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Would love some feedback / Denon DL-S1 / phono match / cart recomendations

Would love some feedback / Denon DL-S1 / phono match / cart recomendations

- Vinyl newbie and need some help

- Friend has a brand new  Denon DL-S1 for $600 - good deal?

- I have a Mark Levinson No.326s preamp and just bought the dual mono MM/MC Phono module boards. They are the identical boards from the No,32 preamp and read that was a very nice sounding phono preamp.

- No.326s only has a couple settings 42db or 60 db and 47k ohm or 200 ohm load

- I picked up a used Bob's Device 1131 thinking it would help as my No.326s has limited setting options and read the 1131 might not work well with this cart. That this cart is tough to get the most out of but can be great.

- Should I get another cart? Was it a mistake getting the 1131 SUT. I read the No.326s sounded nice with this SUT so went for it but don't know enough to really know better either way but trying to learn.

- The No.326s phono boards has these little gold terminal screws with easy tighten by hand little knobs on the heads of the screws to add either capacitor or resistor to make the phono very adjustable but would have no idea how to figure out how to use that but thought to mention

- just wondering if this is a bad cart for me to try with my phono and SUT set up and any feedback about anything related to a cart would be super appreciated if anyone reads this. Thanks

more info if helpful below but not need to answer my question just thought to add it :)

______________________________________________________________________________________


I just finished up a full system re-fit with some tweaking here and there still to do but I am extremely happy with the sound I’m getting today from my new to me system. I sold my entire old system that was tubes and high efficiency speakers and got new to me: speakers, amp, preamp, speaker cables and upgraded digital transport and got a new turntable. Kept my DAC never changing that. Love my DAC. 

This system is the best I’ve personally ever had. I’m pretty psyched - so psyched I just added a turntable. 

A modern Version of the VPI Prime Aries with HRX Feet, 10" 3D Arm and Base, Prime Signature Platter, Ring and Motor. 

I am looking for a cart and my friend has a new Denon DL-S1 for $600 he also has a  used but good shape Clearaudio Accurate mc cart for a few hundred but i never heard of this one and a  van den Hul blackheart grass hopper which I know nothing of.

I thought because the Denon is new never used that was the best option but any of you know anything about the other let me know please.
  
Would love some feedback / ideas / thought recommendations and help. I’m a digital guy and want to give vinyl and honest to goodness try.

As stated above I just purchased the dual mono Phono board modules for my
Mark Levinson No.326s linestage so it’s now a full function Preamp and added a Bobs Device 1131 SUT and both were attained a very reasonable cost which was great!

Just not sure if these carts will go with my phono and SUT.

Rest of my System:
https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/5160

- Magico S5 Loudspeakers
- Pass Labs X350.5 Amplifier
- Mark Levinson No.326s Preamp/phonostage
- Bricasti M1 Special Edition DAC
- PS Audio P10 Power Plant
- Kubala-Sosna Emotion SC’s
- Nordost/Cardas IC’s
- Assorted PC's Verastarr/Cardas

- Digital PC based front end that I have been tweaking and evolving:
- Sonore microRendu 1.4
- Full Suite of UpTone Audio Gear
(2) x LPS-1 Ultra Capacitor PS
JS-2 Linear Power Supply
(2) Regens - ISO/Amber
- (8) Canare / Oyide DC cables
- (2) Breeze Audio 12v LPS
- Tellurium Q Black Diamond Reference USB cable
- Curious Regen Link USB Cable.

This Digital Front End beat out: Lumin, Antipodes, Naim and Auralic servers. It needs everything to work so well but man does it work great. My hope is that a turntable can complete and wish some luck I end up liking it better. That’s why I’m asking for help. I want to put my best vinyl foot forward 

** Back Ground info**

** Room is **
14 x 24 w/Cathedral Ceilings - 16 Foot a peak

** Music likes **
Assorted Music but no metal or loud hard rock anymore really - not much Large Scale classical either but everything else. I listen just loud enough to sound its best but not a loud listener. I enjoy normal levels.

** Likes / Priorities **
Transparency - Delicacy - Linear - High resolution - microscope but not sterile not etched or lifeless -some natural warmth and life to the music is key  but love that see through transparency and love precise soundstage - remove as many layers without being clinical - tight bass - hate flab - but don’t need worlds greatest slam but love speed and accurate bass while being musical.

** Perspective **
I’m only a couple months into this new system and I was struggling to get the right Preamp and tried a half dozen or so searching for the right balance and the one that could bring my new system together like only the perfect matching preamp can do. Each system is different so really it must be heard to know it’s what you want. I believe in the Preamp and knew If I could find the right match it would change everything. Well that was the hope.

To make a long story longer the Mark Levinson No.326s preamp did this and more. I was hedging my expectations based on the disappointments of the others I tried and failed but the No. 326s nailed it and honestly it an incredible Preamp and then some. I was so happy I decided to upgrade and add the built in phonostage option and SUT and Turntable here we are trying to chose a cart.

Really appreciate any help you can provide! I know this is kind of long but wanted you guys to know where I’m coming from! If you would like more info please let me know - all comments and feedback are most welcome and deeply appreciated :)




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fsmithjack's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
fsmithjack OP
605 posts
 
I actually just found a very experienced local analogue pro that will come set up my table for me. Psyched... I want to learn but first time out to have an experience guy mount the cart and set up my table properly takes a lot of the worry out of it. Super happy :) 
:) !!!!!
nandric's avatar
nandric
3,263 posts
 

@fsmithjack , Our hobby is also about money so one need to

know something about the theory. Money means liquidity that

is the capability  to buy whatever you want . By barter you have

''the choice'' to get just one commodity in exchange for your

own. That is why people sell their stuff in order to get money.

I deed some with acquaintances because of  the reluctance to

sell to them but this kind of ''trade'' was very disappointing.  As

I already mentioned I paid $900 for the DL-S1 in America while

in Europe  those cost +900 euro. As I understand those Cinemag

SUT's are popular so you will have no problem to sell yours. 

To my mind this is an better proposition than your ''swap idea''.

I already own the AU-S1 so I am curious how an ''perfect SUT/

cart match'' will sound. I hope to get the cart next week.

Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
9,123 posts
 
Dear @fsmithjack : You was not very specific to whom of those two A90 sellers gave you that trade offer. I'm sure that the one that owns the Clearaudio can't accept it because the S1 is a " riculous " trading if you let it go the A90 and own the Clearaudio and any SUT is not attractive for audiophiles that has good knowledge level.

In the other side that Steelhead is a BS against the up-dated 326S, yes you read : "  its a great phonostage. ", for whom: for non-audiophiles that have very low knowledge level  and that still think that this new 2018 year in reality it's not but 1960. One of those gentlemans is analogvur that I'm still waiting he shares a wider and true explanation of the tubes supremacy.

Btw, I don't said that SUTs sound bad what I'm telling is that a good high gain design is way superior alternative.

In this same thread I posted: whom of you ( the experts. ) can tell us why exist the SUTs? and till now no one of the SUT proponents shared his explanation. I'm certain that some audiophiles know the rigth answer to that simple question. No, I'm not to share my history about that I posted more than 3-4 times in forums.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
analogluvr
800 posts
 
Raul  are you crazy?! The otl  specs you listed go beyond the limits of human hearing by far in both directions. Total harmonic distortion may be a bit higher than your piece of crap solid-state but it is composed of even order harmonics not odd order harmonics.  There is a huge difference between those two. The OTL will be far more musical and sound far more realistic. Of course if you're just obsessed with keeping the total harmonic distortion low then listen to your crappy solid-state. 
 And I don't care if you were piece of crap solid-state goes to 1 MHz, that's libel to do more harm than good. You are a testament to the dangers of the Internet, on here postulating as an expert freely handing out bad advice. 
 Japanese solid-state receivers from the 70s and 80s had total harmonic distortion numbers of 0.001. According to your philosophy they will sound much better than my atmosphere OTL. 
analogluvr
800 posts
 
@fsmithjack  do yourself a favour and don't listen to Raul . He comes across as an expert as he has nothing better to do than sit in front of his computer all day and respond. Just because you say something over and over and over and over and over does not make it true.
Yes I agree with him that the ortofon A90 is a better cartridge than the Denon. However the Denon was a known quantity at a great price and the ortofon was not.  Hence why I thought you should have went with the Denon, used it for a while and then moved on if you wished. The Denon is a very very capable cartridge. 

 again I cannot overstate this enough, do not pay any attention to Raul.  Anybody who doesn't differentiate between the different kinds of distortion has no credibility. 
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