First Hi-Fi System

Fair point... The GR probably would've been good enough in my system as well.
I bought the 1200G simply because otherwise, I would always be wondering how much better it would sound like...
Claims about the differences between the two vary heavily, from no difference to a lot of difference, so it's likely somewhere in between.

 

I disagree; I'd go MM with the internal phono stage of a good amp before going crazy with expensive carts and external phono stages. Oh and an SS McIntosh integrated instead the Yammy is the route I'd go myself if I could afford the Cornwalls (and the big-enough listening room)

 

Just an observation on what is going to be a great set-up -
your speakers, amp an TT are all top draw - your selection of cartridge kinda middle of the road.
Certainly nothing wrong with it fro what I can glean, however, it may not match the capabilities of the other components - and I was think " a chain is as strong as its weakest link"

Again, just a thought.

 

I’d love to have that system, other than the EH. Elliptical just won’t cut it for me, especially if I’d spent so much on all my other components.

 

These are nice.
A 5 band EQ
By using pink noise you can get good room response.

An they hold value, my MA6300 iirc 3k 10+ years ago, check out used ones now.
And most importantly, they sound great.

 

Thank you all for the feedback and advice. I’m still feeling confident about the Cornwalls and 1200g... but you all certainly gave me a lot to consider on the rest of it.

I really love the look of the Yamaha as it reminds me of what my dad had and perfectly fits
aesthetic I’m going for (it would be sitting on top of the credenza in the center of our living room). After further research, I don’t think tubes are a good starting point for me. However, your recommendations now have me considering a Luxman. Unfortunately, the recommended 590 AXII is almost double the $5k price of the s3000 I was originally looking at. So time to go through the specs of the other Luxman models to figure out what I would be compromising. (WOULD LOVE ANY THOUGHTS/RECS HERE)

I really liked what I was reading about Hana but it seems they might not be a good fit for the 1200g because of the weight being below supported range. I’m still looking to avoid a dedicated phono amp (and like the idea of upgrading to that over time) so the integrated amp I go with will likely be a primary factor picking the right cartridge.

Finally, I’m traveling to San Diego this week so I’m taking the recommendation of listening to systems in person by going to Alma Music & Audio while I’m there. Unfortunately, they don’t carry Yamaha or Klipsch but they have the Luxman, Technics, and Hana. (HiFi Heaven in Wisconsin seems to be the only dealer that carries all the brands I originally planned on.)

 

Minimum weight for Technics SL-1200G = 5.6 gm
Hana EH weight = 5 gm
Mounting hardware = 1 gm (or more, there are high mass screws available too)

I've seen a few SL-1200G tables around with the Hana SL, which also weighs 5g, so it must work.

 

Wintermute had some bad first hand experience with the combo that sounded like something I wouldn’t want to deal with. Alma carries both so I’ll ask them about the combo when I’m there.

 

if you are dead set on no phono preamp get a moving magnet cartridge with the yamaha. the ortofon 2m black sounds very good and works well with the 1200g.
for a luxman the L-507uxii is very nice and has a better phono preamp section.
you can get a good low output moving coil, .5mv. an audio technica at art9xi will smoke even the hana ml or any mm cartrige. high output moving coils are compromised.

 

Nothing wrong with spending some time with a MM cart and then moving on to LOMC. That’s probably the better way to go.

are you just starting off with collecting records? I think it makes more sense to build up a collection before buying a $2,000 cart and expensive phonostage.

 

That’s a great point, where the OPs collection is at should factor in. Building an LP collection is not cheap. But I would still opt for a cart with a finer stylus shape than the Hana EH. And maybe a more basic out board phono stage like the Pro-Ject Tube Box, but I’ve never heard the A-S3000, it’s possible it’s phono stage would rival or surpass that.

 

I’ll be straight up, my PrimaLuna tube integrated and separates have needed way less “maintenance” needed than the solid state receivers I used leading up to that time.

 

I’ve not been at this forever but I’ve have quite the range of carts. I thought a 2m red was amazing, until I got a 2m blue and so on and so forth. I think if I would have skipped those step and just went for an expensive LOMC I would have missed out on some fun. Each step was a great day of listening to records. Unlike buying other equipment, carts are a temporary situation, about every two year or less in my case.

 

I definitely wouldn’t steer OP to spending a ton of money on a cartridge to start out. I just think a better stylus profile than an elliptical is necessary. That doesn’t have to be expensive.

 

I’m not ultimately opposed to getting a phono preamp. I just prefer to not take away budget from foundational pieces for something that I can layer in to improve down the road but I’m thinking a HOMC is likely off the table.

I’ll definitely checkout the 507. Thanks!

 

IDK, if you’re starting out with a $4k table, you want the cart to do it justice. Sure, you can “grow into” the table and upgrade the cart a few times along the way, but start at too low of a point and there may be buyers remorse on the whole system (or at least the analog front end if he’s using digital as well). That would be a real shame. I agree with @Dennis0675 that the journey is part of the fun, but I would personally start $700-$1200 range at the very least with that type of gear.

Now, I feel somewhat similarly about a phono stage, BUT I’ve never heard an onboard phono stage in an integrated at the quality of the A-S3000. Every system I’ve heard at that price level had a standalone phono. In my personal experience, though, the phono stage played a huge role in getting high quality SQ.

 

I’ve got ~150 records that I’ve collected over the last 20 years... Going back to my days working at a local record shop. I had thousands of CDs but sold them all when I shifted to streaming.

My current system is very basic. (Pioneer PL-S40 w/AT A91, Harman Kardon 3480, Polk LSi9 Bookshelves) so any of the options in this thread are going to be a huge leap forward. Just stoked to finally be in a position to make it happen.

 

Every online review says it's an awesome phono stage; why add to the already big OP's budget when he could spend that dough on records ? He can always get some external unit in the future, see if he can hear an improvement, and keep or return it. Why start out with such a complication in the first place ?

 

You’re going to be in a great situation no matter what you do. I’d say to just pull the trigger and get the party started. You can read reviews and get recommendations forever. You will just second guess yourselves into circles. At the end of the day people can recommend a color to paint your room but only you know what you like.

 

I am running a Luxman 590 AXII with a Hana ML. I previously used it with a Dynavector XX2. In both cases I thought the internal MC phono stage was much better than a Dynavector P-75.

BUT - you must choose a cartridge which likes 100 Ohm loading as this is not adjustable.

I believe the MM phono section is good as well, but I have never used it.

I would expect the phono stages in the Yamaha and McIntosh should be good as well. So you can start with the VU meters you like and internal phono stages (provided you choose MC cartridges that suit the phono stages), getting good sound initially and then upgrade to an external phono stage later if you want. You can even start with MM or High Output MC if you want to.

You indicated above the Luxman 590 is above your budget - the speakers you are choosing should work well with the lower powered 550 which is quite a bit cheaper. Given you are going to listen to them try the 550 and either the 505 or 507 (whichever is in your price bracket).

 

I really liked both MM and MC sections of the AS-2000. Didnt feel like that was the weak link

 

To me, it’s not so much a “journey is part of the fun” thing as it is the reality of a cartridge being a consumable that presents a routine replacement cost. If OP has the money to extend the budget into four digits for a cart, that may be great, but my point, really, was that, at just about any price point, advanced profile styli are available. The indication of a Hana EL as what OP had in mind has me thinking that’s about the budget in question, and he can get something with ML or FG stylus for around that (especially MM).

Regarding the A-S3000 phono stage, I don’t have experience with it, either. I could see MC being tricky only because it seems sort of specific in the cartridges it will handle. The MM input should be pretty good, though, looking at the specs.

 

Have a look at Zero Fidelity on YouTube he has a review on the Luxman 550axii he also reviews the Luxman sq-n150 which he thinks works well with Klipsch.

 

I got back into this hobby a few years ago wanting the same thing, a connection to my Dad's old set ups in the 70's. I have Klipsch Forte III's and I settled on a Luxman L550axii and couldn't be happier. Mates extremely well with the high sensitivity Forte's and blows my mind on a daily basis. And I agree, meters are killer! And the phono stage on the 550 is amazing!

 

The l550 is an amazing amp, I've got one myself and have zero regrets.