Help with upgrade path

[Shadow Moses]

Hi guy's

I'm looking for a bit of advice with regards to upgrading my system.

I have a GL75 Lenco with a Rega RB250 arm going to a 'Lesbox' moded Yaqin MS23b Phono Stage , Tisbury Audio Passive to a Firebottle Air power amp.

I can only upgrade one component at a time with a few months in between as funds allow.

Question is where to start???

Do I start with the turntable arm? (learning towards a Jelco 750d)

Do I start with the Phonostage or Preamp? (love the Firebottle Vivant and Kin)

Budget roughly 500 quid for an arm 1000 phono 1500 or so for a Preamp. Bearing in mind I have to save for each upgrade which one would be my best place to start?

Any help/advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[struth]

The Rega RB250 arm can be bettered. you dont say what cart you use; that might also be improved

[walpurgis]

Have you checked that the RB250 is correctly mounted. If it's been fitted into the existing L75 arm hole it won't be aligned right. The geometry will not be correct.

[Shadow Moses]

The Rega has a Expressimo Audio counterweight and end stub upgrade with an A&R P77 cartridge and Jico SAS stylus.

What's bugging me is if I upgrade the Phono or Preamp would the arm be holding it back or visa versa, I just need a place to start

Thanks

[Shadow Moses]

Have you checked that the RB250 is correctly mounted. If it's been fitted into the existing L75 arm hole it won't be aligned right. The geometry will not be correct.

Yeah I altered the mounting hole to accommodate the Rega, can't remember now but it was only a few ml difference

[Simon_LDT]

Speakers?

[Shadow Moses]

Speakers?

DIY Matteis Aspen HDL with Jordan Eikona 2 drivers

https://sites.google.com/site/matteisloudspeakers/

[Simon_LDT]

Never seen speakers like that before! I assume you're happy with those as you never mentioned them in your initial post?

I'd say stick with the AIR, you'd be hard pressed to beat it without spending alot more cash. The arm could deffo do with upgrading, although I'm not clued up enough on those to give advice to which would fit your TT, etc. Have you thought about putting the KIN in place, which would replace your current phono and passive pre and makes it 1 box? Or even just a firebottle phono into the passive, which would then leave cash towards an arm?

If it were me, I'd go all out for the KIN, which would solve the phono/pre in one go and will be a perfect match for the AIR. Then look at the arm in a few months when funds allow.

[alphaGT]

Those speakers are very cool!

My personal experience was when I moved from a MM cart and pre to a MC and preamp to match made real gains in the analog end of my system. I'm not familiar with your cart. So you may already be there? But a nice moving coil with a worthy phono pre is a jump up! I've got a Sumiko Blue Point Evo 3, and a Musical Surroundings Phonomena 2 pre, and wow what a difference it made! Major leap in all respects. And each were fairly affordable, well within your budget. I got the cart new, but second hand, $350 US And the pre was used for a major discount, $400 US


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[Michael loves music]

Have you checked that the RB250 is correctly mounted. If it's been fitted into the existing L75 arm hole it won't be aligned right. The geometry will not be correct.Geoff she is gorgeous

[Firebottle]

Neil as you are local I could bring the KIN round, then do some swapping of just phono stage or phono and pre to see specifically what might benefit from improvement.

[jandl100]

I assume the speakers are keepers? They look like a labour of love! - although I usually cannot get on with single driver speakers so they would be the first thing I would change!

But putting that little thought aside, if you were looking for best bang for buck upgrade, I'd go high output MC cartridge. I think your jaw would drop in a way that would elude any other change. Simply a huge improvement can be had over the AR P77, imo. Your system will sound a lot more like real music, simple as that.
I'm not up to date with the latest and greatest HOMC carts, but that is defo the direction I would take. And you should have a fair bit of spare change to allow your next upgrade to come along sooner!
The Rega 250 arm isn't that bad at all, imo - A Jelco would be nice, though!

From what I do know from a few years back from my own experience about high output MC carts...
If you were looking used, then something like a high output version of a Goldring Eroica would put a smile on your face.
Personally I'm not keen on the Denon 110 or 160, but a lot of folks do like them.
Or an Ortofon if you want a rather more upfront sound.
I love the Dynavector 10X5, but that has got crazy expensive recently, worth looking out for a good used one for about £200 though.
Quite a lot of choice around. Worth looking into. :thumbsup: It's definitely the direction I would go in.

[ianlenco]

You don't say whether your Lenco is in its original plinth or not. Chances are your Rega is riding high because the platter is quite low on Lencos. I'd be tempted to start with your Lenco before swapping arms etc. If you are happy to DIY then make yourself a better plinth which really supports the Lenco top plate. If you'd rather buy then Carlsworkshop does excellent work and has many happy customers over on Lenco Heaven. He does list on ebay and has a Facebook page somewhere.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/lenco-birch-ply-plinth-l70-59-78-75-/122326121884?hash=item1c7b347d9c:g:xnoAAOSwh2xX~hO p

He'll do a plinth for whatever style of Lenco you want. I'd be tempted to get a PTP kit then you can mount your arm off the plate which will really bring benefits (imho). If you want to keep the original GL75 look then maybe go for a 12" Jelco which you could mount to the side of the plate. A combination of decent plinth and off plate arm will be a significant step up on the standard Lenco then the changes you make downstream will really be of benefit. If you start with cartridge changes/preamps etc you may not realise the potential of these upgrades. That's my opinion anyway :)

[Shadow Moses]

Thanks all for the replys, gives me something to think about.

My Lenco is all sorted, Birch ply plinth, stacked platters, Joly Collar etc, sorry should have explained a bit more about my system, I really should update my signature with all my kit.

The speakers I'm happy with at the mo, just need to finish them off with veneer when I get round to it.

Alan if I could hear your KIN at mine one of the days that would be great, hopefully we could sort something out in the next week or two whenever would be best.

Thanks again everyone

[Firebottle]

Alan if I could hear your KIN at mine one of the days that would be great, hopefully we could sort something out in the next week or two whenever would be best.

Give me a call Neil :)

[Shadow Moses]

Give me a call Neil :)

Will do Alan, thanks buddy your a gent :thumbsup: