Newbie (sort of) needing advice

[Jaybeez]

Hello,

I recently unpacked my vinyl which has moved several times in the past 25 years, and began playing it on a "starter" turntable (AT LP60), through my AV setup in my living room. Wasn't sure if I'd enjoy the vinyl experience again, but I'm hooked.

My other listening environment is a recording studio built in a 3rd car garage, with a design informed by Rod Gervais' book, and built with recording studio acoustic principles (including mode testing, panels, bass traps, etc.). I have a respectable Pro Tools set up, plus the means to hook a turntable up and run through my studio router, monitors, etc.

Pretty sure I want to keep the "studio stuff" separate from the "listening stuff" and put together audio gear that I'll play in the studio but can be moved into the house (once permission is granted from the Mrs.). Thinking gear intended for 2 channel listening will sound better than a setup through studio gear. I've accumulated points through a reward program at work, and can pick up what appears to be respectable gear using the points (What I'm considering below).

What I have: A pair of Polk Monitor 7's ; Dual 506 with ADC Cartridge and a new stylus (similar to XLM MK III).

What I'm considering: Yamaha AS501 Integrated Amp ; A new TT (AT1240 or Teac TN300).

Again the "considering" gear is effectively free, and I'm looking for a decent setup (vs. audiophile standard) as I have 3 kids in college. The high end gear will just have to wait until they graduate.

So, a few questions:
1) Should I get a new TT, or just service the Dual? It seems I can upgrade the cartridge (if needed) with a conversion kit, and I'll likely need to lube the unit and maybe get a new belt.
2) if a new TT is warranted, and the fact that I'm not a DJ and never will be, would the TN300 be the better option?
3) Should I be considering new speakers? I've always loved and taken good care of my 7Bs, and have read that they are vintage "sleepers". Plus it looks like some minor tweaking can really make them shine. Is this worth the effort, or should I upgrade / modernize?
4) Any other gear to consider? Thinking I may grab the Yamaha bluetooth gizmo so I can stream stuff from mobile devices, but realistically expect 90%+ of my listening to be vinyl.

Any advice is welcome and I thank you in advance!

 

[bonejob]

About the turntable, I would, were I you, get my Dual 506 serviced. There is a guy in Des Moines, IA (fixmydual.com) as well as a guy in Ontario (doctor dual.ca). They are the "go-to" people for all things Dual in the Western Hemisphere.

I would replace that ADC cartridge with a low to medium range Grado ($100 - $300). For less, Shure M97xE is very good value at about $70, as well as the Audio Technica AT-95E (stupid cheap at about $40).

As for your speakers, I would keep them if they still sound good to you. Replacing those classic Polks with anything much better will cost a boat load of money. Moreover, tweaks for your Polks like recapping can make for surprising improvement for little money.

Personal story to illustrate the point:

I bought a pair of Dynaco A-25's (legendary in their day - made by SEAS) brand new in 1970 for $79 each. A modern company makes a new version off the same design, based on improved but basically similar SEAS components. It has been well received and is available in 2015 for only $800-$1200 EACH, depending on the finish chosen.

But instead, I recapped my existing A-25's with new audiophile-grade capacitors and upgraded the tweeters with modern drop-in replacements from SEAS. The result was noticeably better high-end extension and much superior imaging than before without changing the sound character that made the A-25's so special in the first place. And all for an investment of only about $200.

Lastly, I like your choice of the Yamaha AS-501 as an integrated amp. Great audio for money.

 

[Jaybeez]

Thanks for your feedback. I just shot a note to fixmydual.com and hoping to hear back soon. I'll look into the Polk upgrades per your suggestion. I found a Polk forum and it appears there is quite a bit of information there.

Thanks again for your response.