Where do I go next

[Jonboy]

Ok so I'm back into this hifi malarky and have dug out my turntable which is a AR legend with a linn Basik arm, I have been using the original linn cartridge an a Grado ( which I found a bit lacklustre shall we say) and recently just hung a Denon DL 103r on the end which I always wanted to try but it's just not doing it for me at the mo , I know my phone stage is not the best ( Cambridge 640p) so my questions are thus

is there anywhere to go with this TT as I've heard one sounding very good at Scalford but can't remember the arm cartridge combo
should I change the phono stage
should I change the arm
All, part or none of the above and go and buy a something else ie 401 plus arm which has been in the back of my mind for a few years, just the prices seem to be ever creaping up, and to think I had a sme 3012 in my hand a few years ago for £500 and decided not to buy it
been reading a bit about 301 401 on here


I haven't really got a budget as sort but don't want to chuck money away As it could go towards the 401 in time , so say £300 for a play for now with the Legend


Please be gentle with me

[myles]

What about getting your 640P turbocharged by Arkless?

[Flanders]

What's your turntable sitting on Jon? Have you played around with this?

[struth]

Yes I would try a new phono amp... there are quite a few decent low priced ones that may surprise you, and others tbh. The little Schiit s very good and the emotiva even better. both can be had for around £150 new, and both do mm/mc. Very pleased with both when had both... got the emotiva now, from the USA.

[Audio Al]

Hi Jon , good to see you back with us , I hope life has sorted its self out for everyone your end

The Jez turbo phono stage is good , I have had one in the past , There is one for sale already modified at a good price , If you purchased that you could sell on the std 640p , I link for said Turbo is here
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?38405-quot-Jez-Arkless-Turbo-phono-stage-for-sale-quot

see post number 43 now for sale at £295 no p/x required ;)
Look forward to your future posts and once again Welcome back :)

[Beobloke]

Personally, I'd leave the phono stage alone for now and look at the arm/cartridge. When you say 'Linn Basik' is it the LVV (silver; s-shaped) or LVX type (black; straight)? Either way, neither is going to be a really synergistic match with a DL103 and you sound underwhelmed by both of your other options, so I'd concentrate on this area first.

[walpurgis]

I suspect you are not getting the best from the DL-103. The AR turntable is a nice enough unit, but the arm may be holding things back. It could need more mass at the headshell for a start. I've seen a few AR turntables with Linn arms and these are usually LV-X models (with straight tube).

If you want to avoid expense, experiment by adding a decent blob of BluTak on top of the headshell. That may beef the sound up a bit. If it helps, you can add a proper headshell weight later.

The MC section on the 640P phono stage is not great and that is not helping the situation. Fortunately the MM section sounds quite good. I used a 640P years ago with a decent moving coil SUT (step up transformer) and the results were not bad at all. That might be worth considering. Avoid a cheapo SUT though. They kill the pleasure of using an MC cartridge.

Or.

If the current arm is the LV-V ('S' shaped as Adam says), it benefits from having a cast solid alloy headshell instead of the pressed aluminium standard item. It would then be able to work better with the DL-103.

And.

Experimenting with VTA, azimuth and tracking force can bring benefits too.

[Jason P]

Second all that - the LV arms aren't bad but you need the right cart. A DL103 won't play nice, and I think the Grado's whilst OK can sound a bit underwhelming unless matched really well.

I'd look at getting something like an AT440 or even a 150MLX - very peppy, track like demons and excellent VFM, and should mate well with the Linn arm. Make sure everything is spot on setup wise and go from there - the Legend is quite a nice deck IMHO.

[Jonboy]

thanks guys for your thoughts, yes the tt needs to be set up a bit better and isolated as its only sat on the top an oak dresser, the arm is the straight arm LVX version and sounded reasonable with mm cartridge's I've tried through the 640 so as I suspected the mc side isn't up to it combined with the arm making for the veiled sound I'm hearing, i have read a bit about the turbo version but think it's not worth pursuing with the combo I have , so it's perhaps best to invest in a decent mm cartridge , quite like the look of the AT440 or/and change the arm ( any recommendations) and save the denon for a future tt combo and better phono stage something along the lines of a pure sound p10 would be nice , one day perhaps

decisions decisions

[Jonboy]

Hi Jon , good to see you back with us , I hope life has sorted its self out for everyone your end

Look forward to your future posts and once again Welcome back :)


Hi Al , thanks for your kind words .... your like what I have been playing with lately apart from my girlfriend lol and it's not hifi related

[Audio Al]

Hi Al , thanks for your kind words .... your like what I have been playing with lately apart from my girlfriend lol and it's not hifi related

More french engines ?

[struth]

More french engines ?

as long as it's French Maid ;)

[walpurgis]

change the arm ( any recommendations)

The most obvious and easiest option that springs to mind, is to get the higher mass LV-V arm instead (straight swap) and sell the existing item (for about the same as you'd spend on an LV-V). Buy a Denon DL-110 high output MC that'll work fine with the 640P MM input, put a rigid cast alloy headshell on the LV-V and enjoy the music!

[Jonboy]

More french engines ?
not French this time , I'll post some pictures elsewhere laters , i think you would appreciate it ,

[Jonboy]

The most obvious and easiest option that springs to mind, is to get the higher mass LV-V arm instead (straight swap) and sell the existing item (for about the same as you'd spend on an LV-V). Buy a Denon DL-110 high output MC that'll work fine with the 640P MM input, put a rigid cast alloy headshell on the LV-V and enjoy the music!

now that sounds like a plan :D