What New Stuff Have You Bought? If You Care To Share Thead! :)

[afterlife2]

Yesterday I added the Audio Technica LS500 Microline cartridge to my Kenwood KD-4100 direct drive TT when I received the Ortofon SH4 aluminun headshell. While it sounds incredibly better than the AT-71 that was there, I know I can only run very clean LP's because the microline stylus is essentially the exact same profile as the groove in the record. I can now hear EVERYTHING a recording has to offer, including any spec of dust.

Pretty colors too.

View attachment 42760

Congrats Ken! How much and how does it compare to the Denon 103D?

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Got 100 sleeves for my 45's.

 

[KenM10759]

Congrats Ken! How much and how does it compare to the Denon 103D?

Regrets, but I couldn't possibly tell you how it compares because I don't own one. The AT LS500 microline was bought used off eBay for an offer of $89 plus some $10 or so for shipping.

The total expense on buying the TT, repairing the bent tonearm counterweight shaft, replacing the tiny belt for the auto-start & stop functions, replacing the feet with some NOS from a Pioneer table (plus 12mm Delrin spacers I made), the cartridge and the headshell stands at under $180.

Best-sounding TT I've ever seen for that kind of money!

 

[Curt d]

Tv snowballed a little bit

 

[KenM10759]

Tv snowballed a little bit View attachment 42784View attachment 42785View attachment 42786

Does the Monitor Audio center speaker mate with others you already own, or does it represent a whole set you bought?

 

[Curt d]

Does the Monitor Audio center speaker mate with others you already own, or does it represent a whole set you bought?

Mates with others I own. I have the MA Silver 10s, C150 center and Fx surrounds. The C350 center pictured came out with the new Silver series and is a huge improvement over the 150. Only downside is mine have white cones and the new series has Silver/grey cones .

 

[panteragstk]

Tv snowballed a little bit View attachment 42784View attachment 42785View attachment 42786

So you bought a Lexicon receiver? I didn't realize they still made them. Are they more up to date than the H/K stuff?

 

[diskreet]

Just ordered a miniDSP 2x4HD and Rythmik F18 in gloss black. I have two Rythmik L12s that do well, but I need something much bigger to pressurize the room. (13x23 in a split level, so it's open to our kitchen, downstairs living room, and upstairs hallway.) Also looking forward to using a much more advanced dsp to really dial in the system.

 

[Curt d]

So you bought a Lexicon receiver? I didn't realize they still made them. Are they more up to date than the H/K stuff?

Ya, the RV-6. Long story why I chose it over the 9. Other units have many more bells and whistles, but I wanted Dirac (or i was going dsp and an amp). The price was too good as well.
Not familiar with other H/K stuff. Sounds like maybe I should be? lol

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Replaced the original European type power cord with US adapter (left) on my Pioneer DVD player, with a US type (right). Got it free with a gift card from employer.

 

[killdozzer]

These two are the first to come from what is my little experiment with Aliexpress. I wanted to see how long it takes and what is the build quality in the end. I have to admit I didn't expect this to be so solid. Sure, these are just trinkets, but I didn't want to start with something expensive.

But even these... Beautifully made, packed, the cable with its little strap for cable management, the protector for washing records made from nice, heavy thick acrylic, comes in velvet bag and a cloth for polishing records.

It still costs 1/3 of what I'd pay for these here (and it would also be a China import).

 

[slipperybidness]

View attachment 42877
View attachment 42878

These two are the first to come from what is my little experiment with Aliexpress. I wanted to see how long it takes and what is the build quality in the end. I have to admit I didn't expect this to be so solid. Sure, these are just trinkets, but I didn't want to start with something expensive.

But even these... Beautifully made, packed, the cable with its little strap for cable management, the protector for washing records made from nice, heavy thick acrylic, comes in velvet bag and a cloth for polishing records.

It still costs 1/3 of what I'd pay for these here (and it would also be a China import).

Aliexpress can be a good way to save some $. Just do your homework and be patient. I'm sure you will get a lemon here and there, but mostly I have seen positive feedback.

 

[killdozzer]

Aliexpress can be a good way to save some $. Just do your homework and be patient. I'm sure you will get a lemon here and there, but mostly I have seen positive feedback.

Tell it like it is!

Another complete success:

 

[KenM10759]

I had been running my original LS50's off my Carver M-1.5t power amp using only the analog out of my Bluesound Vault 2 as input source. Adding a Kenwood KD-4100 direct drive TT that I'd (mostly) resorted meant I had to break down and get a receiver or pre-amp of some kind. My son loaned me his Luxman R-351 but just like mine there's FM crosstalk coming through the phono stage.

Picked up this Emotiva UPS-1 pre-amp off FB Marketplace from the original owner for $200. Truly MINT condition, everything but the box. The subwoofer control shocked me, both low-pass & high pass filters with crossover for each and both RCA and balanced sub outputs. My sub amp is a Dayton SPA250DSP and has balanced input should I ever want to try it.

Sounds really quite good! Wish there was capacitance loading for MC cartridges, but just a default. The MM side I'm using with the AT LS500 (Lab Series) cartridge is excellent and totally noise-free. Very happy!!

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Treated myself to two movies I haven't seen yet, and one I have (Raising Arizona, replaces a VHS tape!)

 

[afterlife2]

I had been running my original LS50's off my Carver M-1.5t power amp using only the analog out of my Bluesound Vault 2 as input source. Adding a Kenwood KD-4100 direct drive TT that I'd (mostly) resorted meant I had to break down and get a receiver or pre-amp of some kind. My son loaned me his Luxman R-351 but just like mine there's FM crosstalk coming through the phono stage.

Picked up this Emotiva UPS-1 pre-amp off FB Marketplace from the original owner for $200. Truly MINT condition, everything but the box. The subwoofer control shocked me, both low-pass & high pass filters with crossover for each and both RCA and balanced sub outputs. My sub amp is a Dayton SPA250DSP and has balanced input should I ever want to try it.

Sounds really quite good! Wish there was capacitance loading for MC cartridges, but just a default. The MM side I'm using with the AT LS500 (Lab Series) cartridge is excellent and totally noise-free. Very happy!!View attachment 42917

How dare you put this as an attachment. Put this in the vinyl thread!

 

[slipperybidness]

I had been running my original LS50's off my Carver M-1.5t power amp using only the analog out of my Bluesound Vault 2 as input source. Adding a Kenwood KD-4100 direct drive TT that I'd (mostly) resorted meant I had to break down and get a receiver or pre-amp of some kind. My son loaned me his Luxman R-351 but just like mine there's FM crosstalk coming through the phono stage.

Picked up this Emotiva UPS-1 pre-amp off FB Marketplace from the original owner for $200. Truly MINT condition, everything but the box. The subwoofer control shocked me, both low-pass & high pass filters with crossover for each and both RCA and balanced sub outputs. My sub amp is a Dayton SPA250DSP and has balanced input should I ever want to try it.

Sounds really quite good! Wish there was capacitance loading for MC cartridges, but just a default. The MM side I'm using with the AT LS500 (Lab Series) cartridge is excellent and totally noise-free. Very happy!!View attachment 42917

That is a heck of a score for $200! I have the USP-1 and have always been very pleased with it, I like the aesthetics too.

 

[KenM10759]

That is a heck of a score for $200! I have the USP-1 and have always been very pleased with it, I like the aesthetics too.

I'm more impressed with it the more I use it. The phono stage is far better than expected, certainly better than the cross-talk picking up on the Luxman. Having a decent remote or not wasn't a deal-breaker, but turns out the remote works quite nicely.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

I replaced the original wimpy 'zip cord' 17 inch 2.1 mm 15v power cable (top) from my Pro-Ject Power Box S2 to the Pro-Ject turntable.
Found a place in Missouri called Show Me Cables, got a pair of 3 foot 22awg cable (bottom of photo) , the longer cable gives me more flexibility in placing the Power Box.
Under $12 for 2 cables (shipping, CA sales tax included)

 

[Gmoney]

Apple 27" imac PC.