Best Turntable for Q Acoustics 3030i

[Kiadi]

Hi,

I have a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon with OM10 cartridge turntable Recently, I bought a Q Acoustics 3030i and paired it with a Denon PMA-520ae receiver. I will upgrade amp to Rega Brio. I wanna upgrade turntable too, what will be the best turntable choice for the 3030i, Would buying the Rega Planar 6 be a waste of money? Is there a noticeable difference between the Rega Planar 3 and 6 with the 3030i? Also what would happen if i dont upgrade the turntable but ugrade the cartridge to 2m bronze?

 

[nopiano]

Welcome to the forum.

We don’t tend to think of exactly ‘matching’ a turntable to speakers. The job of the turntable, arm and cartridge is to extract the maximum possible information from each LP. These days, digital streaming can achieve much of this aim, and often remarkably cheaply. However, tapping a screen isn’t as engaging as carefully placing a record on the platter, lining up the arm, lowering it to that satisfying ‘thunk’, and relaxing with a readable sleeve note!

The QA speakers a quite capable of revealing improvements in your source. I had mine connected to umpteen times more expensive sources and amplifiers, not as a sensible system, but just for fun. Therefore a better turntable will be repaid if you have a sizeable LP collection.

Personally, I’m not totally persuaded by the step from Planar 3 to 6, but it’s still an improvement. I’d tend to stick with the OM10 in your Pro-ject, and encourage you to look at the Debut Pro, or the X1B if possible, as fine upgrades.

 

[Kiadi]

Thank you. Of course, I'm not talking about exact matching between a turntable and a speaker. I would like to ask if there is a reasonable difference between the Rega Planar 6 / Xb1 and the Rega 3 / Debut Pro that would be worth the price difference.

 

[good_enough]

Cartridge upgrade makes a hell of a difference. If you swap turntable and cartridge at the same time you are essentially changing two components at once. It's one of my bugbears about WHF - they test the turntable as a whole. Serious reviewers like Stereophile know to use a 'reference cartridge' to test turntables independently. And vice versa of course - new carts get tested on reference 'known good' turntables.

Nothing saying you have to stick with Ortofon BTW. A whole world of carts out there. The new Rega Nd series looks intriguing.

 

[nopiano]

Thank you. Of course, I'm not talking about exact matching between a turntable and a speaker. I would like to ask if there is a reasonable difference between the Rega Planar 6 / Xb1 and the Rega 3 / Debut Pro that would be worth the price difference.

I think it depends on your future plans. If you are likely to be able to steadily upgrade everything, then arguably you should get the best turntable you can afford and then improve the rest. But many would be happy forever with a Planar 3, and it has been a best seller for decades in its various iterations for exactly that reason.

Once you start approaching £/€1,000 then Technics and other great designs become possibilities too!

 

[Kiadi]

@nopiano I will probably continue with the Q acoustic and the Rega Brio amp for a few years. That's why I don't want to spend money on a turntable that won't make a big difference. I'm trying to decide whether it would make more sense to use an expensive turntable with an entry-mid level cartridge or a mid-level turntable with a mid-high level cartridge for use with the equipment I have.
@good_enough I am really curious about new rega nd cartriges

 

[nopiano]

@nopiano I will probably continue with the Q acoustic and the Rega Brio amp for a few years. That's why I don't want to spend money on a turntable that won't make a big difference. I'm trying to decide whether it would make more sense to use an expensive turntable with an entry-mid level cartridge or a mid-level turntable with a mid-high level cartridge for use with the equipment I have.
@good_enough I am really curious about new rega nd cartriges

Ok, well I’d always get the better mechanical design with a more modest cartridge in that case. Cartridges change the ‘tone’ because they each have different’flavours’ but the mechanical integrity of the arm and turntable is what releases the microscopically small modulations from the groove, and nothing can recreate that if it’s not there to begin with.

Do you have any other sources, like a streamer or CD player?

 

[good_enough]

Ok, well I’d always get the better mechanical design with a more modest cartridge in that case. Cartridges change the ‘tone’ because they each have different’flavours’ but the mechanical integrity of the arm and turntable is what releases the microscopically small modulations from the groove, and nothing can recreate that if it’s not there to begin with.

Yeah that was always the Linn mantra, but only up to a point I'd say. My Axis was transformed when I changed out the budget fitted AT95E-base K9 for a DL110. The inner-groove distortion (an AT95E speciality) completely disappeared, for a start.

Having gradually upgraded over the years on the same TT (now on a Hana SH) and been delighted by the results I'd always be looking at what cheap stuff has been fitted as original equipment and whether an upgrade is a good way to go.

The unfortunate thing is that auditioning carts is so difficult (it's a faff for the dealer who may only see a £200 sale) so one has to go so much by reviews.

BTW how do you find the AT VM95ML you list in the signature? That's another one I find an interesting prospect.

 

[Kiadi]

Ok, well I’d always get the better mechanical design with a more modest cartridge in that case. Cartridges change the ‘tone’ because they each have different’flavours’ but the mechanical integrity of the arm and turntable is what releases the microscopically small modulations from the groove, and nothing can recreate that if it’s not there to begin with.

Do you have any other sources, like a streamer or CD player?

I ‘ll try to buy Planar 6 with nd5 combination if i can otherwise i will go for planar 3. What do you think about planar 6 and brio combination?
I also use Macbook air and Apple Music on my setup maybe i will buy wiim pro streamer but for a now i think denon pma-520ae is the weak point.

 

[nopiano]

I ‘ll try to buy Planar 6 with nd5 combination if i can otherwise i will go for planar 3. What do you think about planar 6 and brio combination?
I also use Macbook air and Apple Music on my setup maybe i will buy wiim pro streamer but for a now i think denon pma-520ae is the weak point.

That sounds like a great combination to me. The new nd cartridges look very interesting too, though I’ve not heard them.

Some dealers are labelling the Brio ‘discontinued’ but that’s not entirely clear to me. At the discounted price of £549 however, it’s a decent buy to pair with a Planar 3 or 6, and has a nice phono stage built in.

 

[nopiano]

BTW how do you find the AT VM95ML you list in the signature? That's another one I find an interesting prospect.

As clean as a whistle, tracks anything, nice low surface noise - a great buy. Obviously other flavours of cartridge are available, but for my relatively limited LP use these days it’s just fine.

 

[good_enough]

I ‘ll try to buy Planar 6 with nd5 combination if i can otherwise i will go for planar 3. What do you think about planar 6 and brio combination?
I also use Macbook air and Apple Music on my setup maybe i will buy wiim pro streamer but for a now i think denon pma-520ae is the weak point.

If you are anywhere near audition this: https://www.richersounds.com/roksan-k3-amp-anthracite-in-store-clearance/

I just got one at that price which with discount is 575. A phono stage to die for, and I play a lot of vinyl... Unfortunately Richers doesn't stock the Brio for a head-to-head!