Are you always curious...

[boshk]

...whether your TT and the music it produces is at its best?

I found for my TT, I have way more options to play with compared to my CD player.We can change or upgrade tonearms, swap cartridges and even then theres 2 types, and for the guys with twin arm TTs, you can have genre specific arm & cart and then we have all the other little accessories like upgrading platter, speed boxes.......to a certain extent, phono pre-amp.

How often do you think while enjoying your music......"amazing album, can it really sound better than what I have now?"

And if you did, have you acted on it and upgraded or changed components or even TT?

 

[chebby]

...whether your TT and the music it produces is at its best?

I found for my TT, I have way more options to play with compared to my CD player. We can change or upgrade tonearms, swap cartridges and even then theres 2 types, and for the guys with twin arm TTs, you can have genre specific arm & cart and then we have all the other little accessories like upgrading platter, speed boxes.......to a certain extent, phono pre-amp.

How often do you think while enjoying your music......"amazing album, can it really sound better than what I have now?"

And if you did, have you acted on it and upgraded or changed components or even TT?

You forgot the different cartridge alignment geometries (Baerwald and Stevenson and others) and VTA adjustment and matching mass and compliance of the cartridge to the tonearm ... etc. and so on.

Yes, there is an almost infinite number of permutations and you should worry about all of them just in case that 'certain something' escapes you

 

[Waxy]

I'm not curious. I'm too busy listening to "vinyls" to worry think about it. OK, I may try a different cartridge when the time comes, but that's about it. I was sat listening to something the other evening and I thought to myself, I don't need anything to sound better than this.

So, either I'm easily pleased, or I've struck lucky with my set-up.

I might go for an external phono stage one day though...

 

[boshk]

I'm not curious. I'm too busy listening to "vinyls" to worry think about it. OK, I may try a different cartridge when the time comes, but that's about it. I was sat listening to something the other evening and I thought to myself, I don't need anything to sound better than this.

So, either I'm easily pleased, or I've struck lucky with my set-up.

I might go for an external phono stage one day though...

thats because you have an Analogue Works TT1, congrats mate. I saw your signature and googled the TT1 and it brought me to your 'what hifi' post on your upgrade path from debut iii.

Glad you are enjoying it. I think I'm in that position you were in, just looking for these guy's opinions.

 

[lindsayt]

No I don't worry about my vinyl replay at all. Apart from having to get the cartridge rebuilt when the tip wears out. Which happens pretty quickly as I listen to vinyl a lot.

No worries about cartridge geometry. It plugs straight into the end of the arm. No worries about tracking weight and anti-skate. It's at the recommended values, which sound fine. No worries about using different arms or cartridges or phono amplification. I use the ones which came with it, which were all designed to be used together. No worries about turntable support. I use the legs that came with the turntable. No worries that there might be something better out there. My TT's won enough bake-offs for me to be fully satisfied with what I've got.

 

[nopiano]

In the pre CD era I certainly did, and in fact I think LP replay often did vary, with changes in temperature and humidity (to name just two variables).

These days I am less finicky, partly through choosing a less flaky turntable and partly because there is always streaming, CD, radio et al as alternatives.

 

[boshk]

Would you agree that the equipment you have sometimes dictates what you buy/upgrade?

I mean, for guys who have gone beyond entry-level TTs whether its new or vintage, it sort of dictates what you need to upgrade or add on, 'sonic mismatch' as one forum member said.

For example, you upgraded to £1500+ TT like Nottingham Spacedeck or more (SME Model 10) and add a nice arm....SME-IV, how many out there would still use MM cart and their Intergrated amp phono stage or would you start considering MC and ext phono preamp and maybe even a new amp?

 

[stevebrock]

I had an RP6 - now I have upgraded to a Gyrodec SE with RB303 arm, I feel that the deck deserves a better arm for definate! a used SME IV is a possibility.

 

[alchemist 1]

I had an RP6 - now I have upgraded to a Gyrodec SE with RB303 arm, I feel that the deck deserves a better arm for definate! a used SME IV is a possibility.

To infinity and beyond..............

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'm not curious. I'm too busy listening to "vinyls" to worry think about it. OK, I may try a different cartridge when the time comes, but that's about it. I was sat listening to something the other evening and I thought to myself, I don't need anything to sound better than this.

I think this is the perfect answer for the OP - most vinyl users don't worry about niggly little things, they're too busy enjoying music.

 

[boshk]

I'm not curious. I'm too busy listening to "vinyls" to worry think about it. OK, I may try a different cartridge when the time comes, but that's about it. I was sat listening to something the other evening and I thought to myself, I don't need anything to sound better than this.

I think this is the perfect answer for the OP - most vinyl users don't worry about niggly little things, they're too busy enjoying music.

yea, I agree Dave, I think its a blend of mid-life crisis and new-found 'I didnt know it can sound this good' music thing.

 

[relocated]

...whether your TT and the music it produces is at its best?

I found for my TT, I have way more options to play with compared to my CD player. We can change or upgrade tonearms, swap cartridges and even then theres 2 types, and for the guys with twin arm TTs, you can have genre specific arm & cart and then we have all the other little accessories like upgrading platter, speed boxes.......to a certain extent, phono pre-amp.

How often do you think while enjoying your music......"amazing album, can it really sound better than what I have now?"

And if you did, have you acted on it and upgraded or changed components or even TT?

This is the dilemma that so many TT owners have and always have had. This concern has been fertile ground for dealers and mags, particularly before cd, when new arms, cartridges, boards, belts etc etc were all, the new Nirvana.

A contact system is always going to be deteriorating and various adjustments will always change, however minutely, so the unease just goes with the territory. Thank heavens for digital and active speakers, wonder in spades but no wondering.

Enjoy what you enjoy, safe in the knowlege that if you or your TT dealer are reasonably skilled then you could well be getting the best out of what your vinyl is capable of.