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vinyl-only setups

I'm wondering about the type of setups that some of you might be using in a vinyl-only situation?

I originally intended for my vinyl setup to be a headphones-only affair, but it has since taken on a life of it's own. Now I rarely listen to cd's on the system that was the "main" setup in my living room.

I've been successful at running a Musical Fidelity X-LPSv3 directly into a Sony N55ES power amp that has it's own attenuator. I'd like to upgrade these pieces, but would like to keep the setup simple. I like the idea of having a phono-pre directly driving a power amp. I doubt that I would use need of the inputs available on a line stage/preamp/integrated.
roblanger

Showing 1 response by jloveys

jloveys
226 posts
 
For vinyl only I use the single-ended inputs of the MC 275 MK IV tube power amp that have high quality attenuators so can drive a top phonopre like Graham Slee Elevator+ Revelation, Tron Seven or Tom Evans Groove +. It is better to have the volume control at the end of the chain to degrade less the sound IMHO. The result compared with signal passing through a linestage (ARC LS 25 MKII in my case ) is: much more transparent, increased inner details on the whole spectrum, faster transcients better PRAT,increased dynamics. The quality of interconnects is very important( PAD P Provectus).
Curiously the digital and tuner does not benefit of direct amp connect, so I use the XLR inputs of the MC 275 for Linestage with those, so I can benefit of remote control with digital, perfect because not for careful listening.
So for me the Mc Intosh Mc 275 MK IV represents the perfect "vinyl only" amp not to say that it is a bargain for the wonderful sound it delivers, even more with tube rolling !
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