2. analog
  3. 1065283688

OK, I said it...

Just got the new turntable running this morning. Installed the Kontrapunkt B on the Rega P9; a most nerve wracking job. Well I can't find a crow and I am not yet ready to eat some, but here are my very preliminary findings based on listening to one side of two albums (one brand new, Art Blakey's "Indestructible"), one that's been on hand for a while, (Dire Straits "Communiqué"):

my greatest peeve, surface noise: way less, but still a bother on softer cuts or portions of pieces where the volume is low;
soundstage: quite incredible;
layering of instruments: quite incredible;
natural tone of the instruments: stunning;
treble: well the cymbals are back the way I like them; sharp attack and decay when hit near the centre, sharp attack and shimmering decay when hit nearer the edge;
bass: not the subwoofer-type of bass, but the overtones are more present, that is an acoustic bass has that plummy quality.

Well I am not a "convert", in the sense at looking at the experience as crossing a threshold from where you never go back. I still think that digital is better at doing silence, which is so necessary in music, and, in letting the sound of soft music come out without the anxiety of tick and pops.

So far, I have not listened to enough music to have a real hard opinion about the merits of better analog equipment. Suffice it to say that in answer to the post wondering if any progress has been made in the last twenty years, I would have to say quite a lot. This is based on a very quick, very subjective appreciation at the moment. What is the table's, what is the arm's, what is the cartridge's contribution in all this: very hard to say, and will never be known since I have no intention of playing mix and match.

Am still using the Sumiko Phono Box for the time being. The next move is a new phono section. Is there another level yet to be achieved with that upgrade? I while back I would have been extremely sceptical, now I hope there is. What bugs me, is to have to make another leap of faith.

Well, I will keep you posted. Good day.
pbb
gtfsr
29 posts
 
It has caught a number of people.

Now about a cartridge.
Ortofon kontrapunkt-a or a Garrott Optim S ?

HELP!
GTF
pbb OP
1,135 posts
 
Well, latest developments: I got a new phono section yesterday (actually it's not been new in a while, it's only new for me). An Audio Research PH3, got fed-up waiting for a used SE version to show up for sale. Sounds very nice when the record is good. The set-up still sounds terrible on any record with the slightest bit of edge warp. A raspy sound (more pronounced in the right channel) can be heard at the beginning of these records (about the first half-inch) and the woofers pump nervously. I read all the pronouncements that these warps normally produce no audible ill effects. Believe me in my case it is very audible. I realize that the edge of the record is the toughest territory, but this is ridiculous. Any help would be appreciated, lest I go straight back to CD/SACD running and screaming! Thanks. BTW vinyl pressings are still pretty bad on the new records available locally.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Congats on the new phono stage. I suppose a SE version will show up someday.

Raspy noises may be warp-related in that warped spots are harder to clean and rinse effectively. I've heard warp-protected groove grunge many times. Wash and rinse the record thoroughly. Twice. :)

I have a recording of Beethoven's 9th that looks like a potato chip. Had to wash it four times, but now it's as silent as any other LP. Cueing is scary but that's another story.

Humans simply cannot hear warps directly, and if we could no one would describe the sound as "raspy". Do the math. 33.333/60 = .555 Hz for a single warp. A record would have to have 36 warps to reach 20Hz. Unless your woofers are pumping 20+ times/second only whales and elephants can hear them. Be careful if you live near the zoo!

BTW, if surface noise is more pronounced in the right channel near the outer edge, your antiskating may be too high. Rega arms are famous for inaccurate antiskate scales. Try reducing it a bit.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Are your speakers vented? Is it the fault of the turntable outputting warp wow or the phono preamp without a steep high pass filter that amplifies the LF garbage, or is it the fault of the designer who uses vented woofers which are necessarily undamped below their primary resonant frequency. Or is it a problem of compatibility between components?
lugnut
1,190 posts
 
The right channel raspy sound clearly indicates you have a setup or defective cartridge issue, Pbb. Regarding ever so slight edge warp and the associated problem with the first 1/2 inch of the recording being noisy, I have never had such a complaint in well over 30 years even with edge warp that is of questionable playable quality. The woofers pumping nervously indicate that you may have a low frequency feedback issue which requires proper isolation of the turntable. I realize that the tweaking that remains may tax your patience but stay with it to reap the rewards. It's worth repeating again that cleaning your records properly one time will remove most of your noise complaints. Honest. Good luck. You've obviously come a long way.
More to discover