Question Upgrade turntable?

rockrollin7

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Ok, right now I am using a Cambridge Audio CXA-80 integrated amp and B&W 684 S2 Speakers ..
I want to stay with vinyl as I want to continuing buying and I have some vinyl now... So I would like to get a nice turntable and I feel it will improve my system. As of now I am using a Denon (200USB?) turntable. I know it has an onboard preamp built in and I have to use this as I don't have a phono input on my CA 80 amp.

Now, from what I am hearing it makes a big difference when you use an onboard built-in preamp on your turntable vs if you don't (Just a regular turnable and use a separate phono preamp. They say using a separate one definitely helps with sound quality.

I know my turntable now is the bottleneck and I think it's holding me back... Should I upgrade the turntable (I have a budget of about $1200 for a turntable and phono preamp) Will I notice a little difference or a major difference with this set up?
I was thinking about a Rega RP-1 with a nice preamp?
Thanks for your advice.
 
After a bit of research, I did noticed that if I invested about $200 to $300 on just an external phono preamp I would likely improve my sound quality. My Denon TT has a switch on it where I can disable the onboard phono section..... So, once that is disabled I can hook it up to an external preamp. Now, I don't know whether the sound quality would be a big enough improvement to justify this expense.

For another $300 or $400, I could always upgrade the TT as well.
 
My gear is probably not in the league of yours, but I just upgraded to a new AVR with built in phono amp. I connected my Rega RP1 to it but soon went back to using my Project Phonobox which has much improved the sound.
 
Thanks for the feedback, Pie.

I've heard the Rega RP1 turntable is good value for the money. I might look into that one.
 
The Denon 200USB is about the lowest of the low in terms if a functional turntable. It has a poor tonearm and it tracks heavy. However for someone on a desperation budget, it is functional. This is about as low as I would go in a turntable, and in reality, I wouldn't go that low, or I would have to be pretty desperate.

The DENON DP300F is pretty good, but needs a cartridge upgrade. There is a version of this DP300 that comes with the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, but the turntable at Richer Sounds is the only place that I know of in the UK that sells this turntable, even though Denon has been selling it around the world for years. In fact, in the USA at NeedleDoctor, the Denon DP300F with Ortofon 2M Red is one of their most popular Turnable Packages.

DENON DP300 Black Turntable

I would check with Richer and see if you can buy the turntable with a cartridge upgrade pre-installed. Grado, Gold Ring, Ortofon, Audio Technica, Rega are all worthy upgrades in about the £100 range.

The advantage of the Denon DP300F is that it is an automatic turntable. Push one button, the motor starts, the tonearm lifts and moves to the record, it plays to the end, then the tonearm returns and the motor shuts off. That is a very handy feature, but I also think it is the one factors that has kept it out of the UK market. It has always been available in the UE and the USA, and I assume other parts of the world.

With a budget of £1200, you can get an extremely nice Turntable and Phono Pre-Amp. If fact, you can do it for considerably less than that.

For a Phono Pre-Amp, though there are many to choose from, you probably don't need more than the Cambridge CP1 MM (moving magnet) Phono Pre-Amp which is a modest £79.

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CP1Black MM Phono Pre Amp

Or if you want to go all out, then the Cambridge CP2 MM/MC (moving coil) Pre-Amp for £129 -

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CP2 Silver MM/MC Phono Pre Amp

Now you can spend £500 to £5000 if you want, but the Cambridge are pretty good and more than enough to do the job.

As to turntables, the Rega Planar 1 with Performance Pack is only about £333. That's plenty cheap and a very decent turntable.

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/...planar-1-turntable-including-performance-pack

The Rega Planar 2 with Performance Pack is still a very reasonable £475 -

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/...planar-2-turntable-including-performance-pack

How far you want to take it is really up to you.

The Rega Planar 3 with Elys 2 Cartridge upgrade is still only a modest £625 -

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/.../rega-planar-3-turntable-inc-elys-2-cartridge

I can keep going, the Rega Planar 6 with Exact-MM Cartridge is £1098 -

Rega RP6 Turntable Inc Exact MM Cartridge from HiFix

Most people would be thrilled to have the Planar 2 or the Planar 3, they would be over the moon to have a Planar 6 turntable.

I would say, probably for the best balance of quality and price, the Planar 3 with Elys 2 Cartridge would be very good and well under your maximum budget.

If it matter to you, REGA makes their own Phono Pre-Amps -

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/.../rega-fono-mini-a2d-phono-pre-amplifier-black

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/...o-pre-amplifiers/rega-fono-mm-mk2-phono-stage

How far do you want to take it? Though I wouldn't cheap out, neither would I get too carried away.

We can go through the same process with PROJECT turntables.

A very good choice at a very reasonable price is the PROJECT Debut Carbon with 2M Red Cartridge - £350 -

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/...-turntables/project-debut-carbon-dc-turntable

But you can take this turntable one step farther as well, with the Project Debut Carbon Esprit - £450 - Also with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge -

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/...bles/project-debut-carbon-esprit-sb-turntable

Project Xpression Carbon w/ 2M Red - £599 -

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/hi-fi-turntables/hifi-turntables/project-1-xpression-carbon-ukx

Project Xperience SB w/ 2M Silver - £1100 -

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/hi-fi-turntables/hifi-turntables/project-2-xperience-sb-turntable

Project also makes its own Phono Pre-Amps -

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/...lifiers/project-phono-box-mm-mc-pre-amplifier

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/.../project-phono-box-usb-variable-pre-amplifier

https://www.hifix.co.uk/turntables/...ers/project-phono-box-ds-series-pre-amplifier

I would say a turntable in roughly the £600 (±£200) range and a Phono Pre-Amp in roughly the £100 (±£50) would serve you extremely well. However, if you want to move up closer to £1000 on the turntable that is purely up to you.

If you only ever intend to have Moving Magnet MM which is the most common type, then a Phono Pre-Amp like the Project Phono Box DS (£229) is overkill. Still, your money, your life.

I would speculate that you would be thrilled with the Rega Planar 3 with Elys 2 cartridge or the Project Xpression with 2M Red.

Then it is simply a matter of determining which Phono Pre-Amp to buy. The Cambridge CP1 at £129 is nice in that it would match your other equipment and would have both MM and MC cartridge support.

Those options keep you well under budget, yet deliver very nice turntables.

Steve/bluewizard
 
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Ah ... where are you? I just noticed that you quoted your budget in DOLLARS? That will make a difference.

Though those are all still good turntables. If you are in the USA, check NeedleDoctor.com to see the price of those turntables. NeedleDoctor will also have pretty much the same Phono Pre-Amp to choose from.

Steve/bluewizard
 

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