A very noticeable upgrade

[oldtexasdog]

I was wondering what a very notable turn table upgrade might be without breaking the bank?
Currently I have a Technics SL1600 that has a upgraded Mogami cables and has been tuned up a couple of years ago. It works perfect.
I'd like to stay under 2K.
I have a Carver C12 pre
Carver M-500t MK2 amp
B&W 705 speakers
Ortofon 2M Bronze and a Denon 301 MK2 carts.

Thanks

 

[MisterDK]

I would be considering a pre-owned SOTA vacuum table that’s in nice shape. Something like a Star or Nova should be within your budget.

 

[TobascoKid]

If it is perfect then why would you want to change it? A lot of people would love to be in your position.

 

[Inscrutable]

Not familiar with the Carver pre you reference, but perhaps a dedicated phono pre.

 

[halkaloogie]

Those B&W's are fine speakers, and while those Carver amps are decent, I think you would get a better outcome from upgrading your amp and pre over a new turntable. The carts you have are good, and if the table is setup properly I think your money is better spent on other pieces, but that's just me. With some patience you can get a hell of lot of amp for 2K.

 

[knotscott]

.... I think you would get a better outcome from upgrading your amp and pre over a new turntable. .... With some patience you can get a hell of lot of amp for 2K.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[oldtexasdog]

I have been very happy with the pre and amp so far?
The C1 with the BillD upgrades . It has MM and MC with cart loading switches.
Frequency response: 5Hz to 200kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.04%
Signal to noise ratio: 86dB (MC), 82dB (MM), 96dB (line)
Absolute Black background.
The Carver M-500t MK2 has been totally gone thru to upgraded it to the MK2 status and I find it very musical at 395W per channel into 8Ω at <0.15 THD+N, 20Hz-20kHz

While I am happy with what I have I know the table is old and just did not know if the current teck. has left it behind?

 

[halkaloogie]

I have been very happy with the pre and amp so far?
The C1 with the BillD upgrades . It has MM and MC with cart loading switches.
Frequency response: 5Hz to 200kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.04%
Signal to noise ratio: 86dB (MC), 82dB (MM), 96dB (line)
Absolute Black background.
The Carver M-500t MK2 has been totally gone thru to upgraded it to the MK2 status and I find it very musical at 395W per channel into 8Ω at <0.15 THD+N, 20Hz-20kHz

While I am happy with what I have I know the table is old and just did not know if the current teck. has left it behind?

If you're happy with what you have then let it be. Nothing you have screams to be upgraded. If you want to try new things for the point of trying new things, then go for it, but thinking a high end table will be leaps and bounds better than what you have with the equipment you already own probably won't be the night and day difference you are hoping for.

 

[MisterDK]

..While I am happy with what I have I know the table is old and just did not know if the current teck. has left it behind?

Nothing new has left your table behind but there were better sounding tables around before yours was made, when yours was made, and there will be better in the future. That said, your current table probably sounds good and works just fine. That doesn’t mean you can’t get something better.

 

[Tiver]

To make a believer out of someone, they have to experience what happens when a vinyl front end gets out of the way of what's playing. Some of that will be dependent upon the rest of the chain and its ability to itself get out of the way. It kind of sounds like I am talking gobbledygook, but one will know when it happens.

So getting there my be a multi-stepped journey. Putting all the parts and $$ in the vinyl front end may not give you the best it's capable of, if the rest of the chain is in the way. But it will be there waiting for the rest of the system to catch up. I recently put in play a VPI Scout 1.1 and a Well Tempered Amadeus. Still dialing them in. The last daily driver was a VPI HW19jr. with a Rega RB300. Both decks are noticeably more open and out of the way. Playing through an Encore 2010.1 pre (with mm/mc phono), Adcom 565 Mono blocks and ADS 1590/2

I started the WT with an Audio Technica AT150Sa and the improvement in blackness of background was not small. This allowed for improved sound stage and musical separation (not to be confused with channel separation). I then put on a Sumiko Blackbird Hi. This was more of a challenge to get right and I actually resorted to go back to the AT150Sa and put the Blackbird on the Scout and I feel it's working better there. Both of these arrangements have me questioning other components and synergy, but the change was quite noticeable.

A take away here is that when the table isn't muddying the sound, small adjustments in VTA and azimuth seem to make a difference.

I have other decks..Pioner PL-630, Yamaha PX-3, Technics SL1300, Pioneer PL-518 and the VPI HW19jr and none of them were as transparent as the two mentioned above.

So there are two decks that fit your budget. Either one would also serve your cartridges.

 

[Bob in WI]

I was wondering what a very notable turn table upgrade might be without breaking the bank?
Currently I have a Technics SL1600 that has a upgraded Mogami cables and has been tuned up a couple of years ago. It works perfect.
I'd like to stay under 2K.
I have a Carver C12 pre
Carver M-500t MK2 amp
B&W 705 speakers
Ortofon 2M Bronze and a Denon 301 MK2 carts.

Thanks

Agree with others. Seems your system is nicely balanced.
Is your room treated? Maybe thats an opportunity for improvement.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Is this why you are very happy with the preamp?

Frequency response: 5Hz to 200kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.04%
Signal to noise ratio: 86dB (MC), 82dB (MM), 96dB (line)

Cause I have stuff that isn't close to those numbers but sounds way better. Just curious if you are concerned with the numbers vs. the sound quality?

 

[Ken Boyd]

You might try a new MC cart something like an Audio Technic ART9 cart. But the SOTA would be a nice up grade, I would look for a Sapphire with a vacuum platter.

As far as the Carter amps I have some and find them very good sounding. Just as good as say my Mcintosh gear. Perhaps what sounds good to others is subjective.

 

[oldtexasdog]

Thanks everyone! It just seems to my ears that there is a muddiness I'm hearing and a veil over the mids and highs? Maybe I'm just Jonesing after 9 months of home lock down and I should just get a puppy and get over it.

 

[maxhifi]

Thanks everyone! It just seems to my ears that there is a muddiness I'm hearing and a veil over the mids and highs? Maybe I'm just Jonesing after 9 months of home lock down and I should just get a puppy and get over it.

How many hours on your cartridges? If over 500, this can be it. Also make sure you keep your styli clean.

If they're fairly fresh, does it happen on all records? If no, it may be a specific record

Otherwise I suggest trying different amplification too.

 

[newzealand]

how about a nice heavy slab of marble under your turn table ? its cheap and works with all other tables and i feel its an up grade that is very noticeable on most units out there,
have a nice day
mike

 

[AvFan]

Well, it is a turntable forum....A quick scan of US AudioMart lists several TT/tonearm combos listed at $2000 or less that I think would out perform your SL-1600 (not MKII?). Drop back to $1500 for the TT and then there are a number of phono preamps at $500 or under that would step up your vinyl playback with the carts you have. Getting a better TT and phono preamp will allow future cartridge upgrades too.

 

[triode]

Thanks everyone! It just seems to my ears that there is a muddiness I'm hearing and a veil over the mids and highs? Maybe I'm just Jonesing after 9 months of home lock down and I should just get a puppy and get over it.

How old and clean are the stylus on both carts ? Do you experience the muddiness and veil with both carts ? What about with any digital sources (cd) ?
Look under high magnification, sometimes what seems clean may be hauling around a clump of crud.
If you experience the undesirable sound over cd also then perhaps the problem lies somewhere else.

 

[musichal]

Is this why you are very happy with the preamp?



Cause I have stuff that isn't close to those numbers but sounds way better. Just curious if you are concerned with the numbers vs. the sound quality?

Exactly what I wondered, and thought.

 

[peterp1]

Thanks everyone! It just seems to my ears that there is a muddiness I'm hearing and a veil over the mids and highs? Maybe I'm just Jonesing after 9 months of home lock down and I should just get a puppy and get over it.

I will probably be bludgeoned for suggesting this, but maybe add a supertweeter? I did this recently on my Soliloquy 6.3 speakers, added Fostex supertweeters, mounted rear-facing on the back of the speakers facing the rear wall (opposite the existing tweeter). I wsed a 1 uF capacitor for a crossover and I'm very happy with imaging and expanded soundstage the rear-facing tweeters add.