Recent content by matthewpianist

At the beginning of this thread you said your were surprised how small the difference was between the Rubcion and Rubikore. It's a substantial cost - is it really worth it, or is it change for the sake of change, especially if your room doesn't enable you to make the most of it? I don't wish to...

The materials may not be toxic, but that pricing strategy is.

In your situation I would be going down the WiiM Sound or Sonos Era 100 route - a stereo pair in the dining room with the CD player plugged into the auxiliary input, and a single speaker in the lounge. The WiiM is particularly impressive (I heard it at Bristol), and it's a great way to ensure...

Apart from sound quality and fair payment to artists, clear new release listing is important to me. I know what's new in the classical and jazz worlds because it's my job to, but I find the features on Qobuz excellent for browsing new releases in Folk/Americana and Rock. Stability in 'connect'...

I think the discoveries around building materials (asbestos, insufficient firebreaks, flammable cladding etc.) is sufficient evidence that we can never have complete confidence in the safety of the things we use, and that caution is a sensible thing. Take it from someone who owns a flat in a...

Start by going back to 'Source Direct' on, to get a proper idea of what your system actually sounds like. You are currently in danger of jumping onto the slippery slope of never-ending box swapping, so steady steps are advised.

Yeah, that WHF article is pretty uninspiring and actually mostly features products I found equally uninspiring. The ProAcs frankly sounded poor with the Exposure amplification, and the Onkyo/Klipsch combination was clinical. It was difficult to judge the Project setup, because the Henley reps...

The big highlight for me was the ATC EL50 actives - a true work of art. These enormous and beautifully crafted speakers really do the disappearing act and bring the music into the room - beyond hi-fi, and a privilege to hear.

That's a decent number. I only ask because I generally counsel caution to people starting a vinyl journey when they only have a handful of LPs. You're not in that position, and that number of LPs deserves better than the TEAC. The AT would be a better bet. BTW, I do have a turntable and a good...

Audio Technica is a solid choice, and that has a better arm, offering sufficient adjustment for a future change of cartridge should you wish. I'm interested to know still, do you have many records?

I had a pair of Spendor A1 a few years ago, with a Rega Elex-R. They need power behind them to come alive. When they do, they can sound very admirable, but not especially engaging in my experience. I had auditioned them before buying, against a pair of Linn Majik 109s, but I wish I had compared...

Looking at the arm, I don't think a change of cartridge is an option - it's designed for the AT-3600L, with no facility for balancing the arm to suit anything different. That isn't a bad entry-level cartridge though, and probably as far as you would want to go on a turntable of this nature anyway.

How large is your LP collection?

I'm afraid you're expecting miracles where they don't exist. Try connecting it to your receiver with phono cables instead and see if that sounds better to your ears. It should be perfectly listenable and enjoyable, but don't expect it to blow away your streaming services because in this context...

What do you have it connected to?