I've had my Linn for a long time also and has sentimental value as well. It still has original belt and still sounds great. What a trooper!
The Denon cartridge is a little over 1 year old and is delivering the best sound on vinyl I've ever had. I've revisited a lot of albums I've owned for years since adding the Denon and now once again often chose to buy used vinyl over new digital.
Soundstage is a non-issue in my system with the pseudo-omni Ohms. I suspect a better table might help with the Dynaudios, though soundstage is no slouch there either.
I do not have any bass level complaints with the Linn/Denon cartridge, but I suspect it might be improved. I've toyed with the idea of trying to add mass to the tonearm maybe by wrapping solder wire at select locations, but haven't actually tried this yet.
Someday when the Linn throws in the towel, I will certainly keep VPI in mind.
I was at a high end shop in NYC recently and asked to see tables, and I believe it was a VPI table that I heard with a unipivot tonearm. Very nice. I need to read up on the unipivot design to understand it better.
One thing with the Axis is the cartridge wires in direct. I used to play around with many different cartridges years ago but not so much with the Linn for fear of damaging the connection. I found the Denon cartridge's posts had a slightly different diameter which made install a bit of a challenge. I fear if I had to do it again, the connectors may require adjustment or worse.
Good question, except that I have 3 tables now. I see you have the denon 103r - great cartridge and nice system.
I have had my LP12 since 1985, so won't really every get rid of it due to sentimental value as it was the Linn that really got me into LP's in a big way. Sweet sounding, however does not have the bass weight or soundstage to match the VPI. VPI has always run about 90% v 10% for the Linn. HOwever you can see that my current rack config is less than ideal.
I am getting a new rack next week that will enable me to run 3 tables. From there I will listen and put the cartridge on the arm that seems to have better synergy. It is fun to play and listen to different cartridges, but not so much fun installing and de-installing from one table or arm each time. I can hopefully then play some of my wooly dull recordings with a cartridge that is lighter in balance like the clearaudio or ortofon. Or visa versa please brighter recordings and add some warmth to the performance with the denon or Koetsu and leave the dyna XV-1 as the standard. Stil undecided whether I will sell the VPI in the future as 3 tables sounds like too much, however in practice I'll try it out first.
Yep, I just passed 7 weeks myself...they keep telling me that waiting is a wonderful skill-set. I have been pracicing for a great number of years and still have not come close to mastering the application.
Jeff at Highwater Sound is so convincing with his enthusiasm and his infectous excitement that I went for two arms. Like yourself I went for the Graham Phantom although with the Miyibi 47 cartridge and the Dynavector 507 with the XV-1 mono cartridge. I love your selection of preamp, also like you I have the CJ ART (serial number 221) and Jeff had Graham build me a slightly tweaked Tron Seven phonostage to go with the CJ and the carts.
Yes you need a TW RCM...BTW, you cannot have mine.
Way cool, Downunder! Welcome to the club...however, I am somewhat premature since you are ahead of me. My AC-3 is suppose to ship sometime in the next couple of weeks. TW- t-shirt is a great suggestion.
System edited: Added transparent MM ref XL-V a while back - thanks Dgad. Recently bought a s/h REL Stentor III. nice unit and fill out the bottom end nicely in my big room - thanks Phaser. Just bought the Orb DF-02. This is the Japan only new model for the air tight LP flattener. Only flattened a few LP's so far, but it seems to work nicely. cheers
Yes it is me dude. How are those 2kw's going now?? How do they really compare to the 2102's, especially in bass drive and smmothness in the upper mids and treble.
If you look at the back I have 10 record cabinets and another 3 to the right and just in front of the right hand speaker for a total of 13. Each cabinet holds easily 350 LP's. That gets me to the 4150 odd LP's I have currently, all alphabetically sorted. Behind the green curtain - nothing except a couple of ugly paintings. My idea of el cheapo room acoustic treatment. Only audio in this room. TV is crowded in the small kitchen / living area.
I am from Europe; my Stradi are 230 cm apart, my listening position from Stradis is 330 cm, backwal is 190 cm. With this position in my room I have very good soundstage- of course the best resoults are with the Kuzma analog source. In the moment I play Stradivari with the new Hurricane MKII on triode mode. Greeting from Europe, Lobnik.
Nice system yourself. I have read quiet a lot of your informative posts as well and it is obvious you have played with Mac amps for a bit longer than myself. You are right re when one parallel mono's the 2102's, very similar to your experience with the 240's. definately greater than the sum of the two amps!!. there is something magical about tube amps.
I think you are spot on re the equaliser points, as most of the listener fatigue does not really happen at 15kz or 20kz, it is around the 1k to 4k region.
