Looking to take the plunge

[rlyach]

OK. Now that I have built three tube amplifiers I am ready to step into the world of vinyl, and I find I need advice. Right now I am trying to decide on a turntable (reasonably priced) and either the Eros or the Reduction kit. I note that there is a big discussion on moving magnet vs moving coil pickups and other cartridge topics. Could someone suggest which pre-amp I should get and then a good turntable / cartridge to match? I know this is probably been discussed to death but I was trying to save some time by not wading through all the posts. I love bottlehead gear and have come to trust many of the members of this board. Thanks!

[Wanderer]

Do you have a budget in mind? Do things have to be new or do you want to fuss with used/updated turntable/tonearms?   

I have used the Seduction - which is the progenitor of the Reduction - with my set up which is a Merrill modded AR AX/SME IIIs arm/Grado Blue or Audio Technica 440 MLa cartridge (I very much prefer the AT)  AND with a friends set up of a Kenwood KD-500/Sumkio MMT arm/Denon 110 cartridge. Both rigs worked well with the Seduction and should be fine with either Reduction or Eros.

Either Reduction or Eros are intended for a MM, MI or HOMC cartridge.

For starting out would seem to me going with a high output cartridge would eliminate the need for a step-up of some sort. Meets the K.I.S.S. principle to my thinking. 

[rlyach]

Just for sake of discussion, I was looking at a new Music Hall 5.1se which comes with a Music Hall Mojo cartridge and a Fritz Gyger diamond stylus. I have never owned a good turntable before so this is all new to me, but it gives you an idea of my price range. Will the Reduction work with this cartridge, or do I need the Eros?

[fullheadofnothing]

Pretty much if a cartridge is going to work with one, it will work with the other. Eros can work with a bit lower output than the Reduction, but neither is advisable with a low-output moving coil without an intermediate gain stage (passive or active).

A good rule of thumb is to count your records. Don't spend more than $1 per record on your phono setup.

[Doc B.]

A good rule of thumb is to count your records. Don't spend more than $1 per record on your phono setup.

Now I gotta go buy another 7000 records.

[rlyach]

Doc,

You just made me laugh very hard. I was also wondering what to do myself because I only have a few albums right now. I am setting up the turntable because my boss says I haven't heard anything until I have heard a good turntable on a tube amp. Also, my son is finishing up an album he is the audio engineer on and it will be released on vinyl.

After reading many reviews, I think I will get the Music Hall 5.1se and the Reduction amp. The phono cartridge that comes with the music hall turntable is rated at 6.25mV +/- 1.25mV. I think this will work well with the reduction, and I like the simplicity of the Reduction. I Plan on using east indian rosewood for the base and I will powder coat the base plate black to match my downstairs amp. Does anyone have a good reason for me to get the Eros instead of the Reduction?

[debk]

Music Hall 5.1 was my first table and it is a great table to start with.
Caution this is very addictive, I currently have a Sota Comet and am in the process of upgrading to a Sota Sapphire.

As with Doc the $1 per LP equation is off by at least and order of magnitude!

Debra