Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

[HiFi Guy]

It’s definitely a long term goal to have a table with a removable headshell and the mono version of the Hana SL to go alongside the regular. For now it’s just too much hassle on a fixed headshell table!

Now you are seeing one of the reasons I made the switch. I’m shocked how much I listen to mono now. I expected less noise, which I got. I thought I’d get a blob of sound between the speakers. Not at all. You don’t get left/right (obviously) but you get a wide image with tons of depth. It’s shocking how good mono can be.

This morning’s mono-

Desmond Dekker
Buddy Holly
Cream
Jimi Hendrix
The Kinks

 

[Joe Mac]

Now you are seeing one of the reasons I made the switch. I’m shocked how much I listen to mono now. I expected less noise, which I got. I thought I’d get a blob of sound between the speakers. Not at all. You don’t get left/right (obviously) but you get a wide image with tons of depth. It’s shocking how good mono can be.

This morning’s mono-

Desmond Dekker
Buddy Holly
Cream
Jimi Hendrix
The Kinks

Yeah and for sure that’s why it’s a goal but I’m at a point right now where I am happy with my system and how it sounds and after spending silly money on it and records over the pandemic I’m trying to just sit back and enjoy what I have for now and maybe try to spend my money on other stuff with the world opening up again.

I’m sure I’ll be revisiting this all in a couple of years though

 

[HiFi Guy]

Yeah and for sure that’s why it’s a goal but I’m at a point right now where I am happy with my system and how it sounds and after spending silly money on it and records over the pandemic I’m trying to just sit back and enjoy what I have for now and maybe try to spend my money on other stuff with the world opening up again.

I’m sure I’ll be revisiting this all in a couple of years though

I get the silly money part. I’ve only bought a handful of records this year though.

 

[JohnnyCashFan]

Now you are seeing one of the reasons I made the switch. I’m shocked how much I listen to mono now. I expected less noise, which I got. I thought I’d get a blob of sound between the speakers. Not at all. You don’t get left/right (obviously) but you get a wide image with tons of depth. It’s shocking how good mono can be.

This morning’s mono-

Desmond Dekker
Buddy Holly
Cream
Jimi Hendrix
The Kinks

Historical note my grandfather listened to mono records on a True Mono, mostly handbuilt system, consisting of a Fairchild Turntable and Grado "wooden" @Mather tonearm, Empire Mono Catridge, Heathkit mono tube preamp kit, One McIntosh MC-30 tube monobloc kit, and an single Electrovoice speaker cabinet (yep...from a KIT!!

@HiFi Guy might remember when you could order all this stuff from catalogs on payment plans and layaway!

 

[Joe Mac]

I get the silly money part. I’ve only bought a handful of records this year though.

After a post a couple of days ago you have got me looking at Garard 401 and specialist refurbishment as a cheaper alternative to an sp10 mkII…

I’m a terror in that although I’m absolutely not in the market I can never stop myself from looking and researching things

 

[HiFi Guy]

After a post a couple of days ago you have got me looking at Garard 401 and specialist refurbishment as a cheaper alternative to an sp10 mkII…

I’m a terror in that although I’m absolutely not in the market I can never stop myself from looking and researching things

Cheaper? It’s the other way over here.

 

[Joe Mac]

Cheaper? It’s the other way over here.

Yeah. For the 401. I’d be looking at £750-£1000 and £750 for the refurbishment. If you wanted one of the brass upgrade bearings/platters you can obviously spend major money but that would get you a nice one cleaned up and as new.

An SP10 would be around £1500 to £2000 just for an old table and then I have no idea what the refurb would cost because people who do them here are much more scarce on the ground than for the Garard and I’ve been finding lots of dead ends and people who’ve since retired or stopped doing it when internet searching.

Now if you wanted a 301 rather than the 401? Then you’re talking serious big bucks to get the table in the first place. Probably in the £3,000 range. The refurb would be a similar £750.

 

[HiFi Guy]

Historical note my grandfather listened to mono records on a True Mono, mostly handbuilt system, consisting of a Fairchild Turntable and Grado "wooden" @Mather tonearm, Empire Mono Catridge, Heathkit mono tube preamp kit, One McIntosh MC-30 tube monobloc kit, and an single Electrovoice speaker cabinet (yep...from a KIT!!

@HiFi Guy might remember when you could order all this stuff from catalogs on payment plans and layaway!

I’m not that damn old.

 

[HiFi Guy]

Yeah. For the 401. I’d be looking at £750-£1000 and £750 for the refurbishment. If you wanted one of the brass upgrade bearings/platters you can obviously spend major money but that would get you a nice one cleaned up and as new.

An SP10 would be around £1500 to £2000 just for an old table and then I have no idea what the refurb would cost because people who do them here are much more scarce on the ground than for the Garard and I’ve been finding lots of dead ends and people who’ve since retired or stopped doing it when internet searching.

Now if you wanted a 301 rather than the 401? Then you’re talking serious big bucks to get the table in the first place. Probably in the £3,000 range. The refurb would be a similar £750.

The 401 did have the upgraded motor. That’s a great price compared to here. And you’d have the same table as Sir Paul McCartney.

 

[JohnnyCashFan]

The 401 did have the upgraded motor. That’s a great price compared to here. And you’d have the same table as Sir Paul McCartney.

Can you imagine what's in that 45 collection ?

 

[gafacaode]

Hey fellas!

I'm currently using a pair of Klipsch RP150M and I've been offered the Whaferdale Denton 80 at a really low price (the store is closing and they're selling their remaining inventory).
Thoughts?

 

[JohnnyCashFan]

Hey fellas!

I'm currently using a pair of Klipsch RP150M and I've been offered the Whaferdale Denton 80 at a really low price (the store is closing and they're selling their remaining inventory).
Thoughts?

Denton is warmer, smoother, a little woolly, less fatiguing than the Klipsch which is more dynamic, detailed. If they are a good deal, get them and then pick your favorite and sell the other.

 

[HiFi Guy]

Hey fellas!

I'm currently using a pair of Klipsch RP150M and I've been offered the Whaferdale Denton 80 at a really low price (the store is closing and they're selling their remaining inventory).
Thoughts?

Jump in it. I’m not a fan of Klipsch until you get to the Heritage line, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

[kvetcha]

Denton is warmer, smoother, a little woolly, less fatiguing than the Klipsch which is more dynamic, detailed. If they are a good deal, get them and then pick your favorite and sell the other.

If you can float it, I’d do this. Nothing like a side-by-side in your own space.

 

[gafacaode]

Denton is warmer, smoother, a little woolly, less fatiguing than the Klipsch which is more dynamic, detailed. If they are a good deal, get them and then pick your favorite and sell the other.

Jump in it. I’m not a fan of Klipsch until you get to the Heritage line, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

If you can float it, I’d do this. Nothing like a side-by-side in your own space.

I did a thing

 

[Diaper Baby Escape Plan]

Anyone have any experience, thoughts, opinions, etc on Cary Audio? Specifically, the SLI-100 piqued my interest and wonder if anyone has any direct xp with them, specifically, or CA, generally.

 

[HiFi Guy]

Anyone have any experience, thoughts, opinions, etc on Cary Audio? Specifically, the SLI-100 piqued my interest and wonder if anyone has any direct xp with them, specifically, or CA, generally.

No direct experience but getting 100 watts per channel out of 4 KT150 tubes means they are getting pushed fairly hard.

I’ve owned numerous tube amps and PrimaLuna was my favorite of all. My second favorite and a lot less money was my JoLida (now Black Ice Audio) integrated amp,

That said, I got tired of tube replacement, and went a different direction- see signature. No regrets. Much more neutral sounding, no maintenance, very little heat, and my power bill dropped by 20 percent even though the new gear has 3 times the power. No hum or hiss and has breathtaking bass and slam.

 

[trickyseven]

Does anyone have an easy/cheap way to measure RPM of the platter? My Dual occasionally sounds like it's going a tad slower than I think it should be, but I'd like a way to verify.

 

[Mr Moustache]

you can download apps on your phone. I am not sure how much this is accurate but it worked for me in the past
.

 

[snoops]

Does anyone have an easy/cheap way to measure RPM of the platter? My Dual occasionally sounds like it's going a tad slower than I think it should be, but I'd like a way to verify.

I use this on app on my phone. Seems like its fairly accurate.

‎RPM - Turntable Speed Accuracy

‎The best Turntable RPM accuracy test mobile app available. See the RPM speed variations, know as wow/flutter, of your turntable in real time graphics like you've never seen before, continuous display makes it easy to make adjustments as necessary if your turntable allows it. Test the RPM...

apps.apple.com