New Pro-ject Turntable!

dkg999

OK, I took the plunge :eek: After a couple of hours at Audio Labs in Des Moines this weekend, I went with the Pro-ject RM-5 SE turntable and the Pro-ject speedbox power controller. I was all set to go with the Pro-ject Expression III, but after head to head comparisons on the Magnepan's, and realizing that I would need to add about $200 to the Expression for a cartridge that sounded good with the Magnepan speakers, it came down to less than a $100 difference between that and the better RM-5 SE table with a better cartridge that sounded great with the Magnepans.

I also have to say that a good reason for supporting the few remaining good audio stores is the time the good stores will spend with you, letting you listen, and caring about you making a good choice. I could of gotten the same stuff a little cheaper, but I would of paid far more for the advice of the guy that's been selling me audio stuff for 30 yrs, and is personally assembling my table when it comes in, double checking all the adjustments and setting, and making sure it sounds the best it can before handing it over to me.

Is it bad when I upgrade before I even leave the store

ben62670

dkg999 wrote: »

Is it bad when I upgrade before I even leave the store

Nope:) I thinks its perfectly normal:D

cmy330go

So I take it you talked to Lou.

I forgot that they recently picked up Pro-ject tables. Last time I was in there they were just unloading their first shipment of Debut's. So which ones did they have on display?

Congrats BTW. Now you're really in for some fun!:D

engtaz

Sounds like you did it all the best way. Great to hear people still supporting the locals. Congrats on the new TT.

engtaz

sucks2beme

I got to spend some time 1 on 1 with a Scoutmaster in Falls Church, VA.
this weekend. The real trick is hitting them out of prime time. They are more
than happy to give you their time. If we're talking about 10:00-2:00 on a Saturday,
most are going to give priority to the guys dropping big bucks.
I can't blame them. My local shop in Dallas will make me time, but that's
after they get to know you. Congrats on your new table. Vinyl is the
big commitment, kinda like getting married. There's something about getting
up every 20 minutes to change your music that grows on you. Even though
most of my listening is done from a server now, I still normally play an album
through, then get up and pick out another one. Old habits die hard.

Ricardo

Congrats Doug. That's a very nice TT.

SCompRacer

Good job! Congrats on your tt acquisition Doug. What cartridge did you go with?

dkg999

cmy330go wrote: »

So I take it you talked to Lou.

Lou's been selling me stuff for about 30 yrs! Even when he was running the service part of the business, I always went and talked with him because he was one of the people there that really knew what he was talking about!

SComp - I went with the cartridge that comes with it, as it sounded better to me with the Magnepans than the Grado Prestige Gold that was a $200 upgrade to the Expression III. It's a Sumiko Blue Point No.2 high-output moving coil cartridge.

Now I need to find a good phono pre-amp! I won't have much time to play with this until this winter. Between now and then I'll pick up a phono pre, some cleaning stuff (all I need is the infamous DiscWasher, right :rolleyes:), and a few records.

SCompRacer

dkg999 wrote: »

It's a Sumiko Blue Point No.2 high-output moving coil cartridge.

Sumiko's are a lively cartridge. I had a Sumiko Blackbird at one time.

(all I need is the infamous DiscWasher, right :rolleyes:)

I still have mine. I use it on nasty LP's with questionable stains, before touching it with the MFSL record brush. I still have my old Dust-Bug too.

and a few records.

Did ya wanna buy some of your LP's back?:D

reeltrouble1

sucks2beme wrote: »

Congrats on your new table. Vinyl is the
big commitment, kinda like getting married.

I prefer to think of it as the ultimate player's playground. You get to take all these different lovelies for a little spin. Just watch out for the ones with bumps in their grooves, they can give you stuff you can't burn off with a bic lighter.:eek:

RT1

dkg999

I have to admit, there's just something magical and nostalgic about a piece of vinyl spinning around, watching the tonearm follow the surface of the record, and hearing music result from all of it.