£300 upgrade - how would you spend it for me?

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Littlelondoner

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Hi, I am new to this forum and having read lots of opinions I am in quandary about how to improve my hi-fi system. If you can spare some time to consider how I could achieve the most improved sound from my system for an additional outlay of maximum £300, I would appreciate it.

I listen to a wide range of genres from rock and jazz to classical. I have a roughly equal amount of LPs and CDs and I am currently confined by my family for my "serious" listening to a small study room 9 x 9 feet (2.7m x 2.7m) .

My kit is:-
  • Rega Planar 3 purchased in 1986, fitted with an Ortofon Red MM cartridge 10 years ago and has had no further upgrades
  • Rega Fono A2D preamp
  • Arcam Delta 90 amplifier
  • Arcam Delta 70.3 CD player
  • Mordaunt Short MS15 speakers mounted on spiked tripod stands
I use good quality RCA and speaker cables. All the units including the turntable are in/on a floor standing spiked tripod type unit standing on wooden floorboards.

The obvious upgrade choices seem to be these:-
  • 1. Rega turntable wall bracket
  • 2. Rega 24V upgrade kit
  • 3. Rega NEO power supply
  • 4. Have the orginal Rega phono cables from turntable replaced with modern ones
Note that all of upgrades listed here are to do with the turntable. However, I am not averse to my £300 taking another direction such as better speakers or even a DAC - we have started to use streamed music into SONOS speakers in other parts of the house.

Looking forward to hear what you may suggest
 
Al ears

Al ears

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Nov 23, 2008
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Littlelondoner said:
Hi, I am new to this forum and having read lots of opinions I am in quandary about how to improve my hi-fi system. If you can spare some time to consider how I could achieve the most improved sound from my system for an additional outlay of maximum £300, I would appreciate it.

I listen to a wide range of genres from rock and jazz to classical. I have a roughly equal amount of LPs and CDs and I am currently confined by my family for my "serious" listening to a small study room 9 x 9 feet (2.7m x 2.7m) .

My kit is:-
  • Rega Planar 3 purchased in 1986, fitted with an Ortofon Red MM cartridge 10 years ago and has had no further upgrades
  • Rega Fono A2D preamp
  • Arcam Delta 90 amplifier
  • Arcam Delta 70.3 CD player
  • Mordaunt Short MS15 speakers mounted on spiked tripod stands
I use good quality RCA and speaker cables. All the units including the turntable are in/on a floor standing spiked tripod type unit standing on wooden floorboards.

The obvious upgrade choices seem to be these:-
  • 1. Rega turntable wall bracket
  • 2. Rega 24V upgrade kit
  • 3. Rega NEO power supply
  • 4. Have the orginal Rega phono cables from turntable replaced with modern ones
Note that all of upgrades listed here are to do with the turntable. However, I am not averse to my £300 taking another direction such as better speakers or even a DAC - we have started to use streamed music into SONOS speakers in other parts of the house.

Looking forward to hear what you may suggest
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum
You forgot the obvious replacing the stylus / cartridge. Ten years is a long life for a stylus, depending on usage.
However it sounds like you really need a wall mount for that turntable
 
Last edited:
Al ears

Al ears

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Nov 23, 2008
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Of you are lucky you could get this and a replacement 2M Blue stylus for your £300
www.ebay.co.uk

REGA Turntable Wall Bracket - Black | eBay

<p>REGA Turntable Wall Bracket 2016 - Black. </p><br /><p>Selling my used genuine REGA wall bracket, suitable for PLANAR 1-2-3 turntables. </p><br /><p>The bracket is in very good condition with only minor marks which are barley visible. These are amazing lightweight but very stiff frames...
www.ebay.co.uk
 
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Littlelondoner

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Al ears said:
Of you are lucky you could get this and a replacement 2M Blue stylus for your £300
www.ebay.co.uk

REGA Turntable Wall Bracket - Black | eBay

<p>REGA Turntable Wall Bracket 2016 - Black. </p><br /><p>Selling my used genuine REGA wall bracket, suitable for PLANAR 1-2-3 turntables. </p><br /><p>The bracket is in very good condition with only minor marks which are barley visible. These are amazing lightweight but very stiff frames...
www.ebay.co.uk
Click to expand...

Thanks very much - I half expected someone to suggest the turntable bracket, but was surprised that you think a blue stylus would improve the sound more than the other Rega upgrades. I haven't listened to my vinyl much in recent years so may wait a while before replacing the red stylus with a blue one. Thanks again.
 
nopiano

nopiano

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Feb 15, 2009
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Looks like most ideas have been reflected already. But if it was my kit I’d get:-

1. a new 2M Blue stylus, £139
2. used Chromecast Audio from eBay, c£50
3. one year sub to Qobuz, £129.99

I’d find the extra £20 somehow! Let us know what you decide.
 
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