Looking for some advice

[catabiadj]

I recently purchased a nice set of speakers. (Klipsch Chorus II) I love the way they sound. I also bought a turntable (with a built in phono preamp which can be disabled) and started listening to vinyl records again. My vinyl collection continues to grow. I was wondering what future purchases will make the most noticable improvements. I would like to persue the best bang for my buck. My amplifier is nothing special (Yamaha HTR-5740) it was a few hundred dollars at best buy. I've looked at a tube phono preamp (Bellari VP129). Would the tube preamp be a waste of money with my low end amplifier? I've also looked at Monster Power Filters (HTS Series). Will I notice a big improvement with the power filter? I've also looked at some Tube Power Amps but they are very expensive. Are they really worth the huge price tag? I would appreciate any advice that could help me prioritize or change my wishlist.

Thanks

 

[Haoleb]

You will notice the least difference with the monster power conditioner, While they are a good investment if you can get one very cheap. and already have several hundreds invensted in a system already. They are nice because of their surge protection, a much nicer unit than the standard power strip surge protector. You will notice the least difference with these, if any.

I believe the phono preamp you mentioned is about $150 or so, You didnt mention what TT and cartridge you have as those could also have a great impact. Buying good gear is not really a waste of money because the majority of us end up upgrading our entire systems eventually anyway. Upgrading your phono cartridge or even turntable might be your best invenstment at this point. NAD also makes a cheaper phono preamp than the tube one you mention. Tubes can be very good in certain systems, if a tube amp will be worth the money for you is dependent on your tastes. There are alot of people who use Tube amps with klipsch speakers though because of their relatively good sensitivities.

If our looking to get a tube amp, Check out the Dynaco ST70 on ebay, it is a very popular model which goes for around $400 used. Certainly a great way to get started into the higher end stuff.

 

[catabiadj]

Thanks for the info. I have a lower end turntable. It is a Denon DP-29F. Should my first upgrade be the turntable and cartridge?

If I bought the tube preamp would I notice the benefits if it just feeds into a cheaper power amplifier? Does it make more sense to get a tube power amp first?

Thanks

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

If you want that tube sound, you may be able to get an all in one package. The guys at AVS go googoo over the Panasonic SA XR57. I've not heard it, but the following with the previous SA XR55 was unreal.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=680833

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=530504

Will it replace the real deal? I dunno, but at that price, who cares. It would make a nice second room AVR down the road.

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php?page_id=73&form_keyword=panasonic+sa+xr&rd=1

 

[Haoleb]

Im not sure if upgrading your TT and cartridge will improve your sound, It will, undoutbly, but to the level of you thinking it was worth the money im less certain about. Ive played with vinly and while it can sound quite good its not worth the hassle for me, So i decided to invest into a better cd player instead. Im really not sure if getting the better phono amp will be an improvement, My best guess says yes definetly, but perhaps that 100 bucks would be much better spent on a cartridge and Turntable setup tools. If your serious about getting into the higher end of things a good amplifier would be a wise choice, but perhaps not until you have the best source you can afford because if you dont have a very good signal to start out with the best amps in the world arent going to make it better.

 

[Nick250]

It's been decades since my turntable got put into the closet. At the time I thought the cartridge was the weak link in the chain, though I was a bit naive at the time so who knows. This goes back 25 years but I think I paid about $200 for a Denon turntable and the Grado cartridge was another $150 or so.

Nick