So what's next?

[booangler]

So what's next?

I have purchased int the last few months close to 200 albums, 90% used and 10% new. Am i having fun, damn straight I am. Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall '62 is an amazing adventure in how live music should be recorded. Lionel Hampton Golden Vibes, was a incredible $.50 find. Jimi Hendrix at Clarke University is just plain fun with its technical flaws, but you get the Guitar Giant in the raw.

My currnet table is a Rega P1. Arguably one of the better entry level tables available today. However, it has some flaws. Bass can is week, it runs fast, the platter is cheap and light, and the arm is not very refined. Finally, listening to piano pieces is painful, the piano sounds all wrong, the notes don't hold duration or tone.  I am not ripping on the table here, just stating that which I no longer care for.  

Which brings me back to what's next. I have done some extensive listening to the Denon DP 500M, the Pro-Ject RPM-1.3, the Pro-Ject Xpression III, and handful of vintage tables. I am left wondering which direction to pursue? The Pro-Ject RPM just blows away the Xpression in their basic form. This maybe due simply to the fact that the RPM comes with a Sumiko Pearl while the Xpression gets the simpler Black Pearl. Or it could be due to the decoupled motor combined with the newly designed inverted bearing. Or any of the other differences. To many variables and not enough time. I do not care for the Denon, not fan of Direct Drive tables so we can let that go. As for the vintage tables, well let the buyer beware. Having said all that I am looking to the wisdom gained by others in there turntable upgrades. Looking forward to reading your responses.

Cheers, Alan

[Grainger49]

I think your analysis of the differences between the Pro-Ject RPM and Xpression is spot on.  You can't compare two tables without the same arm and cartridge mounted properly on them.  (And these probably do come with an integral arm.)  Otherwise it is like comparing speakers with different systems driving them.

If your Rega is a DC motor you can fix the speed problem cheaply, if it is AC you probably want to upgrade the table.

From what I read things like sustain and bass extension can be a matter of the cartridge, generator, than the table itself.  But the speed problem will muck up everything bass related.

So I am in a round about way saying that you might want to upgrade your table/arm combo but do not overlook the lowly cartridge.  Since the cartridge makes the electrical signal it is penultimate to the sound.  The table turns the LP at a constant speed (no wow or flutter) without adding noise (rumble), the arm floats the cartridge across the LP and allows it to work but the cartridge is the generator of the sound. 

Invest there!

[Paul Birkeland]

DIY potential is always something to think about.  In my case, I ended up getting a used Music Hall MMF-5 locally, and I lived with it for about 6 months.  I got the urge to upgrade, but instead of heading out to buy a new turntable, I decided to just do a rebuild.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg4.imageshack.us%2Fimg4%2F9843%2Fdsc0050ud.jpg&hash=0505919b5d0076401758d784826e38fd1afe725c)
It started with a 3 layer acrylic plinth and all the original parts.  From there I added an acrylic platter, then an RB-300, then a Rega Super Elys cart. etc. etc.

Most recently, I added a Speedbox, several more layers of acrylic, and custom made my own 3/8" aluminum platter with brass flywheel weights.  The platter as it is now costs more than I paid for the used table, oh well...


If you get a Project table, doing stuff like this is not extremely challenging.

[tsingle999]

Wow Nice job Paul! Doesnt look anything like my mmf5! I too picked one up locally. It is a nice table. I have a speedbox but with the early version of the mm5 I have to cut the power cord out and add an adapter which  I have bought. Did you have to do it this way too? Any tips would be appreciated.

[Paul Birkeland]

I ended up rewiring the wire leaving the motor to a male XLR, then I have the motor run cap, power switch, and power entry module housed in an external box.  The Speedbox sits under that, and I desoldered the factory connector and installed my own to feed the motor control box.  I don't think the Speedbox controller has quite the right male plug for any Music Hall tables, but that's the only aspect of it that isn't matching IMO. 

[Frank Mena]

Here is what I did for a turntable... hope  the link works
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=5249&id=100000046574541&ref=mf

Cheers
FM

[johnsonad]

There are some great vintage tables out there from a period of time where manufactures had the money to dump into R&D and consumers who were willing to pay high dollar for a great TT.  Many manufactures still service these tables even though they are 30 years old.  Have fun with these simple belt driven jobs but don't discount some of the truly great tables which, whether you like them or not, fall into the DD category.  If you like to tinker you may consider an old idler too.