The VPI Turntable Thread

Angsty said:
After a couple of weeks with the MP-300 in place of the Hana ML, I went back to the Hana. It turns out, when I used the MP-300 last, I was using the Insight phono instead of the Bryston.

With the laid-back nature of the Insight, it was a great match with the forwardness of the MP-300. The forwardness of the Nagaoka and the Bryston together made things sound too edgy for my tastes. Also, there seemed to be more accumulation of static with the MP-300 than with the ML. The Bryston appears to be more sensitive to this than the Insight and the noise floor of the system was raised with the MP-300 in place.

I had spent little time considering how well a phono would match with specific cartridges before this, so the switch was instructive.
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So the 500 is obviously out of the running then I guess?
I'm not gunna lie, I'm pretty sure I'm getting the Paua at this point, pretty much a done deal in my mind. But that's interesting that the Nag is forward, I always thought they were on the warmer more relaxed side, buy I've never had the chance to hear one.
 
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Mather said:
So the 500 is obviously out of the running then I guess?
I'm not gunna lie, I'm pretty sure I'm getting the Paua at this point, pretty much a done deal in my mind.
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The MP-500 is still an option for swapping my Hana SL on the second table. The SL actually has far more mileage on it than the ML does.

The Paua is a very, very nice cartridge, but at US$4000, it has to be. For that cash, I’ll wrap myself in the confirmation bias offered by HiFi Plus magazine: “[The Hana ML] is the best £3,000–£4,000 cartridge you can buy… for £995.”
 
Mather said:
But that's interesting that the Nag is forward, I always thought they were on the warmer more relaxed side, buy I've never had the chance to hear one.
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The MP-300 has a a 1-2dB boost through the presence frequency region whereas I suspect the Hana is a bit more recessed here. The MP-300 is a lovely cartridge, but I found the Hana worked better with this table and phono combination. It really is all about system synergy.
 
Angsty said:
The MP-500 is still an option for swapping my Hana SL on the second table. The SL actually has far more mileage on it than the ML does.

The Paua is a very, very nice cartridge, but at US$4000, it has to be. For that cash, I’ll wrap myself in the confirmation bias offered by HiFi Plus magazine: “[The Hana ML] is the best £3,000–£4,000 cartridge you can buy… for £995.”
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Yeah the $4000 up front is insane but the $550 rebuild is what makes me want it.
 
**update**

Keith, our friend at Darlington Labs, has been working with me on the feedback "hum" issue I've experienced since adding the VPI.
I'm very confident we'll either resolve the issue or determine a plan B, and in fairness I haven't been able to spend a lot of time on this given work has me on the road a decent amount. All told, this is why I heavily invested in DL technology -- their service and hardware are top shelf.

In terms of digital sources, I'm very pleased overall with the latest GC DAC Preamp/S300 Amp combo from PS Audio. The term musical is often thrown around when describing their kit, and I can absolutely understand why. That said, I'm still very much anticipating an incredible analog sound path once we can find a solution for the hum.
 
Mather said:
Yeah the $4000 up front is insane but the $550 rebuild is what makes me want it.
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Yeah, I understand the appeal. I’m ending my upgrade path with the ML. Four MLs would set me back US$4800 (before tax) if I wanted to hedge against inflation and buy 8 years worth of stylus life upfront.

I’m betting that I can get at least two more stylus replacements from VAS at US$350 before Steve retires.
 
Angsty said:
Yeah, I understand the appeal. I’m ending my upgrade path with the ML. Four MLs would set me back US$4800 (before tax) if I wanted to hedge against inflation and buy 8 years worth of stylus life upfront.

I’m betting that I can get at least two more stylus replacements from VAS at US$350 before Steve retires.
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Yeah the main thing is I am going to get ahead of this and apologize right now...

I'm very sorry that Peter Lederman is going to retire and close Soundsmith 4 months after I buy this outrageously expensive cart. I'm sorry that all inexpensive rebuilds will end immediately and in addition I'm sorry that 3 weeks after this Steve retires and closes VAS.

I'M SO VERY VERY SORRY
 
Mather said:
Yeah the main thing is I am going to get ahead of this and apologize right now...

I'm very sorry that Peter Lederman is going to retire and close Soundsmith 4 months after I buy this outrageously expensive cart. I'm sorry that all inexpensive rebuilds will end immediately and in addition I'm sorry that 3 weeks after this Steve retires and closes VAS.

I'M SO VERY VERY SORRY
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I did scribble down somewhere the email for that dude that rebuilt @HiFi Guy ’s Grado. 🤔
 
Please tell me this news about Peter and VAS winding down business is offered tongue-in-cheek, no?!

In other news, should have Darlington Labs' package by Saturday, where we're going to run some tests related to RFI and ground issues. Have really grown fond of my VPI Classic for a multitude of reasons but would be lying if I said this "hum" issue since its inclusion hasn't left a sour taste behind.

That said, I've had a few other dealings in the works and one of those involved a trade that allowed me to add the Freya S instead of using my SGCD as a pre, more or less because of the opportunity to acquire the PerfectWave DAC MKII instead of the onboard Gain Cell. I auditioned a couple this week and the difference was incredible. That leaves my SGCD available in fairly short order if anyone's interested, as well as a couple other Schiit separates I'll look to offload.

You may recall I was on lock-down of sorts with respect to out of pocket HiFi investments, so it took some very creative navigating in order to keep the peace with Lisa. Completely understandable all things considered.

So, given my previous experience with Freya I'm pleased to reintroduce it into my lineup. Honestly, I shouldn't have sold my previous one. Live and learn... And I should have the PerfectWave within a week or so. Already own the transport from this line so they should play well together for the days I want to stream or listen to older CDs.

Enjoy the rest of your week, folks.
 
Angsty said:
After a couple of weeks with the MP-300 in place of the Hana ML, I went back to the Hana. It turns out, when I used the MP-300 last, I was using the Insight phono instead of the Bryston.

With the laid-back nature of the Insight, it was a great match with the forwardness of the MP-300. The forwardness of the Nagaoka and the Bryston together made things sound too edgy for my tastes. Also, there seemed to be more accumulation of static with the MP-300 than with the ML. The Bryston appears to be more sensitive to this than the Insight and the noise floor of the system was raised with the MP-300 in place.

I had spent little time considering how well a phono would match with specific cartridges before this, so the switch was instructive.
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The differences between noise on my Hana MC cart and the MI Nagaoka got me curious if the issue was more than just the difference between carts. So today, I pulled out the old 2M Blue to give it a spin. I got the same background noise as I did with the Nagaoka. So, I swapped to a spare Bryston phono to see if it was the same; it was. So, I’ve got a problem that’s independent of the Nagaoka. I did not note such a problem when I first use the Nagaoka on the table, so I have some troubleshooting to do to use this table/phono combo with a MM or MI cartridge.

BTW, aside from the extra noise injection, the 2M Blue sounds better on this table that it did on either of my others. I still prefer the Hana ML, but not by as much as I would have expected.
 
Angsty said:
The differences between noise on my Hana MC cart and the MI Nagaoka got me curious if the issue was more than just the difference between carts. So today, I pulled out the old 2M Blue to give it a spin. I got the same background noise as I did with the Nagaoka. So, I swapped to a spare Bryston phono to see if it was the same; it was. So, I’ve got a problem that’s independent of the Nagaoka. I did not note such a problem when I first use the Nagaoka on the table, so I have some troubleshooting to do to use this table/phono combo with a MM or MI cartridge.

BTW, aside from the extra noise injection, the 2M Blue sounds better on this table that it did on either of my others. I still prefer the Hana ML, but not by as much as I would have expected.
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Have you tried futzing with your cable positioning? I’ve had a hum go away by just moving the leads from the tonearm a few inches further away from the power cable and other electronics with toroidal transformers before.
 
SnowmaNick said:
Have you tried futzing with your cable positioning? I’ve had a hum go away by just moving the leads from the tonearm a few inches further away from the power cable and other electronics with toroidal transformers before.
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I’m experimenting with it now. The location of the 100V/120V power transformer does seem to have a role to play, but I also think there is something about the Luxman table itself that helps create the noise issue. Removing the transformer altogether helped, but did not fully solve it. I should use the transformer for the long-term longevity of the table, even though I can run it for short stints directly to 120V.

Apologies for moving from issues of cartridges on VPI tables to the issue of the same cartridges on my Luxman table.
 
Still digging the Grado. I do have sibilance on a couple of albums. I’m wondering if it’s an alignment issue- the Geo Disc isn’t exactly exact- put the stylus in the middle of the circle.

I saw that Vinyl Source is making Baerwald arc protractors for the Technics, so I bought one and am awaiting delivery from Scotland. That’ll get the alignment perfect. I still prefer Baerwald to Stevenson or the Technics alignment- which is slightly different from Stevenson.

Grados really are special things- I’d recommend trying one assuming your turntable can run one without hum.
 
Angsty said:
The differences between noise on my Hana MC cart and the MI Nagaoka got me curious if the issue was more than just the difference between carts. So today, I pulled out the old 2M Blue to give it a spin. I got the same background noise as I did with the Nagaoka. So, I swapped to a spare Bryston phono to see if it was the same; it was. So, I’ve got a problem that’s independent of the Nagaoka. I did not note such a problem when I first use the Nagaoka on the table, so I have some troubleshooting to do to use this table/phono combo with a MM or MI cartridge.

BTW, aside from the extra noise injection, the 2M Blue sounds better on this table that it did on either of my others. I still prefer the Hana ML, but not by as much as I would have expected.
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Could the problem be one of your RCA cables? I ran into that once with the same brand/model of cable. One pair was noisy, one pair wasn’t.
 
HiFi Guy said:
Could the problem be one of your RCA cables? I ran into that once with the same brand/model of cable. One pair was noisy, one pair wasn’t.
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It could be. I’m finding the Luxman tonearm cable to be a little suspect, for no real reason other than its meager diameter. A small diameter to me suggests lesser shielding. On the other hand, Luxman is not known for cutting corners.

It’s a tough DIN cable to replace due to how it’s connected to the table, but I’m also not anxious to spend hundreds on a replacement.

I may see what Blue Jeans could do for me if the problem persists; it is intermittent. The intermittence does imply a cable/placement issue. It also only shows up for MM carts; the MC carts are not a problem, even with more amplification. Peculiar.
 
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