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RE: Pardon my ramblings...




I think the question is a little ...-er ...too broad? What is it the OP like/dislike about his current rig? What is he trying to achieve? As it stands now, subtle improvements in the cartridge body etc. are not likely to be revealed, considering the limited resolution down the line. But if the OP likes the sound of his little Boston's driven by 20 watts, keep 'em. The smart move then might be to add a powered subwoofer with an adjustable crossover - gain dynamics and a couple octaves - those are dramatic results and could be achieved pretty cheaply.

Integration of the subwoofer and the monitors is always a problem- especially for older receivers with no "Preamp Output" jacks- see photo of one cheap solution I used (headphone jack to RCA's - stereo - not the best but it works) and dial the appropriate Asylum for help. I've haunted Craigsfencelist and gotten a decent powered sub for $100 (if you're patient and have time to fool around with used stuff). A good, musical sub could be paired with upgraded monitors in a 2.1 configuration in the future in a smaller room.

The OP's front-end is quite nice and has considerably more potential than can be resolved by his receiver and speakers. The Marantz gear from the Golden Age has a reputation for coolness which may have influenced purchasing decisions, but 20 watts is 20 watts. Large floor standing speakers aren't going to sing and highly sensitive horn type speakers or whatever are going to reveal the limitation of the old transistor gear.

My thought is that if he wants higher resolution, keep the TT as-is for now, look for better speakers and choose compatible power for them, and consider upgrades to the TT after listening a while. There's a jillion combinations but just randomly looking around here (LA) I see a pair of pretty clean Vandersteen 2C (originals) for $600. Those + a new Yamaha 85 watt/ch integrated amp with MM phono in for around $600 might play together nicely in a big room. Use the Marantz as a tuner; no sub needed for the Vandy's.





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  • RE: Pardon my ramblings... - mr.bear 09/13/1712:57:24 09/13/17 (0)

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