Pro-ject Essential with TEAC microsystem - phono amp or new amp?

[mattie_uk]

Hi all

I've dug out my old Project Essential and - once I've found a replacement for the anti-skate arm that doesn't seem to have survived my house move - I'm hoping to get the turntable set up.

I've changed my amp to a new Denon AVR-X2000, which unlike my older Denon receiver doesn't have a phono input. I haven't the space or funding (or the courage to ask the missus!) for 2 main systems, but I have a small TEAC CR-H230 which I can set up in the study with some yet-to-be-selected bookshelf speakers through which I cna run the turntable. The problem remains that this TEAC also doesn't have phono input.

Would I be best off getting a phono pre-amp, or chopping in the TEAC for something else (other models of TEAC have phono)? Alternatives include something like an old NAD 3020 off ebay, although I remain open to suggestion!

Any thoughts on what is going to give the best quality for the most sensible outlay would be much appreciated - I realise quality isn't going to be earth-shattering, so a decent phono pre-amp with a microsystem and bookshelf speakers might not be best bang for buck. Rationale for the TEAC was that I'd only need a phono pre-amp.

Cheers

 

[Jim-W]

I think this depends on whether you just want to play vinyl or have cd, radio etc. If you want other sources then I guess a phono pre would do the job and the TEAC unit is reasonable, according to reviews. You're right though: if you wanted just vinyl playback then it would be passable but nothing special. If you wanted just a good quality vinyl lp sound then I think you're barking up the right tree: an old Nad 3020 or 3130 both have very good inbuilt phono stages and would be cheap. You might also consider the Arcam Alphas which have pretty sweet phono stages. You could, no doubt, find a cheap cd player too. You can get some decent budget bookshelf speakers from Richer Sounds, ie Wharfedale Diamond 9.0 for 40 quid or spend a bit more if you can-like the Tannoy Mercury V1 for £100.

I guess you need to decide what you would actually listen to and how much flexibility you need; if it was me I'd go the old amp and a decent vinyl sound and add other components later.

 

[mattie_uk]

Great, thanks Jim.

I've had a look at ebay and there's fair few Arcam Alpha 3s for not much outlay - I might sell the TEAC and use the cash to get either such an Arcam or something similar. They've always got good reviews and look a very decent bit of kit.

As an aside, do you know if there's any substantial difference between the various flavours of 3020 - there are a load of suffixes from A to I and I'm not sure what they represent!

(I will raise the following as a seperate thread in an appropriate forum, but thought I'd include it here as it's related and some may have some insight into this - could I put some network-enabled device on the tape loop of the amp and use it to stream vinyl to my other systems? The Denon AVR-X2000 is connected to my home network and can play music from my home server, I'm wondering if there's a way of using the turntable and amp as another source?)

 

[Jim-W]

I think the original NAD 3020 had some problem that the 3020a ironed out. The 3020 i is always well thought of too. The D3020 is the new NAd amp.If youre on a budget, and who isn't, and it's just a second system then I think Nad's and Arcam Alpha's will sound fine. As I said, they both have highly regarded phono stages, if this is your main priority.

Maybe stay away from Nad 3020 without a or i just to be safe. I have a NAD 3130 which I used in an office set up and it did a good job. Good phono stage, maybe not quite as good as the 3020 but still better than today's budget phono stages. I sometimes use the 3130 as a preamp just for the phono stage.I've also got an Arcam Alpha 5 which has a good phono and goes loud-quite powerful for a small amp.

As for streaming, I haven't got a clue; I'm an old-fashioned kinda guy.

 

[mattie_uk]

Brilliant, many thanks Jim - as an aside, the majority of NAD amps on ebay appear to be 3020i models so all should be good.