Upgrading audio technica LP120

ohcalebbeck

ohcalebbeck

Active Member
Joined
May 15, 2019
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Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
Hi all-knowing hardware friends. It’s been about 3 years since picked up my LP120, and 6 years since I started collecting / listening to records in general. I’m finally at the point where I don’t have a huge wish list of albums so I think it’s time I start putting some money into my system. The needle I’m using is the one that comes with the turntable out of the box so I’m thinking that is the first thing I should upgrade as it’s probably getting warn down. When I moved away for uni I couldn’t bring my speakers so I’ve had my system hooked up through a UE boom speaker so I’m hoping to upgrade that soon as well. There are a bunch of music stores around my area that sell used audio equipment so I’m probably going to look for a used set of speakers. Any suggestions / expertise / advice would be greatly appreciated while I undertake this journey!

EDIT: when I say needle I mean cartridge, it’s sunday so I have hardcore weekend brain
 
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Could you tell us a bit about your music preferences? Maybe also something about how you want your system to sound? Do you hope it will have a "warm" sound or do you want it to add nothing that wasn't in the vinyl?
I ask because cartridges can add their own sound, and it would help to know if that's what you want.
For example, Grados are awesome for Rock and Roll, but can have trouble with other genres. They add mid-bass punch, but sometimes add sibilance to treble. When I first played Crosby, Stills and Nash on a Grado, the cymbols were messed up (a $150 stylus fixed that).
I'm currently running a Denon moving coil cart, which sounds a lot like a radio. No surprise--a lot of radio stations ran Denons back in the day.
 
ohcalebbeck said:
Hi all-knowing hardware friends. It’s been about 3 years since picked up my LP120, and 6 years since I started collecting / listening to records in general. I’m finally at the point where I don’t have a huge wish list of albums so I think it’s time I start putting some money into my system. The needle I’m using is the one that comes with the turntable out of the box so I’m thinking that is the first thing I should upgrade as it’s probably getting warn down. When I moved away for uni I couldn’t bring my speakers so I’ve had my system hooked up through a UE boom speaker so I’m hoping to upgrade that soon as well. There are a bunch of music stores around my area that sell used audio equipment so I’m probably going to look for a used set of speakers. Any suggestions / expertise / advice would be greatly appreciated while I undertake this journey!

EDIT: when I say needle I mean cartridge, it’s sunday so I have hardcore weekend brain
Click to expand...

Fix yourself a budget and let that lead you. It also makes recommendations easier! Also, there are plenty of options out there that are great but you don’t want to blow the bank!

The good new, it’s almost impossible to not do better than the LP120 with a healthy budget 😀
 
apholden said:
Could you tell us a bit about your music preferences? Maybe also something about how you want your system to sound? Do you hope it will have a "warm" sound or do you want it to add nothing that wasn't in the vinyl?
I ask because cartridges can add their own sound, and it would help to know if that's what you want.
For example, Grados are awesome for Rock and Roll, but can have trouble with other genres. They add mid-bass punch, but sometimes add sibilance to treble. When I first played Crosby, Stills and Nash on a Grado, the cymbols were messed up (a $150 stylus fixed that).
I'm currently running a Denon moving coil cart, which sounds a lot like a radio. No surprise--a lot of radio stations ran Denons back in the day.
Click to expand...

I think at the end of the day I need something that is versatile. I listen to mostly rock and rock adjacent albums, but I don’t want the folk, hip-hop, electronic, etc records I do have to sound like crap. I don’t think I need a cart that will add anything to what it’s playing, I just want something that sounds good with everything I have, and is good quality enough that I don’t need to worry about it damaging anything.

Joe Mac said:
Fix yourself a budget and let that lead you. It also makes recommendations easier! Also, there are plenty of options out there that are great but you don’t want to blow the bank!

The good new, it’s almost impossible to not do better than the LP120 with a healthy budget 😀
Click to expand...

I think I could probably invest $400-500 over the next 8 months or so. High up on my priority list is the cart and the speakers so I could definitely spend ~150 or more on each to start. unless the LP120 isn’t worth upgrading in which case I could siphon most of that money into a new TT. I am fairly happy with its performance but I am at the stage that I would like to start working towards a forever audio setup.
 
ohcalebbeck said:
I think at the end of the day I need something that is versatile. I listen to mostly rock and rock adjacent albums, but I don’t want the folk, hip-hop, electronic, etc records I do have to sound like crap. I don’t think I need a cart that will add anything to what it’s playing, I just want something that sounds good with everything I have, and is good quality enough that I don’t need to worry about it damaging anything.



I think I could probably invest $400-500 over the next 8 months or so. High up on my priority list is the cart and the speakers so I could definitely spend ~150 or more on each to start. unless the LP120 isn’t worth upgrading in which case I could siphon most of that money into a new TT. I am fairly happy with its performance but I am at the stage that I would like to start working towards a forever audio setup.
Click to expand...

I agree with the concept of upgrading cartridges to elevate a table and make it last longer as a concept. I, personally wouldn’t do it with an LP120. The compromises on that table (particularly the pre stage that still colours the sound when turned off) would lead to me not going that way with that table. YMMV.

If I had $500 in the US for a table I’d get the Fluance RT85. It’s currently out of stock. The RT84 is also a good option seeing as it has the 2M blue, it’s difference is metal platter rather than acrylic and is $450 and is in stock.
 
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Just a word of caution though. These tables don’t have build in phono stages so if your amplifier doesn’t have one you’d also need to budget for a stand alone.
 
Aelias said:
The walnut is out of stock but the black is still available.
Click to expand...

Ah fair enough I only very quickly looked at it on their site, I didn’t toggle the colours. I would feel very sour about settling for the black though knowing that the walnut was in existence!
 
Joe Mac said:
Ah fair enough I only very quickly looked at it on their site, I didn’t toggle the colours. I would feel very sour about settling for the black though knowing that the walnut was in existence!
Click to expand...
Same, the walnut looks really good.
 
I went from LP120 to Pioneer plx1000 for around $500 (musician friend random discount makes it less). I was expecting it to sound better, but I was blown away by how much better it was. As mentioned above you would need a preamp if you use built in.
My suggestion is preamp first, then an upgraded cart, then a new turntable.
Just replacing the stylus on that cart you have now is very reasonable.
 
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