Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

Would y’all keep this? It was clearly opened, and potentially damaged. The stylus has not been checked, but I don’t want to accept this. Maybe for Amazon Warehouse, but not standard. Shipped in a bag.
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highqualityrecords said:
Would y’all keep this? It was clearly opened, and potentially damaged. The stylus has not been checked, but I don’t want to accept this. Maybe for Amazon Warehouse, but not standard. Shipped in a bag.
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Amazon let me keep it for free... should I try and use it? Playing a record I am not worried about and it sounds nice. The cantilever does not appear twisted when comparing the two.
 
snoops said:
Thorens TD 124 is on the short list of my end game turntables. DO IT!!!

I've been eyeballing this one for weeks.
skyfiaudio.com

Thorens TD-124 SkyFi Custom Turntable w/SME Tonearm and New Walnut Plinth

A painstakingly stunning restoration of the classic and coveted Thorens TD-124. READY TO SHIP, NO MORE WAITING! The matte walnut finish is absolutely gorgeous and will look great in just about any living room. Or any room in our opinion. This restoration was recently completed in our lab and...
skyfiaudio.com

Going to have to wait though. I just dropped some coin on a Technics SL-1200gr with custom walnut plinth for my home office setup.
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Sky High Audio? Is he going to kiss you before he screws you? No thanks.
 
Mather said:
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I can get this at half off, which brings it down to a totally reasonable $10,000.
Kinda hoping they bring out a version that DOESN'T include a giant novelty flight case and maybe knocks a couple thousand off the price...
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Don’t overlook a Garrard 301. That and the 401 are what the BBC used before they switched to Technics. I’ve had Garrard lust for years, but my new Technics 1210G seems to have solved that problem.

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Not an equip question but y'all got the big brains...

I realized yesterday I had the mono button on my phonostage on. When I get new records I give them a clean and listen. Would listening to stereo mixes with the mono button in potentially hide/obscure any pressing issues?
 
Big Diaper Energy said:
Not an equip question but y'all got the big brains...

I realized yesterday I had the mono button on my phonostage on. When I get new records I give them a clean and listen. Would listening to stereo mixes with the mono button in potentially hide/obscure any pressing issues?
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The mono button sums the two channels. My understanding would be.

With mono records there is only one channel and the other one will potentially just pick up noise with a stereo cartridge. The mono button summing will have no effect on the one channel sound being picked up but it can be effective in reducing the impact of the empty channels potential noise by summing it across both.

With a stereo pressing there is information on both channels so in theory the effect of a silent channel with only potentially noise to pick up is gone. All you’re likely to achieve by summing the channels is to constrict the sound and the dynamism of the record.
 
Joe Mac said:
The mono button sums the two channels. My understanding would be.

With mono records there is only one channel and the other one will potentially just pick up noise with a stereo cartridge. The mono button summing will have no effect on the one channel sound being picked up but it can be effective in reducing the impact of the empty channels potential noise by summing it across both.

With a stereo pressing there is information on both channels so in theory the effect of a silent channel with only potentially noise to pick up is gone. All you’re likely to achieve by summing the channels is to constrict the sound and the dynamism of the record.
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Very much this. Any kind of hard panning would be heavily diluted and the implications of that statement extrapolate therefrom.
 
Okay, so maybe my smooth brain needs to get better at formulating questions.

I appreciate the lessons on mono vs stereo, how the grooves work, separation and summing of channels, compliances, etc but Im pretty good on that stuff. I've wired my own mono boxes and utilize mono & stereo applications with my guitars.

But, again, I'll take the hit on the answers because I asked the question that may have been ambiguous.

Basically, say I had a stereo record that had non-fill or crackles and pops (mutatis mutandis re soundstage, dynamics, prescense, from stereo to mono) and played it with either a mono/summing switch engaged (which I did) or even a mono cart would any of those things be obscured or, even, not heard at all?

For example, I just got the new The Smile album (black vinyl) and my copy sounds fantastic. Seriously, nary a pop (given, I do a wet RCM wash followed by the HG before first listen). But, by some user reviews on Discogs, you'd think it was the shit a dog shit takes.

My inclination is that, no, summing of channels would not hide defects but I figure I'd ask the stupid questions. I just want to know if I should relisten to recent albums I've QC'd.

Funny enough, I figured out my mono switch was engaged bc I was listening to my MOFI Bitches Brew (to see if I wanted to cancel my one step pre order - I did cancel it; after listening to what I already have I decided to keep my $ and shelf space). At the very end of Pharaoh's Dance there is some crackling/distortion I hadn't heard before. I looked online and evidently it's something that is on the MOFI LP and SACD, as well as the 40th anniversary LP (from 2010 - I don't have that). Something about the original mixes have it bc of the state of the tapes (I guess there is that "sonic artifacts" disclaimer MOFI puts on their releases). But everyone was talking about it being on the right channel and I swore I heard it on the left. So I put on the SACD - that's, of course, unaffected by the phonostage - I have and I have it coming from the right. I put the LP back on and I hear it in the left still. But wait! I can hear it in the right too?!!! Oh shit, son! Mono switch engaged. Mystery solved.
 
Big Diaper Energy said:
Okay, so maybe my smooth brain needs to get better at formulating questions.

I appreciate the lessons on mono vs stereo, how the grooves work, separation and summing of channels, compliances, etc but Im pretty good on that stuff. I've wired my own mono boxes and utilize mono & stereo applications with my guitars.

But, again, I'll take the hit on the answers because I asked the question that may have been ambiguous.

Basically, say I had a stereo record that had non-fill or crackles and pops (mutatis mutandis re soundstage, dynamics, prescense, from stereo to mono) and played it with either a mono/summing switch engaged (which I did) or even a mono cart would any of those things be obscured or, even, not heard at all?

For example, I just got the new The Smile album (black vinyl) and my copy sounds fantastic. Seriously, nary a pop (given, I do a wet RCM wash followed by the HG before first listen). But, by some user reviews on Discogs, you'd think it was the shit a dog shit takes.

My inclination is that, no, summing of channels would not hide defects but I figure I'd ask the stupid questions. I just want to know if I should relisten to recent albums I've QC'd.

Funny enough, I figured out my mono switch was engaged bc I was listening to my MOFI Bitches Brew (to see if I wanted to cancel my one step pre order - I did cancel it; after listening to what I already have I decided to keep my $ and shelf space). At the very end of Pharaoh's Dance there is some crackling/distortion I hadn't heard before. I looked online and evidently it's something that is on the MOFI LP and SACD, as well as the 40th anniversary LP (from 2010 - I don't have that). Something about the original mixes have it bc of the state of the tapes (I guess there is that "sonic artifacts" disclaimer MOFI puts on their releases). But everyone was talking about it being on the right channel and I swore I heard it on the left. So I put on the SACD - that's, of course, unaffected by the phonostage - I have and I have it coming from the right. I put the LP back on and I hear it in the left still. But wait! I can hear it in the right too?!!! Oh shit, son! Mono switch engaged. Mystery solved.
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I think stereo pressings and mono carts is a no go area? That they may damage them?

As to the mono box question. Potentially, but I think that would depend on it only being in one channel, and the big question would be is it worth the trade of for the big old mush that sounds a little limp? My feeling would he probably not.

Not surprised both that you got a good copy of the smile and that there are tonnes of shit copies form the US run, GZ are all over the place with QC these days.
 
Big Diaper Energy said:
Okay, so maybe my smooth brain needs to get better at formulating questions.

I appreciate the lessons on mono vs stereo, how the grooves work, separation and summing of channels, compliances, etc but Im pretty good on that stuff. I've wired my own mono boxes and utilize mono & stereo applications with my guitars.

But, again, I'll take the hit on the answers because I asked the question that may have been ambiguous.

Basically, say I had a stereo record that had non-fill or crackles and pops (mutatis mutandis re soundstage, dynamics, prescense, from stereo to mono) and played it with either a mono/summing switch engaged (which I did) or even a mono cart would any of those things be obscured or, even, not heard at all?

For example, I just got the new The Smile album (black vinyl) and my copy sounds fantastic. Seriously, nary a pop (given, I do a wet RCM wash followed by the HG before first listen). But, by some user reviews on Discogs, you'd think it was the shit a dog shit takes.

My inclination is that, no, summing of channels would not hide defects but I figure I'd ask the stupid questions. I just want to know if I should relisten to recent albums I've QC'd.

Funny enough, I figured out my mono switch was engaged bc I was listening to my MOFI Bitches Brew (to see if I wanted to cancel my one step pre order - I did cancel it; after listening to what I already have I decided to keep my $ and shelf space). At the very end of Pharaoh's Dance there is some crackling/distortion I hadn't heard before. I looked online and evidently it's something that is on the MOFI LP and SACD, as well as the 40th anniversary LP (from 2010 - I don't have that). Something about the original mixes have it bc of the state of the tapes (I guess there is that "sonic artifacts" disclaimer MOFI puts on their releases). But everyone was talking about it being on the right channel and I swore I heard it on the left. So I put on the SACD - that's, of course, unaffected by the phonostage - I have and I have it coming from the right. I put the LP back on and I hear it in the left still. But wait! I can hear it in the right too?!!! Oh shit, son! Mono switch engaged. Mystery solved.
Click to expand...
Any noise you hear on a stereo pressing would be output equally to both left and right channels with the mono button engaged. It’s not going to mask noise at all.
 
Joe Mac said:
I think stereo pressings and mono carts is a no go area? That they may damage them?

As to the mono box question. Potentially, but I think that would depend on it only being in one channel, and the big question would be is it worth the trade of for the big old mush that sounds a little limp? My feeling would he probably not.

Not surprised both that you got a good copy of the smile and that there are tonnes of shit copies form the US run, GZ are all over the place with QC these days.
Click to expand...
Stereo pressings and vintage mono cartridges are a no go. Vintage mono cartridges have no vertical compliance. They’ll wipe out a stereo record in a heartbeat. Same thing happens with a mono pressing cut with a stereo cutting lathe- which pretty much covers the lot since 1968.

So here is the breakdown-

All records are safe to play with a stereo cartridge.

All records are safe to play with a modern mono cartridge. Don’t know why you would play a stereo pressing with a mono cartridge, but you could.

Nothing from 1968 onwards should be played with a vintage mono cartridge, It’s my opinion that vintage mono cartridges should be avoided outright.

Records from 1948-54 may benefit from using a 1 mil stylus due to wider groove spacing.

If you have lots of mono pressings, you should investigate a dedicated mono cartridge, it’s been my experience that the same mono pressing played with a mono cartridge sounds noticeably better than when played with a similar stereo cartridge- both Grado Prestige Series in my case.
 
HiFi Guy said:
Stereo pressings and vintage mono cartridges are a no go. Vintage mono cartridges have no vertical compliance. They’ll wipe out a stereo record in a heartbeat. Same thing happens with a mono pressing made with a stereo cutting lathe- which pretty much covers the lot since 1968.

So here is the breakdown;

All rewards are safe to play with a stereo cartridge.

All records are safe to play with a modern mono cartridge. Don’t know why you would play a stereo pressing with a mono cartridge, but you could.

Nothing from 1968 onwards should be played with a vintage mono cartridge, It’s my opinion that vintage mono cartridges should be avoided outright.

Records from 1948-54 may benefit from using a 1 mil stylus due to wider groove spacing.

If you have lots of mono pressings, you should investigate a dedicated mono cartridge, it’s been my experience that the same mono pressing played with a mono cartridge sounds noticeably better than when played with a similar stereo cartridge- both Grado Prestige Series in my case.
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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!
 
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