and while I'm graduating to the non-clearance bins, I am not by any means looking for audiophile grade vinyl, I really just want good clean copies of records from my high school & college years. There isn't a case where I would be buying new vinyl with current artists, everything I am interested in would be second hand. At this point I'm trying to really determine what makes sense for a vinyl collection vs keeping on cd (which is a whole other hoarding issue that needs to get under control).

    Is there a better turntable I should be using knowing this? Or is what I have at this point good enough?
     
  2. uncarvedbloke

    uncarvedbloke Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK - SOT
    Are you happy with the way your music sounds with what you have got now?
     
  3. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    That's a very nice table. If it was me I'd keep the table, and change out the cart to a vintage Shure M91ED, or M75(not a fan of the 97XE, but that's just me). That table is perfect for the records you're buying, imo.
     
  4. sunsetandgower

    sunsetandgower Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I think it sounds basically fine, I just don't know exactly what it is that i'm supposed to be hearing to know if it's "enough" - this is the only turntable I have ever had with a "real" system - in high school I had a 3 in 1 stereo.

    I have also thought about if I just want to get some kind of dac to attach to my receiver to up the sound a bit, but again I don't know if its something I need or not. I have an Audioengine D1 running through my apple tv to my receiver, but the turntable is a direct connection.
     
  5. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Depends on your finances, what your other equipment is, and how your listening room/area is set up. As far as TT's -- the firstmost factor is to have one that isn't harsh on vinyl. If money is an issue, and the TT is properly set up (leveled/aligned cartridge/tracking force proper/stylus not worn) try 'free' things like positioning & isolation of the TT, speaker placement, and room set up. Inexpensive TT's can provide great sound if you look at them as just one point in the big chain or picture. In other words, you can upgrade them without actually replacing them.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  6. The Seeker

    The Seeker Forum Resident

    In my opinion and according to my listening tastes, this would be a downgrade. The M97xE sounds far more natural than the M91ED or M75, but of wish have a taste of aggressive upper midrange emphasis by comparison.
     
  7. plexi0

    plexi0 Well-Known Member

    I had the shure m95 and the modern m97xe. I felt the xe was a bit dry for my tastes whereas the vintage 95 was fuller sounding. I would guess the 91 or 75 would be similar and they are good for rock...there's lots of old 70's and 80's carts on ebay if you know what to look for. I just got a AT 14sa for $50 which has a fine tip stylus for example. and it sounds good compared to the stanton 881s and shure V15IIImr . Unless you feel the current xe is too flat sounding i'd just stick with it and spend your cash on original press albums.....also they say that cart really wants to see another load other than the standard 47k. it might make a bit of difference but not much...another good cart is the stanton681 but it has a bass boost.
     
  8. thommo

    thommo Senior Member

    Location:
    London, England
    I'm with @sberger re the M75/91, although I'd add a SAS tip for better tracking and detail (which also helps balance out the lower end weight of the 75/91)
     
  9. plexi0

    plexi0 Well-Known Member

    also, everyone should try a vintage or modern grado cart to see if it matches their taste and gear. I love my black and blue models both the older and newer models. They are a bargain price. Fantastic vocals, very musical, classic analog sounding
     
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