That would be great, but very few sellers play grade. I'm really disappointed in used record sellers on discogs.
No, I'm talking about how many AT carts like lower capacitance. I think the factory spec is 100pF total, so the wires add to what your phono preamp already has. Now I can alter the load, and like these AT carts at 32-38K, but that has nothing to do with the turntable. In the case of the table I mentioned, the tonearm has been rewired with a low capacitance single-run cable and also shortened to match the 67pF input capacitance of my modified phono preamp.
You really have to do your 'due diligence' before buying used records, whether it be Discogs, Ebay or elsewhere online. We all have different tolerances for imperfections, and grading vinyl is a tough task. I accept some lead-in 'crackle' as part of the game, others consider it a bad pressing and return immediately lol.
AT's are 100-200pf recommended so a 100pf phono section has plenty of room for a pair of <100pf cables to make spec. The vm95series has been found to be much less sensitive to capacitance than the 500/700 series as well. Makes sense since the 95 series is the stock cart on so many turntables where the end user will never pay attention to things like this.
Problem is if your phono pre has 200 pF, which some do. But yeah, the VM95 requires no special treatment. Also a great match for a Rega arm. It's my daily driver and has been for a few years.
Because while I think an expensive cleaning system is capable of restoring a G+ or VG record to VG+ or even occasionally NM, I think some sellers feel entitled to do this for every shiny disc that the cleaner produces, as long as there aren't any bad scratches. My experience is that grimy records typically were owned by people who didn't take great care of them in other ways as well, even if not badly scratched. I'm not saying that I would never buy a record that has been advertised as being cleaned; I just prefer my NM and VG+ records to be authentically so (unless I do the cleaning myself), and if they *are* cleaned by the previous owner, I won't touch them without a play-grade. IMO there are many, many pieces of crap out there that unscrupulous sellers have polished up nice and hope to dump onto unsuspecting buyers. And if there is a gem hiding under some gunk, I'd rather be the one to get it for $2-$5 and clean it up myself than pay $20 for it because somebody else ran it through a cleaner.
I understand what you are saying, but the bottom line for me is how the record sounds. NM to me is not if a record is shiny, but how quietly it plays. Groove wear caused by a lousy TT and stylus is pretty obvious, no matter how shiny the record is.
If the vinyl has been cleaned and looks glossy and nice, chances are it sounds pretty good. It's a bit unreasonable to expect every seller to know about possible 'hidden defects' in an otherwise clean looking piece of vinyl (unless they thoroughly play grade it).
IMO, if they can take the time to clean it, they can take the time to play-grade it. If not, my advice - from experience - is to avoid the seller.
Well we all have our own standards, but cleaning and play-grading are two entirely different things. Besides the time required, play grading also involves a lot of subjectivity, no matter how objective we try to make it. I would expect it on this forum, not so much from every seller on Discogs or other online sites.
Thanks for all the responses. This is the way I'm leaning. Fortunately, I've got a rudimentary LP cleaner that I'll also sell when I'm done with it.
To be honest, I ran a 440/540 on my older Emotiva XPS-1 pre (220pf) for years and thought it sounded awesome. Was it tilted up in the mid treble? Yes. But nothing I couldn't tame with a little EQ on some albums. Now that I have a Darlington 100pf unit, the sound is flat and neutral, but doesn't have the extra "bite" the Emotiva had. On the plus side for the Darlington vs Emotiva, it is much smoother and is almost completely noise free (The Emotiva was noisy).
You guys really like to argue, don't you? I don't think the OP is concerned about getting the exact right load for his cartridge just to grade records. He only asked for a turntable recommendation for short-term use.
Yeah sorry for going OT. I don't think we were arguing though. I also recommend the LP120x and 95e cartridge!
No, I got an eye roll for some reason and wanted clarification. Also, cart loading actually is going to relate to perceptions of surface noise. I don’t know that the OP will get the desired results, though, as it is the reputation that gives weight to the play grading. That takes time and dedication.
