This is my main rig and I've spent a lot of time swapping stuff til I got it sounding the way I like it. Not 100% satisfied cuz I probably never will be, any suggestions are welcome. Jeff
I'm weak, I admit it. Hell, I hafta admit it with this many systems in use. Yeah, I have a "few" rigs and sometimes wonder if I'd be better off getting rid of all but my main two-channel and putting more into my reference system. My main rig is really really good, but I feel any more "investments" would yield marginal results at best (or make things worse). I don't spend all my time in my family room listening to my main system so I need others. Lots of systems. Worse part is trying to remember which CD player has my cherished copy of Frank Zappa's "Does Humour Belong in Music" in it. I justify my passions easily enough though; I don't watch any TV or movies (other than my Dolphins on Sunday). Why the HT set-up? My kids love movies, why not indulge them. I either listen to music or read, a chacunes sons gouts. Jeff
Thanks Dave, like all of us it's a never-ending journey towards aural nirvana. I do my best to try to get the biggest bang for my buck fully aware that we're definitely on a slippery slope, the law of diminishing returns does kick in. As for your question regarding the differences between the Platinum and Reference...I used the Platinum for a short time in my main system (roughly two months), then moved it into my office system and installed the Reference in my main system. Any comparison between the two are from memory only and the Reference was not fully broken in when I swapped the Reference for the Platinum. As you know, Grados take about 100 hours to fully break in. The Platinum is a good pick up, but the Reference seems to do several things different/better. More space and air around the different instruments, slightly better/deeper bottom end, a warmer mid-range. The Reference is slightly less lively, less surface noise, and perhaps a hair a more rolled off in the top end. Generally, the sound became a little less detailed and more musically satisfying. You can tell these two cartridges are from the same family, one a little more refined than the other. I now use the Platinum in a set up that is quite different from my main rig. Please see my "home office" virtual system to get a feel for the differences. It's next to impossible to compare the two right now, the systems and rooms are just too different to do a fair comparison. I'd try swapping them in my main rig and report back, but I've broken too many pickups fooling with them, once they're in, I try to leave them alone. If I were you, would I consider changing your Platinum for a Reference? Given the quality of your front end and associated gear, I would consider the upgrade to the Reference. Since the Grado bodies are threaded, it's pretty easy to swap 'em out and try the two in your own set-up (assuming you don't bust stuff like I do). I suspect you'll like the Reference once it's broken in.
