Would a Rega Planar 3 and CXA61 sound better than CDs?

[Arsenio Erico]

If it's any help, I'm using a Rega Planar 3 with an Elys 2 cartridge and in my opinion this is a great sounding combination – I'm surprised again and again just how much punch and treble can be in a well mastered LP when listening to it on that system. Can't comment on the MP110 though, never tried it. I'm using a Cambridge Audio CP1 pre amp by the way, which is great value imho. The rest of the system is a NAD M10 integrated amp and B&W 805 D3 speakers, if you're curious.

Thanks Pokey! I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying your rp3! Either the Elys2 or the MP110 are still options before ordering! I'm leaning towards the mp110 but still want to hear some more actual owners opinions! So, thank you very much for your time and feedback! cheers mate!

 

[Arsenio Erico]

All formats have their merits, but vinyl is very different. I suppose what will decide is which format takes priority. My main format is vinyl so I deliberately didn't go the full hog with the CD player. The cost of a expensive CD player couldn't be justified .

Right, I was checking and decent cd players are not cheap, indeed. Maybe in a distant future I could spend on one just for the sake of it, so far I'm focused on Turntables and LPs.
I can tell LPs are different than CDs even with my very basic and cheap TT. That's something I like.

 

[Arsenio Erico]

$1000 Assume you are in the states Mofi Studiodeck would be a much better bet than a P3


MoFi has done its homework and produced a gem of a basic deck. I was not prepared for such an instant dose of sheer delight. You all know the sensation when caught unawares by a product that defies its price category with magical sounds, and the StudioDeck is one of them. For nervous newcomers in sore need of a user-friendly, painless introduction to proper vinyl playback, this is a no-brainer."
—Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News

Oooookkkk! You have just opened a complicated door! Ha!!! Now I'm really curious on that MoFiStudiodeck! Before I made up my mind on the RP3 I couldn't find a decent rival, but now that you've mentioned the MoFi a whole new debate opens!
Heading to Google to type RP3 vs Studiodeck NOW! ha!
Thanks for the suggestion!Cheers!

 

[Arsenio Erico]

Unfortunately I think he might be in Paraguay.....not sure what they would cost there.

That is right, Al. Fortunately I can buy online from the US and get them here with a freight forwarder company, it takes longer and shipping costs are way higher, but with these kind of products it's worth the money spent because otherwise I couldn't find them locally.
There are some gears I can find in Paraguay, but availability is limited. That's why I buy stuff mostly from the US.

 

[Arsenio Erico]

My understanding after reading your feedback is that I might get a sound that pulls a smile out of my face with a RP3 + MP110/Elys2 and one of the three phono preamps I'm planning to get. Better or not than CDs is not the right question. It will be a different kind of sound. I can understand this since I have a basic TT now that somehow and very vaguely shows this characteristic.
I have hundreds of LPs and want to make it my main source of music (I have way more LPs than CDs). This is the reason why I'm investing on a decent TT. Spending over 1000$ is a lot for my financial situation, it may be nothing in the HiFi ground but my original question was only aimed at finding out if the equipment I mentioned (or similars) could deliver something we can call good sound quality.
I think the answer is yes. I think I will enjoy the ride!
With my current TT I enjoy more some very few records than their digital versions (Dire Straits, Kind of Blue, Pear Jam's Vs). But that is about how far it goes. For everything else I have, CDs out perform my current TT by far. There is just no point of comparison. I assume there must be a sound quality improvement between a 100$ TT and a 1200$.

 

[manicm]

The rega Phono you mentioned would be the Fono mini a2d mm? Just to read a bit more about it and compare it with the Cambridge Audio Alva Solo and the Shiit Mani which are the only two options I have shortlisted so far. Thank you for your contribution! Cheers!

No, the Rega Fono MM. The a2d has ripping functionality.

 

[Arsenio Erico]

No, the Rega Fono MM. The a2d has ripping functionality.

Great! Will look for it online! tks mate!

 

[Edbostan]

Hi! I'm planning on getting my first Turntable, I would like to get a better sound than CDs at least.
My current setup is this:
Cambridge Audio CXA61 with Q Acoustics 3020i speakers, a subwoofer.
A standard Sony Blu ray player hooked up up via optical output to the CXA61 to play CDs.
So far, the best quality I get is from CDs.

Rega Planar 3 with a Nagaoka MP110 cartridge and a Cambridge Audio Solo or Schiit Mani Phono PreAmp (haven't bought them yet but Im going this way, haven't decided on the Phono Pre Amp yet)

Would this be sufficient to get a better sound quality than the one I get by playing CDS through my bluray player?
thank you very much!

Vinyl can be pressed from digital masters

 

[Al ears]

Vinyl can be pressed from digital masters

y
Possibly but not always, you're point is?
How does that apply to the OPs question?

 

[manicm]

Vinyl can be pressed from digital masters

True, especially for modern recordings, whether that reduces the glow of vinyl playback I don't know, but remember there were older albums that were digitally mixed/mastered/recorded as well - one ubiquitous example is Donald Fagen's The Nightfly - 1982.

 

[Arsenio Erico]

A quick roundup! It's been a year and a half since I posted this. Got myself a Pioneer Plx1000 with an Ortofon Bronze cartridge and KEF R3s speakers.
Have I found any difference between CDs and LPs playback? Absolutely yes. I'd choose records every single time over CDs.
I recently bought a Charlie Parker lp, which was obviously pressed from a digital source as many other lps I own.
Whenever I play a record pressed from analogue sources or original tapes, the difference is massive, for better. I won't go into details since we can find thousands of comments about this everywhere.
Maybe a better streamer and DAC could give me an upgrade for my streaming music, but I just prefer to spend all that money in records.
Thanks again for all the help!