Improving this lot....

[eddieedwards]

Hi Everyone

Last weekend, I sold my Living Voice OBX R2 and Kondo SPc, replacing it with a pair of Cadence Amaya and Maplin OFC Sharkwire. In terms of sound, this change has been a revelation, and in cash terms it has freed up £2,000. Happy days!

Clearly this leaves me with some cash to invest in the system, and some advice would be appreciated with that please. My system is:

Sources: Rondo Bronze/ 2M Black, SME 3009, Garrard 401/ Calyx DAC

Pre/ Power: Art Audio VPL with integrated Phono/ Art Audio Jota

Speakers: Cadence Amaya

Over the years, I've dabbled with other power amps and have come back to the Jota and would say it's a keeper, I'm also happy with the Garrard 401 itself and very happy with the new speakers. So, looking at my options to improve this lot, it seems the obvious weaknesses are:

1. The lack of SUT/ dedicated phono and to me that this is the first thing to address (certainly a SUT at the least for the Rondo).

2. The next ranked weakness (IMO) is possibly the tonearm on the Garrard - perhaps I should upgrade the arm, as the plinth can take a twelve inch with some additional work?

3. Third option could be to service the Garrard, rewire the arm and perhaps have Tom Willis pimp the internals on my amps?

So, my question for AOS is what to do next? I'm not saying that £2k has to do everything - I'd be happy to achieve one improvement first, then save, rather than take an incremental approach and end up changing bits again. I would be looking to go second hand/ ex-demo.

My thoughts were to have a listen to some phono stages/ SUTs. Perhaps a Vinyl One, NVO SPA 1 (I had the Two in the house for a while and it was immense), Leben, Allnic? Any recommendations appreciated.

Any help or advice appreciated, and sorry for the ramble.

Cheers

Eddie

[Ali Tait]

Well, there is lots of info on servicing the Garrard on the web, easy to do and would save you a few quid.

[Ali Tait]

I'd also speak to Alan (Firebottle) about having a listen to his new two box phono stage.

[Yomanze]

4th option upgrade your DAC? Or do you do a lot more listening on vinyl? £1k+ second hand opens up a lot of DAC choices that could represent a real upgrade.

Your Art Audio VPL will take a lot to beat too, a lot more than £2k on phono stages and SUTs!

[Firebottle]

Your Art Audio VPL will take a lot to beat too, a lot more than £2k on phono stages and SUTs!

Don't be so sure. Ooh is that the sound of me blowing my own trumpet? :eek::lolsign:

Watch this s p a c e (AoS)

[Yomanze]

Don't be so sure. Ooh is that the sound of me blowing my own trumpet? :eek::lolsign:

Watch this s p a c e (AoS)

Perhaps 'a lot more than £2k' was exaggerated, but my point really was that Art Audio makes fine gear, so the cart, DAC & tonearm stand out as things to have a look at before a phono stage change. All IMHO of course. :P

EDIT a SUT for the Rondo sounds like a plan too.

[rubber duck]

Why not buy more records?

[PaulStewart]

Hi Matthew,

As a fellow VPL user and indeed Art Audio user, a few observations, the Vinyl One is one of ghe the best phonostagesI have heard and worth a listen. An alternative is to fit SUTs in your VPL at the moment I have Lundahl SUTS internally hard wired and matched to the cartridge and the sound is awesome.

A quick question, what plinth is the 401 in? If you get Loricraft to give it a full restoration and fit an SME V, you would find the combination of that and the modded VPL/Jota hard to beat.

Best of luck with it

[eddieedwards]

A quick question, what plinth is the 401 in? If you get Loricraft to give it a full restoration and fit an SME V, you would find the combination of that and the modded VPL/Jota hard to beat.

Best of luck with it

Hi Paul - the Garrard is in a Russ Collinson plinth and it could take a 12" arm, which is tempting. It would need new holes drilling though. I've seen an SME IV for a god price, but an SME M2 12 looks tempting and would leave some cash spare for Mr Willis to fettle the amps and perhaps fit a SUT.

Cheers.