Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

[Hollywood]

None personally but it appears to review well.

Lindemann Limetree Phono review

Ordinary looks, amazing performance

www.whathifi.com

Review: Lindemann Limetree phono stage is no lemon.

Lindemann Limetree phono stage pre-amp review with UK pricing and availability.

www.stereonet.co.uk

I suppose the question, as always, is what other options is it up against for the price you are paying.

This phono preamp retails for 1,025 CAD and I could have a brand new one in box for $900 inclusive of taxes.

The only other phonos I'm considering at the moment are the Rega Fono MM MK3 ($500) and the Musical Fidelity LX2 LPS ($450).

 

[Joe Mac]

This phono preamp retails for 1,025 CAD and I could have a brand new one in box for $900 inclusive of taxes.

The only other phonos I'm considering at the moment are the Rega Fono MM MK3 ($500) and the Musical Fidelity LX2 LPS ($450).

If you’re willing to go as high as that I’d consider the Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL. I’d guess it’s list is similar to the limetree (It’s £650-700 in the U.K., the limetree is £595) and it offers much more in terms of flexibility. I adore mine, made a huge difference to my sound on my old system and was more than good enough for the step up when I got my new amps. Of course if it’s not one that you can get a discount on it might make it a bit too rich for your tastes.

PS: These lot (who appear to be near you) had one reduced in spring, maybe it’s still available and/or they can do you a better deal than published?

Spring 2020 Inventory Sale – Distinctive Audio

Electronics Description Status MSRP Sale Price Musical Fidelty V90 DAC. New 399.00 299.95 Magnum Dynalab FT-11 analog FM tuner newly factory refurbished. Consignment $599.00 $350.00 Denon 2930ci DVD, DVD-A, CD, SACD player. Trade $1299.00 $499.95 .Sima Audio 2002 125 WPC amplifier. Consignment...

distinctiveaudio.ca

 

[Joe Mac]

Is yours both MM/MC?

Yeah it is and it offers a lot more adjustability on both MM and MC for impedance and gain than the other three that you are looking at. It’s essentially the bigger brother of the LX2-LPS, so same principles but better bits and more adjustability. Review wise it’s considered to be on a par with the Rega Aria that @Mather has.

 

[kvetcha]

Unless you’re pretty certain what carts you’ll want to use in the future, I’d spring for something with a little more flexibility regarding gain and loading.

 

[Hollywood]

Yeah it is and it offers a lot more adjustability on both MM and MC for impedance and gain than the other three that you are looking at. It’s essentially the bigger brother of the LX2-LPS, so same principles but better bits and more adjustability. Review wise it’s considered to be on a par with the Rega Aria that @Mather has.

How would you best describe the sound? Is it warm and more natural sounding? I'm wondering how well it would pair with the 2M Silver? As you know the 2M series is more analytical and on the brighter side of the spectrum so I want a phono that will have the ability to balance everything out.

 

[kvetcha]

How would you best describe the sound? Is it warm and more natural sounding? I'm wondering how well it would pair with the 2M Silver? As you know the 2M series is more analytical and on the brighter side of the spectrum so I want a phono that will have the ability to balance everything out.

Others may disagree, but I think what you want most from a phono stage is neutrality. Get your coloration from the cart and the amplifier.

 

[Joe Mac]

How would you best describe the sound? Is it warm and more natural sounding? I'm wondering how well it would pair with the 2M Silver? As you know the 2M series is more analytical and on the brighter side of the spectrum so I want a phono that will have the ability to balance everything out.

I don’t find that it added anything to the sound tonally, it was very neutral, which is what I want in a phono, I look to cartridges and amplifiers more to provide tone. I also don’t know that tone is a phono stages job per se.

What it did do is bring out more of what the cartridge was sending it. When I first got it I was running a 2M blue into my old sony integrated. It brought much more separation, a much wider soundstage and it brought more of the detail that the blue was extracting to the table. In short it took the blue from being good to being very good.

In search of tone I then switched to Grado and they brought me the warmth. What I like about it is that it does a great job of extracting every last thing that the cartridge is sending it.

It’s also flexible enough to run both high (2M and Grado Gold2) and low (Grado Opus3 Low Output) output MM’s whilst sounding excellent and not introducing any noise as the gain increases. It also has enough flexibility to work with all but the most ridiculously low output MC’s as well, I haven’t tested with an MC to give you my opinion on that side.

 

[Mather]

How would you best describe the sound? Is it warm and more natural sounding? I'm wondering how well it would pair with the 2M Silver? As you know the 2M series is more analytical and on the brighter side of the spectrum so I want a phono that will have the ability to balance everything out.

I'm just gunna say as well, with all the money you're putting into the system, you might want to save a little to upgrade that cart. I had the silver and I did not like it at all. But you can always just upgrade the stylus to a blue in a few months if you want to. But don't back yourself into a corner with the silver. I found it harsh and tinny. And I LIKE analytical, but I didn't find it pleasant to listen to.

 

[Joe Mac]

I'm just gunna say as well, with all the money you're putting into the system, you might want to save a little to upgrade that cart. I had the silver and I did not like it at all. But you can always just upgrade the stylus to a blue in a few months if you want to. But don't back yourself into a corner with the silver. I found it harsh and tinny. And I LIKE analytical, but I didn't find it pleasant to listen to.

I agree with this entirely @Hollywood I think if you’re worried about tone because of the 2M silver it’s the issue, whatever phono stage you buy isn’t going to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. I’d, at the very least, be getting a blue stylus for the silver cart, if you’re still interested in the MX-VYNL I can confirm that the blue sounds great through it.

 

[Hollywood]

I agree with this entirely @Hollywood I think if you’re worried about tone because of the 2M silver it’s the issue, whatever phono stage you buy isn’t going to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. I’d, at the very least, be getting a blue stylus for the silver cart, if you’re still interested in the MX-VYNL I can confirm that the blue sounds great through it.

I agree that the phono stage won't work miracles far as the cartridge goes but since I won't be upgrading the stylus immediately, I want at the very least be able to tolerate the 2M Silver while I save my money for a new one.

 

[Mather]

I agree that the phono stage won't work miracles far as the cartridge goes but since I won't be upgrading the stylus immediately, I want at the very least be able to tolerate the 2M Silver while I save my money for a new one.

Okay but just keep in mind that if you're not happy with the tonality of the sound once you fire the whole thing up, that Silver is likely to be the reason so don't be discouraged, the sound will totally change once you swap that.

 

[HiFi Guy]

I agree that the phono stage won't work miracles far as the cartridge goes but since I won't be upgrading the stylus immediately, I want at the very least be able to tolerate the 2M Silver while I save my money for a new one.

An upgraded phono stage may make the 2m Silver sound worse- a more accurate representation of what you have.

 

[Joe Mac]

I agree that the phono stage won't work miracles and enhance the tonality produced by the cartridge but since I won't be upgrading the stylus immediately, I want at the very least be able to tolerate the 2M Silver while I save my money for a new one.

The issue you have is that a better phono will definitely bring out all of the good qualities of the cart you have, the problem is it will equally highlight all its weaknesses. If you have well matched gear throughout the chain you will get a nice balance to your sound. At the moment the weakness in your system is the 2M silver above the marantz’s internal phono. Personally my choice, if you have just the money for one upgrade now, would be getting the new cart or 2M blue stylus and putting off the phono stage until the next round.

 

[HiFi Guy]

The issue you have is that a better phono will definitely bring out all of the good qualities of the cart you have, the problem is it will equally highlight all its weaknesses. If you have well matched gear throughout the chain you will get a nice balance to your sound. At the moment the weakness in your system is the 2M silver above the marantz’s internal phono. Personally my choice, if you have just the money for one upgrade now, would be getting the new cart or 2M blue stylus and putting off the phono stage until the next round.

@Hollywood This. A better phono stage is a good idea. Often, you get more refinement and a lower noise floor. A new stylus/cartridge usually makes a bigger difference/improvement.

 

[Hollywood]

For whatever reason @Joe Mac Musical Fidelity components are harder to come by around here except for the LX2-LPS I found one for $450 tax in.

 

[Joe Mac]

For whatever reason @Joe Mac Musical Fidelity components are harder to come by around here except for the LX2-LPS I found one for $450 tax in.

Yeah I only found that one of the MX-VYNL reduced on that dealers site, and another sold recently second hand on the audio mart. It is a good price for it though if it’s available and doable. I’d still upgrade the cart/stylus now and leave the stage till later if it was my $.

 

[apholden]

I had a period last year in which I was getting bored with my vinyl. I tried several things to fix it:

1. Carefully dialed in the stylus (no real change).
2. Bought my Grado headphones to possibly replace the Sennheisers (again no change).
3. Bought the Sutherland phono pre (all but silenced groove noise, but didn't wake up the music).
4. Replaced my Denon DL-110 with a Grado Gold (that made the music great again).

Since @Joe Mac mentioned the blue stylus will fit the silver cart, I would join the club to recommend doing a stylus upgrade. You can then turn the silver into a backup.

 

[Mather]

I had a period last year in which I was getting bored with my vinyl. I tried several things to fix it:

1. Carefully dialed in the stylus (no real change).
2. Bought my Grado headphones to possibly replace the Sennheisers (again no change).
3. Bought the Sutherland phono pre (all but silenced groove noise, but didn't wake up the music).
4. Replaced my Denon DL-110 with a Grado Gold (that made the music great again).

Since @Joe

I'm also curious, informal poll... how many of you guys have subs in your system? I know there's a lot of hyperbole regarding whether a true 2 channel system should or should not have a sub but aside from all that I'm just curious.

 

[HiFi Guy]

I'm also curious, informal poll... how many of you guys have subs in your system? I know there's a lot of hyperbole regarding whether a true 2 channel system should or should not have a sub but aside from all that I'm just curious.

No subs here, although I have previously had stereo subs with an electronic crossover. I don’t miss them.

 

[Joe Mac]

I'm also curious, informal poll... how many of you guys have subs in your system? I know there's a lot of hyperbole regarding whether a true 2 channel system should or should not have a sub but aside from all that I'm just curious.

Not here. Not something I’m hugely keen on. That said the speakers are the next upgrade point for me so getting a sub before them doesn’t make sense, in my head anyway.