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My journey has come to an end!! until i start again


Mila1924

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So,   since I can't stand on top of a mountain and shout "I finally found the sound I've been looking for,"  I will have to make due with just posting about my excitement.  So many parts to a TT vintage system and even more variables within those parts when it comes to compatibility/matchablility, not to mention when you actually get the gear to your house, then the positioning and layout of your house has a huge effect on the sound too.  

 

So, after buying my ortofan blue today, I played my system like normal, but this time when I sat back in my chair, I had a sense of completion.  every new or swapped component seemed to fix one pet peeve but create a new one.  with this ortofan blue cartridge, I officially have nothing else I need or want to change. of course until I just get plain old greedy and start messing around with it again.  I am aware, everyones idea of the perfect sound is different, and what I hear as perfect could be horrible to someone else. 

 

Heres what I have

entry level Pioneer TT

ortolan blue cartridge

marantz 2252b

klipsch forte 1's

 

anyone else care to share what they have found to be their perfect sound set up, past or present?

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/11/2018 at 5:02 PM, Mila1924 said:

So, after buying my ortofon blue today, ...

 

 

 

What's your experience with the Ortfon cartridges? All of them appear to get great reviews, and like you said, it's probably a matter of tastes and what compliments one's system. Just curious as to what was the deciding factor(s) for you to pull the trigger on that one. Congrats on reaching your satisfaction level!

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I can not count how many times I thought I was done :(  Currently listening to Welborne DRD 300b, Truth Pre-amp, DIY 15" Singler drivers, All source supplied digitally via PC to Audiophilleo AP-2 with PP, to Electrocompaniet ECD-1 Dac Sound is very good but Done ?  Nah Never it seems

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Currently:

 

Pioneer SX-1250 receiver

Pioneer PL-115D turntable

Grado green cartridge

LaScalas & Heresys

 

It sounds really good, and it makes me smile when I listen to it.  But, there's always something else to try.  I'm currently thinking about trying an Ortofon red cartridge.  And, maybe a higher end vintage turntable.  The SX-1250 and the LaScalas are here to stay.  :)

 

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Best of mine:

C2500 Preamplifier (McIntosh)

Ref 200.2 amp (B&K)

VPI Scoutmaster w/ Benz Ruby 3

Oppo Sonica & Denon 2900

LaScala II

P 312w sub

There is absolutely ZERO motivation for anything better. Would a matching McIntosh amp be nice? yeah but not sure it can sound better.

 

the other system which is good but just not in the same league at all:

MAC6700 integrated (McIntosh)

VPI Prime Scout w/ Grado Ref Sonata II

Mac Mini/ Denon 2900

Palladium P37F

Martin Logan Depth sub

 

Nice, fun and all that but is smoked by the above.

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30 minutes ago, Opus said:

Currently:

 

Pioneer SX-1250 receiver

Pioneer PL-115D turntable

Grado green cartridge

LaScalas & Heresys

 

It sounds really good, and it makes me smile when I listen to it.  But, there's always something else to try.  I'm currently thinking about trying an Ortofon red cartridge.  And, maybe a higher end vintage turntable.  The SX-1250 and the LaScalas are here to stay.  :)

 

There is a PL115 on local list I heard at  seller's home. It sure sounded mighty sweet with a good copy of Aja on it. Been eyeballing it...:)

Like your system BTW...

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2 minutes ago, billybob said:

There is a PL115 on local list I heard at  seller's home. It sure sounded mighty sweet with a good copy of Aja on it. Been eyeballing it...:)

Like your system BTW...

Thanks!  I have had the PL-115D since about 1979.  I had an SX-650 back then. 

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Well, I'll be 73 this year, so my wife sure hopes I'm done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😲

 

Like you, I think I’ve probably settled on my “sounds good to me” system! You indicate that your cartridge is an Ortofon Blue; so I’m not sure if it is an Ortofon 2M Blue (MM/MI), Quintet Blue (MC), or Cadenza Blue (MC). I suspect that you probably have a 2M Blue.

 

When I finally convinced myself to move from MM/MI cartridges, mostly Grado, and try MC cartridges, I started out with an Ortofon Quintet Red and then before long moved up one notch to a Quintet Blue. I had planned to keep working up the line to a Quintet Black and ultimately to a Cadenza Black. However, I’ve been so impressed with this Quintet Blue that I think that’s probably where I’ll settle in. It just sounds right to me, but I’ll probably weaken at some point and go up one more notch to a Quintet Bronze! The Quintet Blue is also the first cartridge that I’ve been 100% successful in aligning to the point that all Sibilance has disappeared in my go to LP (Pretenders Learning To Crawl); a combination of the right Turntable and being able to accurately set overhang, VTA, VTF, Azimuth, and then finally SRA (91.295 degrees). This is the system I’ve settled on.

 

2 Channel System:

VPI The Classic TT | Ortofon Quintet Blue

Sunfire Symphonic Reference Preamp

B&K Reference 200.2 Power Amp

Denon DCD-1650AR

Denon DRM-800

Akai GX-370D

SONOS Connect

Monster HTS 5100

Klipsch KLF-20s

AudioQuest King Cobra ICs & Gibraltar Bi-wires

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10 hours ago, haydukej said:

What's your experience with the Ortfon cartridges? All of them appear to get great reviews, and like you said, it's probably a matter of tastes and what compliments one's system. Just curious as to what was the deciding factor(s) for you to pull the trigger on that one. Congrats on reaching your satisfaction level!

@haydukejHi,  I actually had some old speakers that I paid waaaay too much for, so I took them to a local shop, and they didn't come close to offering me cash that would make me not want to kill myself. So they upped the price, but it would be in the form of a store credit.  The only thing that credit could allow me to upgrade without coughing up hundreds more was to get the ortfon blue cartridge.  So other than their word, I didn't know much about it.  So when I got back to listen to it, it was a ridiculously nice surprise.  I could hear new instruments in certain songs, some crappy records where the vocals would give me a headache, all of a sudden sounded good, and the records that already sounded amazing, sounded even better.  Was well worth the 225.00 price. 

Edited by Mila1924
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2 hours ago, Buck115 said:

Well, I'll be 73 this year, so my wife sure hopes I'm done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😲

 

Like you, I think I’ve probably settled on my “sounds good to me” system! You indicate that your cartridge is an Ortofon Blue; so I’m not sure if it is an Ortofon 2M Blue (MM/MI), Quintet Blue (MC), or Cadenza Blue (MC). I suspect that you probably have a 2M Blue.

 

When I finally convinced myself to move from MM/MI cartridges, mostly Grado, and try MC cartridges, I started out with an Ortofon Quintet Red and then before long moved up one notch to a Quintet Blue. I had planned to keep working up the line to a Quintet Black and ultimately to a Cadenza Black. However, I’ve been so impressed with this Quintet Blue that I think that’s probably where I’ll settle in. It just sounds right to me, but I’ll probably weaken at some point and go up one more notch to a Quintet Bronze! The Quintet Blue is also the first cartridge that I’ve been 100% successful in aligning to the point that all Sibilance has disappeared in my go to LP (Pretenders Learning To Crawl); a combination of the right Turntable and being able to accurately set overhang, VTA, VTF, Azimuth, and then finally SRA (91.295 degrees). This is the system I’ve settled on.

 

2 Channel System:

VPI The Classic TT | Ortofon Quintet Blue

Sunfire Symphonic Reference Preamp

B&K Reference 200.2 Power Amp

Denon DCD-1650AR

Denon DRM-800

Akai GX-370D

SONOS Connect

Monster HTS 5100

Klipsch KLF-20s

AudioQuest King Cobra ICs & Gibraltar Bi-wires

@Buck115   could you send some pics of your set up? honestly, most of everything you listed is pretty foreign to me.  I feel like I'm so far from what most you people have built up to.  I can't imagine telling my wife that ill be switching out equipment for another 30 years (I'm about 40).  I wanna say just leave good enough alone, but searching and swapping is fun.   

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9 hours ago, wstrickland1 said:

Best of mine:

C2500 Preamplifier (McIntosh)

Ref 200.2 amp (B&K)

VPI Scoutmaster w/ Benz Ruby 3

Oppo Sonica & Denon 2900

LaScala II

P 312w sub

There is absolutely ZERO motivation for anything better. Would a matching McIntosh amp be nice? yeah but not sure it can sound better.

 

the other system which is good but just not in the same league at all:

MAC6700 integrated (McIntosh)

VPI Prime Scout w/ Grado Ref Sonata II

Mac Mini/ Denon 2900

Palladium P37F

Martin Logan Depth sub

 

Nice, fun and all that but is smoked by the above.

@wstrickland1 that top best of mine list sounds amazing.  I have to ask, you gotta be somewhere in the 5,000.00 range at least? right? or I could be waaaaaaaay off too. I think i lose my wifes support when my system will start rivaling the cost of my car.

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On ‎8‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 6:02 PM, Mila1924 said:

So,   since I can't stand on top of a mountain and shout "I finally found the sound I've been looking for,"  I will have to make due with just posting about my excitement.  So many parts to a TT vintage system and even more variables within those parts when it comes to compatibility/matchablility, not to mention when you actually get the gear to your house, then the positioning and layout of your house has a huge effect on the sound too.  

 

So, after buying my ortofan blue today, I played my system like normal, but this time when I sat back in my chair, I had a sense of completion.  every new or swapped component seemed to fix one pet peeve but create a new one.  with this ortofan blue cartridge, I officially have nothing else I need or want to change. of course until I just get plain old greedy and start messing around with it again.  I am aware, everyones idea of the perfect sound is different, and what I hear as perfect could be horrible to someone else. 

 

Heres what I have

entry level Pioneer TT

ortolan blue cartridge

marantz 2252b

klipsch forte 1's

 

anyone else care to share what they have found to be their perfect sound set up, past or present?

 

 

 

Welcome to the forum. First thought is, you are ahead of many, many people with your audio system. Later on , when you settle in here, come share on the vinyl spinning thread in the lounge. Klipsch is the equalizer and beyond the rest, however, everyday, eyes and ears reveal the diff.

Enjoy!

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15 hours ago, Mila1924 said:

@wstrickland1 that top best of mine list sounds amazing.  I have to ask, you gotta be somewhere in the 5,000.00 range at least? right? or I could be waaaaaaaay off too. I think i lose my wifes support when my system will start rivaling the cost of my car.

You're off but understand I've been working up to it since I was 15 (I'm 55 next week). As recently as just a few years ago I was changing out stuff left and right. I don't know if I'm just tired of the chase or what because I know for sure that those systems are by far NOT the "best" available or any other such nonsense. I just know that now (especially downstairs :) ) I play music and just smile and think it's the most amazing sound I have ever heard. Even when I play the Beatles. A 2252 and a pair of Fortes can satisfy for a long, long time. Enjoy.

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