New Turntable Suggestions - Vinyl Beginner

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by TDLP, Oct 13, 2019.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. zombiemodernist

    zombiemodernist Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeastern USA
    Agreed. Most people subjectively prefer the SX-X50 series and objectively they are easier to service. In my high-price market, a fully recapped and upgraded SX-750 ran me $300 with a two year warranty from the tech. $400 for a non-serviced 780 is ridiculous but probably a sad sign of things to come in the used market.
     
    bru87tr and patient_ot like this.
  2. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    The AXA35 may very well be great for you. My amp is a Cambridge CXA60, and I’m overall very happy with it. Yours is a new model, so I haven’t seen a lot of impressions about it, but 60 days is a nice amount of time to decide whether you are satisfied with how it sounds.

    I forgot the LP120 has captive cables, and it sounds like you’ve taken care of that variable. Good foresight doing that while you had it open anyway.

    The alignment being off wouldn’t cause a channel to drop out, it would just cause distortion (still something to verify/correct, though). From what I have read, it seems most likely there is a fault somewhere in the receiver, so you’re on the right track in thinking the new amp should solve the problem. The reason I asked about having replaced the stylus is that, if you listen a lot, it’s very possibly worn down by now. Again, that wouldn’t cause the channel dropping issue, but may cause some distortion and lack of clarity in the sound. I believe the stock cartridge you have should be the AT95E (green). A direct replacement stylus (ATN95E) is $35, but an upgrade to the red ATN95EX stylus is $45 and may be worth the extra $10.

    If you want a real upgrade, though, I’d maybe skip the stylus replacement and give this a try (comes pre-mounted, and I am assuming should line up correctly considering AT now includes the elliptical version of the same cartridge on the current LP120):

    Audio-Technica AT-VM95ML/H Turntable Headshell/Cartridge Combo Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JLY69J1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_aG2PDbNSVZQEY

    You certainly have other options, as well, but because as far as I can tell the LP120 lacks VTA adjustment, I would be inclined to stick with AT’s cartridges (which I think are good value for their price points, anyway).
     
    bru87tr and patient_ot like this.
  3. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    there are two very good dealers in NOLA. Either can help you work through this. One focuses more on the higher end but does carry Cambridge and also puts together some great small used systems.

    The other is more focused on the entry level and is more of a wheeler dealer with pricing.

    I don’t like turning the forum into an ad, but if you want to PM me I can get you names of who to talk to at each. I’ve been dealing with both of them for decades (since the 70’s) and know them well.
     
    TDLP and Dennis0675 like this.
  4. bresna

    bresna Senior Member

    Location:
    York, Maine
    Does this only happen with the phono input or does it happen when using other inputs?

    When you had the built-in phono preamp enabled and you ran the RCA cable to an AUX input, did this still happen?

    Speakers working fine then suddenly stopping is usually a bad solder joint or a thermal event. Since it comes back with some jiggling of cables, I'd guess bad solder joint. If it happened before when the turntable was hooked up to the AUX input, it's probably a connection in the turntable. If it didn't happen when you were hooked up to the AUX input, it's probably inside the Sony receiver where the phono connectors are.

    If it is inside the Sony, I've found that the physical action of shoving the RCA cables into those receptacles was enough to crack a poor solder joint so that's where I'd look first.
     
    patient_ot, Aftermath and Dennis0675 like this.
  5. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Prices just keep going up, each year there is less surviving inventory and each year there are more people getting into vinyl. Sansui 9090’s are selling for $1,500, it’s all out of control. Collector value for vintage is getting well beyond the performance value. It won’t be much longer that I’d advise a person in the same position as the OP to shop vintage to get the most for their money. But...they do look very cool compared to a new Cambridge or Yamaha.
     
    TDLP and zombiemodernist like this.
  6. SpeedMorris

    SpeedMorris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa
    Hijack Alert: :cop:

    Hey Blue, how much speaker do you think the CXA60 can drive? I have an online acquaintance asking me for $500-600 amp reccos for his Energy RC-50 floorstanders . (Two 6.5" woofs, 4 ohm, alleged 91 dB sensitivity.) I've tentatively told him it looks like a very nice $600 piece, but most reviews of it combine it with standmounts.
     
  7. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Interesting. When I first got my AT-LP120 I experimented with and without the preamp turned on. I decided way back then that I could not detect a difference, so I've been using the TT with the preamp turned off (using the phono input on my receiver). I'll try again and see if I hear and difference (now that I think I have better vinyl ears).

    Also, I believe the new AT-LP140XP does not have a preamp.
     
  8. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Mine drives Wharfedale Reva 4 floorstanders, which are 8 ohm and 88 dB, with two 6” woofers and a 4.5” mid. I will admit one of my upgrade itches is to see what more power gets me, but it drives them fine. The current clearance price of $600 is a very good deal (original price was $800, later dropped to $750, and its replacement CXA61 is $1k). Looking in that price range, the only alternative that really looks competitive to me is a Yamaha A-S501, and only because of the 85 wpc (which I am guessing may even be a conservative figure from Yamaha). And, if a phono input is of any importance, the CXA60 does not have one.
     
    SpeedMorris likes this.
  9. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    vwestlife might be on to something. I think it may sound better. Perhaps a bit clearer with more "presence". Anyway, it certainly doesn't sound worse. I think I'll be using the TT preamp. I don't have the guts to remove the preamp, but maybe I'll get ambitious one of these days.
     
  10. TDLP

    TDLP Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Louisiana
    Thanks for the suggestion! The stylus/headshell/cartridge will probably be the next thing I update, so this is a great starting point for research.

    I haven't really tested the other inputs on the Sony. I didn't have the turntable plugged into the AUX input long enough for me to figure out if the speaker cut out on that channel. Before I got the Sony, I had the turntable plugged into the AUX port on my home theater setup, and I never had trouble with the speaker dropping that I ever realized, so that's why I'm thinking (and hoping) it's the Sony receiver.

    I didn't notice much of a sound difference either using the built-in turntable pre-amp vs. the phono input. I was nervous about taking out the built in pre-amp, but my husband managed to do it last night after watching some YouTube videos. He does know a bit about circuity/electricity because he's a science teacher, so I think that helped him, but he's certainly no expert. I would have never done it by myself, but I think if you (or someone you know) knows a bit about electronics, it's not terrible. I do find it helped open up the sound, and I'm really interested to see how it sounds with my new amp.
     
    misterjones, Aftermath and Big Blue like this.
  11. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I'm always concerned about self-fulfilling conclusions when it comes to SQ (i.e., the tendency to like something one thinks should or simply wants to sound better). I think my record (I used Stan Kenton's West Side Story) sounded a bit better with the TT preamp, but I'm not sure I could take the Pepsi Challenge on it. The difficulty is the switch over from the internal to the external preamp and what might be lost in my brain in that 30-60 seconds. In your case, your cannot even go back to the way it was before. But in any event I'd like to hear your conclusions.
     
    TDLP likes this.
  12. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    I would say the next step is to put a Nagaoka MP110 on it.
     
    TDLP likes this.
  13. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I think it’s different when there is an identified problem before a change, and the problem is gone after the change.
     
  14. drh

    drh Talking Machine

    I don't have time to read all the postings, but I've seen enough to give me an idea that I'll pass along for what it's worth.

    Assuming you have one analogue signal source (the turntable) and don't need radio, I'd buy one of these "Dayton Audio DA30 2 x 15W Class D Bridgeable Mini Amplifier" from www.parts-express.com! for $75 if your speakers are reasonably sensitive or one of these "Dayton Audio DTA-120BT2 Class D Mini Amplifier 60 WPC with Bluetooth" from www.parts-express.com! for $100 if they aren't; I haven't been able to find anything about the model speakers you specified. Having so spent a small portion of your budget on amplification, then go buy the absolute best phono preamp you can with the rest. I like Graham Slee, but there are lots of choices out there. At your price point, a good used one may be your best bet.

    Here's my thinking: you're going to hear lots of screams about "Class D sucks" from the die-hard tubes-are-always-best crowd and lots of sniffing from other corners of the "high end" world about "cheap little amps," but you say you are not looking for Ultimate Audiophile, and I can state from experience that the Dayton class D amps I've heard sound very, very good for the money; in particular, considering you are complaining about "veiled" sound from your Sony, their cardinal virtue is razor-sharp definition. In fact, my main rig is running on an ancestor of the 60-watt one right now, a stand-in for my much pricier Rogue that pooed out. A Dayton, then, will give you good sound without spending a fortune, meaning you can enjoy it now and easily upgrade later without pangs about how much you spent on it. (And it will be small enough that you can repurpose it to a secondary system just about anywhere when you do.) The phono preamp, on the other hand, is something where you need to devote some "bucks for the bang," so to speak.

    Points worth mentioning: if, as I expect, your cartridge is of the moving magnet type, make sure you don't buy a phono preamp designed exclusively for moving coil. (And, of course, vice versa.) Also, the Dayton amps have only one input. If you have more than one source, you'll need either to buy an external switch box or else look for some other amp with more flexibility.

    Good luck!
     
    TDLP likes this.
  15. TDLP

    TDLP Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Louisiana
    Update - I got the Cambridge AXA35 today, and I've been listening to it for a few hours. So far, I'm loving the sound! Much more open and detailed than the Sony. I actually think the speakers I have now sound good, so I'll be keeping those for a while because the listening is really enjoyable overall. The next update I'll make soon is the cartridge. I think after I do that, I'll be set for a while with what I have!

    Unfortunately, the issue with the left speaker not playing didn't go away when I changed the receiver. I still can't pinpoint the issue entirely, but it must be something in the turntable. I did discover today a bit more of a pattern with the outages. It mostly happens when I'm starting a new record. I think just once today it stopped playing in the middle of an album. I also discovered that if I switch the turntable off and turn it back on and drop the needle again, the left speaker will play. I would blame it on my husband's soldering when he took out the pre-amp, but the left speaker was giving us problems before he did that. I'm going to change the cartridge and see if that helps. If it doesn't and it's getting really annoying to keep having to switch the turntable on and off, I'll just get the newer LP120x or search for a vintage turntable.

    Thanks again for everyone's help!
     
    SpeedMorris, SirMarc and Big Blue like this.
  16. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Are the leads from the cartridge to the headshell all secure? I’m just wondering if you might have a headshell lead not making a solid connection, somehow. Maybe it’s coming loose, and the act of re-cueing nudges it back together for a while?

    Or, I suppose it could just be the cartridge itself. I would be surprised, but it’s possible.
     
    patient_ot and Aftermath like this.
  17. bluemooze

    bluemooze Senior Member

    Location:
    Frenchtown NJ USA
    Get the Technics SL-1200 MK7 and be done with it. $1000, everything is adjustable and you're set for life. Good luck. :)
     
    englishbob likes this.
  18. Aftermath

    Aftermath Senior Member

    I thought the exact same thing. :righton: Absolutely worth checking those four wires from the cartridge to the headshell. I had that problem awhile back with my SL-1200 Mk2---dropouts---and one of the eight connections was loose.
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2019
    TDLP, patient_ot and krisjay like this.
  19. krisjay

    krisjay Psychedelic Wave Rider

    Location:
    Maine
  20. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    I own a AT 1240 TT. Even though the internal preamp of the TT is impacting sound, the Lounge Audio preamp is miles better than just using the internal preamp.
     
  21. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I change out cartridges (each with their own headshell) on my AT-LP120-USB a lot, and often I have issues with a channel dropping out. There have been instances where the leads have not been secure. But otherwise I have cleaned the points where the headshell contacts the tonearm with a bit of alcohol on a Q-tip and that seems to have fixed the problem.

    But I've never had an outage mid-record.
     
    TDLP likes this.
  22. The Pinhead

    The Pinhead KING OF BOOM AND SIZZLE IN HELL

    Don't get into vinyl. Expensive and inconvenient. Stick to CDs and files.
     
  23. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    How conflicting.
     
  24. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    And this is real helpful...
     
    Aftermath likes this.
  25. bresna

    bresna Senior Member

    Location:
    York, Maine
    In this case, it's actually not bad advice. Setting up a turntable can be a PIA. Setting up a CD player is nothing.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine