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Vinyl Playback Upgrade

J

John B.

New Member
I am currently using an early '90 vintage SOTA Comet with a Sumiko Blue Point Special of similar age. I think the arm supplied by SOTA is an RB300. My preamp is a McIntosh C45 and my amp is an Odyssey Stratos.

I am looking to upgrade the quality of my vinyl playback. I have seen a good review of the Rega RP3 and Elys 2 cartridge. Or for the same money I could install a Benz Glider SH high output moving coil on the Comet. What do you think would give the best bang for the buck?

Also, do you think that the OEM cables on the SOTA are a significant handicap to the sound?
 
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Invest your money in the Benz Glider, the Sota Comet is fine and the P3 wont be an upgrade, unless damaged the cables should be fine also.
 
It's been a while since my original post, but I thought I would report back on my upgrade.

The Benz had been discontinued by the time I was ready to purchase it, so I got the Clearaudio Maestro v2 instead. The Clearaudio works well with my turntable and preamp. The tracking ability and sound quality is great. Much more and better defined bass than the Blue Point Special I used originally, and more clear in the mids and highs. I think the Ebony wood body dampens resonances between the stylus and arm, as there seems to be an overall improvement in definition.

My only complaint is that the cartridge is very sensitive to VTF / VTA adjustment. Too much VTF or a low VTA limits the highs but gives optimum bass. Too little VTF or a high VTA exaggerates the highs and limits the bass. The range of settings that give a "just right" balance is very narrow. Variation in vinyl thickness even has a noticeable effect. I don't know if this is a result of the Micro HD stylus shape, but it is much more sensitive than mu old Sumiko.
 
Time is relative. I bought my first high end gear (Crown IC150 preamp) in 1974. I didn't replace it until I bought the McIntosh C45 in 2010. Six years doesn't seem that long anymore.
 
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