carbon better sounding than sl1200

Jhayman

Hello, looking for advice here..
I have an SL1200MK2PK like New with a Ortofon 2M Blue on it, it is interchangeable with my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon.
I used to think my Sl1200 sounded better however after intense listening sessions I have decided the Carbon is better sounding.
The reasons are it's quieter in general like when you first put the needle down it does not pick up the pops and ticks as loudly as the SL1200 does.
Another reason is the Highs I find the SL1200 a lot more Bright/Harsh in the top end.
So my question is how do I get the Sl1200 to sound better than the Carbon?
Is it a complete tone arm change?
or just replace the tone arm wires?
Or replace the factory RCA's?
I really like the look of the Sl1200 more I like lights, I find the Carbon just plain boring..
If I do need mods done is there a place in Toronto or area that does them instead of shipping to Kab..from Toronto..Ont?
Thank You

doctorcilantro

I think the arm and cart/wiring would make the most immediate change to 1200. Problem is after you add an Audiomods arm or other, external PSU, new bearing, maybe platter and plinth, etc. it's a wholly new turntable. I like the idea of going the upgraded 1200 route as it gives me an ongoing project to work on and their are a LOT of mods out there. I'm torn between this path and the VPI Traveler.

Dawgfish

Before making any changes I'd double check cartridge/arm and phono pre settings first. Vertical tracking angle (VTA) has a huge impact on the balance of the presentation from the lows to highs. I'd check to make sure the VTA is properly set first. Tracking force can also have an effect on the VTA, so I would try small changes in the tracking force also (while remaining in the cartridges recommended limits). Also check the cartridge alignement to make sure it is correct. This all may sound like BS but I've had carts/tables before that absolutely sounded way to bright only to make a small change here and there with VTA, tracking force, and alignment and afterward it sounded perfect. Considering the cartridge is pretty new, I would check these first.

Next I would check your phono preamp settings if you are using a seperate phono pre with adjustable gain, impedence, capacitance, etc. Sometimes the impedence load setting will sound better at a setting other than what is recommended by the cartridge manufacturer (i.e Denon DL-160). Excessive gain settings can really emphasize the highs, so if you can adjust the gain settings on your phono pre try going to a lower gain setting and see how that sounds.

As far as surface noise of records goes there are several factors that effect this. First off some carts are just more sensitive to this than others. Have you tried the Ortofon Blue cart on both tables to see if it the surface noise issue is actually a product of the table or the cartridge itself? Also surface noise is greatly affected by record/stylus cleanliness so make sure the record and stylus are as clean as possible before playback.

A quick and effective fix for excess surface/background noise is using a good quality platter matt and a good clamp. For the 1200, I find the 3.7 mm thick Herbies Way Excellent Matt is a great upgrade and makes a big difference in surface noise. Also a good and inexpensive clamp for the 1200 can be obtained by KAB.

Another upgrade that makes a huge difference in surface noise and TT performance in general is adding a periphery outer record ring like what is available from TT Weights (they are a Canadian Company BTW). They are not cheap, but the performance upgrade of these are far worth it IMHO.

It's been my experience that changing the stock phono cable out for a better one makes a really big difference. The KAB RCA jackplate mod is a very worth-while mod. It allows you to use a phono cable of your choice and to swap out different cables quickly and easily. I find Pepster's Mogami braided IC makes a great phono IC cable to use in conjunction with the RCA jackplate. You can also try swapping the stock 1200 MK2 phono cable out to the 1200MK5G cable as a good low budget upgrade. It's a better cable, especially in the highs.

Tonearem re-wiring does make a difference (I'm using Cardas in mine), but I find the phono cable upgrades above are a much simpler and cost effective upgrade depending on which method you go with. I do not recommend doing the Cardas tonearm re-wiring yourself. It's a major PITA. Definitely leave that to your tech if you decide to do it.

Hope this helps. As a former owner of ProJect TTs and current 1200 owner (KAB modded unit is my backup), I can tell you that the 1200 is a much better built table and has much more potential IMHO. With a little time and effort, the 1200 becomes a really good table. I will never part with mine.

erniejade

I agree 10000% with the VTA/ matt as mentioned above. The vta can make or break the sound. With the 1200, you can adjust on the fly and its quick and easy. The other thing that made a difference on mine is a record clamp or weight. I change off between the 2. Since the technics can take the weight, I usually wind up using that most of the time. So basically everything dawgfish said, I 10000% agree on.

I had a rega p2 and a few other low - middle end turntables in the past and the technics with a DL160 cart, matt change and a weight has sounded better to me.

Are you using the blue on both? Maybe its just a better match for the carbon ?

Jhayman

Ok guys Thanks for the advice..:cheesygrin:
Dawgfish Thank You for the detailed breakdown..
I'm using a felt mat at the moment I'm in the process of finding a nice rubber one locally and getting a weight..
I will play with VTA first to see if something changes..
Thanks again