Help/ Advice on a start up rig [Archive]

Lace'd Taste

21-11-2013, 16:56

Hi all,

So my main reason for joining these forums was to get some advice on a low cost start up rig although after having a read around i'll definitely be here for the long run! My girlfriend is big into her vinyl and her "setup" is one of those all in one cheap modern remakes which I'm looking to completely replace for her this Christmas. We had a look around town and she has spotted a Dynatron HFC51 that she really likes, it comes with some old Dynatron speakers too but for £300 (I saw one go for £30 on the eBays and there's one on there for £70 inc delivery) i thought they were having a laugh, the sound was extremely muddy. I explained to her what seperates are and the benefits, customisation, quality etc so I've got her keen on the idea.

Now my background in hi-fi is rather limited, I know nothing about vinyl/ record players. I used to own a Marantz Stereo Amp and CD player wired to some B&W 685s yet downsized to some Alessandro MS2i cans and a Audio GB 15.32 dual wolfson chip DAC/headphone amp wired to my laptop so I have somewhat of a rig but my wallet can't really get me much more for now. My budget is around £200 +/- £50. I've been looking at the 'ebay bargains" thread abit and reading the "cheap as chips under £100" thread which in my opinion was a brilliant idea - needs a revival! Watching the "NAD 8020e" bookshelf speakers at the mo which were posted on eBay Bargains, and saw a pair of Cambrigde audio S20 speakers second hand for £60 in town although i feel they're just too modern for her liking.

So has anyone got any opinions/ advice on what to look out for, what to avoid? All opinions are welcome. Her taste is basically vintage but genuine, nothing fake - also she hates anything "over electronic" and cheap plastic looking - technics would be a bad option for her. Her music preference is punk, so Black Flag, The Slits, Bikini Kill, Clash etc but she enjoys The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Pixies, Lauren Hill, Reggae, Soul, Blues etc.

If anyone in the Newcastle/North East area has any components that they want to get rid of then please get in touch.

Cheers,

Jayson

istari_knight

21-11-2013, 19:26

I would keep an eye out for a good quality budget belt drive deck, an A&R A60 amplifier would probably be perfect & then some nice sealed standmounts.

Pioneer PL-12D / Pioneer PL112D / Sansui SR-222 / Dual CS505... I know there's loads more but I cant recall.

A&R A60... I would have also recommended NAD 3020/7020 but they are very plasticky.

Any Acoustic Research speaker that has been refoamed [I'm yet to hear a bad one] JPW Sonata / Monitor Audio R252... Speakers like the Mordaunt-Short Pageant II & Celestion Ditton 15 might suit but I would advise having a listen before parting with any cash.

Food for thought anyway :eyebrows:

walpurgis

21-11-2013, 19:37

istari_knight

21-11-2013, 19:40

I'd go along with the PL12D as a reliable starter deck with pretty decent sound quality and maybe a budget/midrange Denon amp (PMA250SE/PMA350SE) with a pair of original Mission 780SE speakers. That'd work!

If they are happy with more modern looking gear then yeah, cant go wrong with the Denon/Missions :thumbsup:

Ali Tait

21-11-2013, 19:43

Not vintage, but you'd have spend a lot more to better it-

http://www.templeaudio.net/bantamgold.html

A few here use them. There are mono blocks if more power is required.

Lace'd Taste

21-11-2013, 22:33

Thanks a lot lads, i didn't expect to get home and have all these lovely models to google so soon. I'm leaning towards the Dual CS505, there's a lovely one online for £20 at the moment with a Ortofon PM10 Cartridge and Stylus and in great working condition - dark wood veneer too which'll keep me in her good books till New Years at least! ;) Any thoughts on this Cartridge? If i can get it for under the £50 mark i may be tempted to replace the cartridge too.

I like the look of the A&R A60, i'll have to get some DIN-RCA leads for em, in regards to the Batamgold it is a bit too modern for her but not for me! (another £190 theoretically spent)

Theres a pair of the Mission 780SE's going for £50 at the moment, veneer matches the turntable which is a plus but not really necessary, a bit worried she won't have the room. The JPW Sonata are a bit smaller but then again can always make room for the Missions, any thoughts on pairing the Missions with the A&R A60? Loving the look of the Celestion Ditton 15, won't really get a chance to audition any of these unfortunately so really have to hit the nail on the head, until she wants to upgrade etc.

Thanks for all this, it's great getting some names and models i can get on and research!

walpurgis

22-11-2013, 00:22

In my opinion Jayson, the Dual 505 is a bit 'plasticky' and lightweight compared to the Pioneer PL12D, which is a very reliable and decent sounding unit. I've owned all the turntables in this thread and I'd go with the Pioneer myself (I've got a soft spot for them as they always work well). Can't comment on the Ortofon as I've not tried that model. But, I've owned the A60 amp and in my view it's totally outclassed by the Denon PMA350SE which will blow it away completely for even less money (yes I've had one of those too). By the way, the JPWs and Ditton 15s are nowhere near as good as the Missions!

Lace'd Taste

22-11-2013, 01:12

Thanks Geoff,

I've been reading a few threads online comparing the Dual to the Pioneer and although it's a mix bag the majority are leaning towards the Pioneer. I'm watching this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PIONEER-PL-12D-BELT-DRIVEN-TURNTABLE-/171176330676?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_Turntables&hash=item27dae785b4 and as you can see in the description there is mention of a pre-amp installed in it, was this standard for the PL-12D or has this unit been customised? Also come with a SHURE M75EJ TYPE 2 CARTRIDGE & A SHURE EJ T2 STYLUS, it's a shure thing right? hardy harr.......

If the Denon is noticeably better then yes i would prefer to go that route as your right in the fact the A60 are still going for a fair wad of cash and i think id have to purchase special 2 pin DIN connectors for the speaker inputs on the models I'm looking at. The plus about the a60 is i think she'll prefer the look where's the Denon she may feel I'm purchasing for myself (i am whipped to a degree ;) ) Also the A60 would fit better on her shelf.

Any other suggestions on an amp that maybe has similar stylings/ form factor of the A60 with a better sound, might be a stretch as I've never seen anything like the A60 before, if not it may have to be a shelf extension and veneer job!

wiicrackpot

22-11-2013, 07:35

Morning Jayson,

My advice is listen to Geoff, sound advice IMO, :cool: especially regarding CS505 and A&R A60,
if you go for the Mission 780's and want a one make rig, pen in the Cyrus one amp which can be had for not a lot of dough.

As a fellow cyclist, i'd like to donate a pair of speaker cables to you, they are the Belkin one's some rave about,
2.5 metres with banana plugs and immaculate condition,just PM me your details and i'll drop them in the post for you. :)

BTW, brill user name.
---------------------------------------

Here!....Here!...just re-read your post above, i'd go for anything other than A60 then if it results you getting a bit of 'Spandex on flesh', happy dayz mate. :D

The Grand Wazoo

22-11-2013, 08:02

I think the advice you have been receiving about the Dual is somewhat misplaced as you have the wood plinth version was / is considerably better than the very much more common one with the nasty plastic effort. Those comments you read on other sites almost certainly refer to that. Geoff can, I'm sure, confirm whether he was taking account of the difference.

istari_knight

22-11-2013, 10:07

Well, my recs were made solely with the OP in mind. He wanted half decent budget yet retro looking kit [and yes I was referring to the rosewood veneered 505-2 which is actually not bad at all.] I'm yet to see anyone else suggest anything that fits that criteria...

If the gloves are off & Jayson is willing to consider kit from any period I suggest scrapping the idea of a vintage TT & getting a Pro-Ject Debut. I've had a couple, they are fantastic value for money & the bundled cart is perfectly good enough [Ortofon OM5/OM10]. I would also draw your attention to the fact lots of Denon 250se/350se amps don't have an internal phono stage fitted as it was an optional extra. IMO you would do well to look at Rotel's amplifiers [RA-820BX etc...] which have always sounded entertaining with the likes of Mordaunt-Short MS10i / MS20i.

:)

Gordon Steadman

22-11-2013, 10:14

I'd second the positive comments on the Pioneer TT. I used to have a PL12D and have just bought a cheap PL112D with the intention of breaking it for parts. However, having got it, its in immaculate condition and once I fitted a new belt (still easily available) it looks and sounds terrific. For a starter deck its definitely right up there with the best.

I've tried it with three cartridges. One really cheap Audio Technica for 45s, a Shure M75ED and a Rega Elan. All sound surprisingly competent and convince me more than ever that hi-fi inhabits a world of hugely diminishing returns.

Lace'd Taste

22-11-2013, 13:01

Morning all!

Andy - That's very kind of you! I can assure you they'll be going to a good home, i'll PM you at some point for me details and that. Are you much into your bike maintenance? I can send you some 2100 Chrome Steel Ball Bearings - grade 10s which are as round as your going to get before going ceramic, got them in 3/16 and 1/4 sizes for hubs and bottom bracket. Let me know, i just dunno if i could accept anything for free! The name has a bit of history to it but that's another story. I am re-thinking about the A60 now so i'll have to get my 10 lashes via another means. ;)

Wazoo - The Dual 505-2 i'm looking at does have the rosewood surround on it and is in fantastic condition whereas the Pioneer has a crack clear lid, to be fair i thought it looked rather nice but i still think my mind is leaning towards the PL-12D now after much reading, it seems like a classic budget TT for it's time.

James - I appreciate all the vintage suggestions and after a sly chat with the misses this morning i think going modern is a very bad idea! Do like the look of the Mordaunt-Short MS10i and can pick them up fairly cheap it seems.

Nodrog - thanks for your input on the Pioneer, she'll love it!

Right as i mentioned earlier i did have a wee chat with my other half this morning and I'm going back to the old school before i end up in hospital. At the end of the day we're all searching for our own perfection and i need to respect hers. Considering what she is coming from anything i get will be a massive set up for her. It'll be the pioneer PL-12D, the A60, and then i'm starting to rethink the Missions, i dunno if they might be too big for her whereas something like the Mordaunt-Shorts might be more reasonable.

Again appreciate all the input! :)

Lace'd Taste

22-11-2013, 13:19

Macca

22-11-2013, 13:46

Holy mother of god...what is that?

wiicrackpot

22-11-2013, 13:57

Hi Jayson,

Thanks for your kind gesture, as it happens i bought some to service Shimano hubs but extra balls won't go amiss,you sure you have enough to spare?.

No disrespect but had a wee giggle at your GF's hifi, reason being the last time i saw one of them, it was advertisement placed next to stairlifts, incontinence aids,
Daniel O'Donell cd's, as long as it plays music, thats all it matters eh... :D

When you get your 10 lashes, just hum this wee tune, ''green grow the lashes 'O, green grow the lashes O'ooo,the sweetest hoor that e'er i spent,was spent amang the Lassies...'O '', enjoy. :eyebrows::eek::D:cool:

pm coming.

Lace'd Taste

22-11-2013, 14:04

I've got plenty to spare - i usually buy 500 at a time to save on costs so i'll give you enough for a re-service including a few extra? 3/16 for front and 1/4 for rear/BB? PM me with amounts, i know my old 600s take 22 front, 18 on the back and then i think 18 for BB.

I wouldn't really say it plays music, more likes destroys it - it has a certain crackly, hissy charm to it though ;) I'll bare the song in mind although I'm sure i'll be thinking of other things!

Ali Tait

22-11-2013, 14:09

Holy mother of god...what is that?

:lol:

Gordon Steadman

22-11-2013, 14:13

I know you guys love your photos although maybe not this one! Just thought i'd show you what she's coming from so you get an idea of of what an upgrade this will be for her.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/10993542556_1b9eb2cbe2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/49376303@N03/10993542556/)

I can't find the link but there is a guy on YouTube taking one of these apart after he was given one for Christmas. I suspect she may notice a slight difference in sound quality. The problem is that so many people think this is all that is required. I regularly ask on one of our local networks if anyone has any old hi-fi for sale (you know the sort of thing "Oh sorry mate but those Garrard 301s are such old technology now, I suppose I could stretch to €5:eyebrows:) However, all I have ended up with so far is the likes of Fidelity. When I see what they have bought to replace it, its always one of these monsters. So neat, has all you need in one box:eek:. They always insist on demonstrating their new toy.

What can I say?

wiicrackpot

22-11-2013, 14:15

Jayson,

Wow that's a lot of balls if i may say so :lol: and you know your bikes, think that was what i got when i bought some to service my Deore LX Parallax hubs.

p.s. the tune is Robert Burns' ''green grow the rashes''. i subbed the rashes to lashes. :eyebrows:

Lace'd Taste

22-11-2013, 16:37

...I regularly ask on one of our local networks if anyone has any old hi-fi for sale (you know the sort of thing "Oh sorry mate but those Garrard 301s are such old technology now, I suppose I could stretch to €5:eyebrows:)

Gordon please introduce me to this network of yours! ;) btw lovely carpentry on your Flicker page, my Dad was a carpenter by trade and as a kid i'd watch him in the workshop for hours on end, always had a love and respect for wood work.

Andy, haha, yeh got plenty of balls; big, small, some rusty ones :eyebrows: . i'll get that pm to you now - don't want me going off on a tangent about bikes in this thread!

Oldpinkman

22-11-2013, 17:04

Just been skimming through and can add an endorsement for the Pioneer (although this is tinged with rose-tinted nostalgia for a french girlfriend in my teenage days). Cannot make out what that ebay add you linked to is talking about with the preamp on the TT, but its hard to see why he would make something like that up. Can't be hard to remove, and you will want to.

I know they have crept up in price but the Nad 3020 (7020) mentioned before punches above its weight, and deserves its legendary status. I have 2 now, have had 5 in total, and the first which I sold to a friend is still used by him. They may not be as retro as her ladyships current device, but you could hardly call them modern - particularly the 7020 receiver if she likes listening to the wireless too.

The Shure cartridge will be fine too (if not worn or damaged). Have fun :)

Gordon Steadman

22-11-2013, 17:20

btw lovely carpentry on your Flicker page, my Dad was a carpenter by trade and as a kid i'd watch him in the workshop for hours on end, always had a love and respect for wood work.

Thanks Jayson. I'm winding down a bit now and retired (officially) Still knocking out the turnings though as its a useful source of cash.

Unusual spelling of your name. Bit more character than the usual without the 'y':)

Lace'd Taste

22-11-2013, 18:23

Cannot make out what that ebay add you linked to is talking about with the preamp on the TT, but its hard to see why he would make something like that up. Can't be hard to remove, and you will want to. Yeh i want to get these items early so i have time to inspect them and do the necessary cleaning and removal of random pre-amps - it's a bit of an obsession of mine opening up things. I've had a look at the NAD but really am sold on the A60 now, the more i look at them the more i know it's the right choice.

Still knocking out the turnings though as its a useful source of cash. - great to hear, i got the impression from the webpage that you'd stopped all together! The name spelling is handy for keeping me off databases, i don't bother correcting people if i don't want to be on their system - people have trouble spelling my second name to which is also handy.

julesd68

22-11-2013, 19:46

Thing Fish

22-11-2013, 19:53

Holy mother of god...what is that?

:lol::lol::lol:

synsei

23-11-2013, 01:10

Holy mother of god...what is that?

There's a cracking old fella from Hastings who repairs old audio odds 'n' sods and posts videos of his work on YouTube, he calls those things Crap'o'phones... :lol:

RichB

23-11-2013, 02:24

In what is an entirely predictable move might I suggest saving your pennies for a used Rega deck (P2/3) or even a new RP1 if you can stretch to it (approx £200). I've recently added a P3-24 to my system and I'm seriously in love with it.

Of course the perfect partner for this might be a used Brio amp (around £100?) or a NAD 3020 which could be had for much less than that.

Then maybe add a pair of Missions as has been suggested elsewhere, or a pair of Royds?

Lace'd Taste

23-11-2013, 15:07

I picked up a lovely pair of Mordaunt Short MS100's for £30 off ebay recently for a friend - very respectable indeed ...

There's a couple of larger MS's on ebay which have a great vintage look which would suit the A60.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MORDAUNT-SHORT-CARNIVAL-3-LOUDSPEAKERS-/111222073899?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudio HiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item19e55a2a2b
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-PAIR-OF-MS-MORDAUNT-SHORT-FESTIVAL-SERIES-2-SPEAKERS-/151151324699?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2331522e1b

I've not heard these models but maybe someone else can comment ...

BTW there was a very nice matching tuner to go with the A60 - the T21 - had one myself and really enjoyed it.

Have fun putting the system together ...

Cheers for the input Julian - yeh i think those larger MS speakers are just too big for her room - i'm already having to think about making a shelf for the amp as it is. The look of them is right up her street though!

In what is an entirely predictable move might I suggest saving your pennies for a used Rega deck (P2/3) or even a new RP1 if you can stretch to it (approx £200). I've recently added a P3-24 to my system and I'm seriously in love with it.

Of course the perfect partner for this might be a used Brio amp (around £100?) or a NAD 3020 which could be had for much less than that.

Then maybe add a pair of Missions as has been suggested elsewhere, or a pair of Royds?

Richard it is a bit out of my price range unfortunately plus she likes the whole vintage thing so I'm going down that route - I've been reading a couple of threads on a few sites and I'm thinking of getting the A60 but recapping it following this thread - http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showpost.php?p=690488&postcount=1 It's about 5 years old now so i dunno how ideal the recommended caps are in the thread. I'm fairly confident with the iron so i'll give it a go.

Quick question to you all - what do you use for PCB cleaning? I use 99% isopropyl alcohol on computer PCBs but was wondering if there's anything specifically tailored to the audio side of things (i swear i keep reading about a particular spray everyone uses)

MikeMusic

23-11-2013, 15:29

Holy mother of god...what is that?

It's like an old Radiogram with the quality taken out !
:)

Good to have another nutjob cyclist around

istari_knight

23-11-2013, 16:02

Isopropyl is perfect :thumbsup:

I recapped an A60 about 10 months ago... Roberts guide is spot on for a restoration with minor improvements, if the bug bites this might be of interest http://www.decdun.me.uk/a60mods.html but its by no means essential as the A60 is perfectly capable in stock form.

RichB

23-11-2013, 17:05

http://diversevinyl.com/item.php?id=397ba717321112f0614f20ae50443c4d

Just saw this and thought might be of interest. 180 quid for a brand new Rega turntable can't be bad!

Lace'd Taste

23-11-2013, 17:24

I recapped an A60 about 10 months ago... Roberts guide is spot on for a restoration with minor improvements, if the bug bites this might be of interest http://www.decdun.me.uk/a60mods.html

Yeh i saw mateys article on upgrading the A60, i'd like to keep it all in it's originally enclosure and without step-by-step photos i am uncomfortably out of my depth! Out of interest did you chance the PSU capacitors or volume pot? If so any recommendations?

http://diversevinyl.com/item.php?id=397ba717321112f0614f20ae50443c4d

Just saw this and thought might be of interest. 180 quid for a brand new Rega turntable can't be bad!

I'm sure it ain't but it'll leave me with £70 for the amp/speakers/bits and pieces - i'll probably get a slap too for the TT being too modern.

The Grand Wazoo

23-11-2013, 17:40

If you're up for a bit of vintage loveliness - why not look at some receivers?
The Yamahas are rather lovely to look at and use.....

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDY3WDY3Mw==/z/jA4AAOxynRRSRIsb/$T2eC16RHJHcFFk(!8Zq4BSRIsbGeMQ~~48_35.JPG

Gordon Steadman

23-11-2013, 17:52

http://diversevinyl.com/item.php?id=397ba717321112f0614f20ae50443c4d

Just saw this and thought might be of interest. 180 quid for a brand new Rega turntable can't be bad!

Probably considered heretical round here but some of us don't rate Rega TTs. The arms are pretty good but I never enjoyed the sound of the whole package. Haven't heard them all of course but I actually prefer the overall sound of the Pioneer PL12D, certainly to the Rega 2. If that makes me a deaf twit, so be it.

I love the Yamahas too, used to have a CR600 I think it was. Lovely looking and sounded fine. They get a bit of cash nowadays though judging by what I've seen on eBay.

RichB

23-11-2013, 19:34

Probably considered heretical round here but some of us don't rate Rega TTs. The arms are pretty good but I never enjoyed the sound of the whole package. Haven't heard them all of course but I actually prefer the overall sound of the Pioneer PL12D, certainly to the Rega 2. If that makes me a deaf twit, so be it.

I love the Yamahas too, used to have a CR600 I think it was. Lovely looking and sounded fine. They get a bit of cash nowadays though judging by what I've seen on eBay.

Each to their own I guess but I'm thinking that the OP was looking for something which gets them off and running with vinyl. Sure there are plenty of cheap used turntables out there but it might take a bit of gambling and gumption to pick a good one, then there's postage, cartridge choices and the longer term reliability to take into account. It might be the Pioneer one's are good in this regard, I don't know enough about them to say. However given the choice of chancing my money on something of unknown provenance from eBay or something boxed new, British made, with a heap of good reviews from users behind it and I could audition in a dealers too. There are also reasonably priced upgrades for when cash allows. Realise budgets are tight here so my advice whatever you get would be to buy once and buy well, whatever you choose.

Lace'd Taste

23-11-2013, 19:36

Lace'd Taste

23-11-2013, 19:41

Each to their own I guess but I'm thinking that the OP was looking for something which gets them off and running with vinyl.

Hi Rich, i dunno how much you've read into this thread, it is a lot longer than i intended it to be but it's basically an upgrade of my partners all-in-one "crap'o'phone" (as someone put it). She's into the whole vintage thing and is not keen on the modern stuff, big black electronic boxes etc. Hench the A60 and 70s TTs.

Gordon Steadman

23-11-2013, 19:55

Ahhh yes i do love the look of those receivers, it's the needle dials that get me going! There's this Old school Rotel receiver in the woodshop that has that same look and i've always fancied it a wee bit. I'll have a little ganders online. Yeh sold on the PL-12D, it's just a matter of time before I find one that ticks all the boxes.

They are definitely out there. My PL112D was under £30. It needed a new belt and the mat was missing but apart from that, it looks like its never been used, even the lid is almost unmarked. The only fault appearance-wise is the little nick on the front. That will disappear when I get a moment. They are really simple (maybe not as simple as the Rega!!) and seems little to go wrong. Most decks actually don't get that much use anyway. The 'audiophile' is quite a rare beast in truth. My wife had a PL12D from new and she reckons it probably wasn't used more than a dozen times as most of her music was on tape.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2834/11014947106_1bd57f9a2d.jpghttp://farm4.staticflickr.com/3765/11015067403_b036b16faf.jpg

Macca

23-11-2013, 20:56

Gordon Steadman

23-11-2013, 21:03

That is one minty-looking PL112D you got there. These were old decks back when I was getting into the game 25 years ago. Mind you I have a budget Sony direct drive from about '76 and that also looks like it has never been used. I'm hoping one of my nieces or nephews gets into vinyl when they grow up, will be a good present for them.
My problem, is keeping there little paws off it all now. When I go, Ronnie will have to fight to keep the 57s and the Stereo20 as my nephew has always assumed they are his. He's just waiting for me to go:rolleyes:

Macca

23-11-2013, 21:04

Well at least he is interested :)

istari_knight

23-11-2013, 22:41

Yeh i saw mateys article on upgrading the A60, i'd like to keep it all in it's originally enclosure and without step-by-step photos i am uncomfortably out of my depth! Out of interest did you chance the PSU capacitors or volume pot? If so any recommendations?

I used Servisol "Super 10" on all of the controls & they came up like new so didn't need replacing [no low level balance issues either.] The 10000uf/50v variety from here: http://www.witchhataudio.co.uk/?page_id=483 are nice although half the size of the originals.

Lace'd Taste

24-11-2013, 18:51

That is a well looked after PL112 Gordan, cheers for posting it up, and thanks James for the heads up on the Servisol - that definitely come in handy! Right I think i'm fairly set now, appreciate all the advice & links - i'll post some before and after photos up around December time. :)

Roy S

24-11-2013, 19:08

Mine was 40 quid (works well with the cork mat)

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss68/Lodger56/pl112d_zpsb844a86d.jpg

Lace'd Taste

02-12-2013, 15:05

So i received the A&R A60 today - so much better in your hands than on the net (like a lot of things ;) ) Anyways I'm wondering which input i should plug the PL-12D into. There's the Mag P.U. input then TUNER/AUX/TAPE. I'm not to sure what Mag P.U. means and googled it to find:

"NOTE: never plug any item (Tuner, Tape Deck, CD, MD, etc) into a MAG/PU input other than a MAG/PU output turntable in to an amplifier/mixer the sound will be distorted as it's over-loud and could blow a few capacitors or more!"

I dunno if the PL-12D is Mag P.U. compatible, also i open the A60 and the MAG P.U. section seems to have it's own discrete on board circuitry compared to the other inputs.

Any thoughts?

Jayson

hifi_dave

02-12-2013, 16:13

Mag PU is a moving magnet cartridge and it is this you plug your turntable into. Do NOT plug a CD player or tuner etc into this input, just the turntable.

Oldpinkman

02-12-2013, 16:18

Mag PU stands for "Magnetic Pickup" - it means the record player cartridge as Dave says. It has the extra circuitry to provide additional gain for a very low voltage signal and to apply RIAA equalisation. PL12D (assuming you stripped out any spurious integrated amplifier as discussed previously) goes in here.

Tuner aux tape should be fine for everything else, although you may find the CD player much louder than the record player.

Have fun! :)

Lace'd Taste

02-12-2013, 21:54

Ahhh gotcha! ;) Cheers for clearing that one up, i took the pre-amp out don't you worry. Just finished making the shelf in the workshop, several coats of Danish Oil, a quick buff and then nearly there! :)

walpurgis

02-12-2013, 22:22

Lace'd Taste

02-12-2013, 22:51

Hi Jayson, if you're interested Shane (southall-1998), has a good pair of Mission 780SE speakers to sell.

They are the (posh) Cyrus version, identical apart from the badges. Might be worth asking him. These are great little speakers and probably about the right size.

Cheers Geoff, I have seen some lovely 780SE's on ebay with a rosewood veneer but i ended up getting a pair of brand new Morduant Short MS20i's for the rig - got em at a decent price so can't complain.