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I've recently upgraded my system with a set of HD 650 headphones, schiit magni 2 uber headphone amp running with my stock project debut III (ortophon 5e cart) and a cheapo BBE fjb200x pre amp. I am not feeling like this set up is pushing enough power to my headphones and a few posts I've done in the pre amp section lead me to posting here. I know the BBE is the weak point in my set up and is most likely the culprit in some hum I'm hearing as well so I believe it is time for an upgrade. I'm looking at the u turn Pluto or a schiit mani primarily at this point and comparing output levels and such from the cart is a bit cryptic to me. So I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions on these combos. My budget is about $150. Thanks!
Follow Ups:
You may need to lose the 650s. I would first follow the other recommendations you've received here but to some the Sennheiser house sound is unsatisfying, myself included. I'm not particularly familiar with the 650s, but I owned the 600s for years. They really sounded great and are a wonderful choice, but to me there was something that just wasn't satisfying. It is hard to put my finger on it exactly since they do everything so well. I think it was a lack of tonal colors. I'm a sucker for rich tonal colors. They are too polite so to speak.
I am not at all suggesting you need to replace them. I'm just suggesting that if you upgrade as has already been suggested and are still not satisfied you may be like me and the Sennis are just not for you.
The good news is if that is the case there are a lot of wonderful options out there. Personally I like the Beyerdynamic DT880s better. I currently own Focal Spirit Classic headphones that are as rich and as lush as you can possibly imagine, my favorite headphones so far.
To be clear, I love sennheisers and recommend them all the time. They are great headphones and a great value. But if you can't get them to be totally satisfying you may be like me and just are not right for the sennheiser sound.
Nate
You can't cheat an honest man, never give a sucker an even break or smarten up a chump -- W.C. Fields
I agree with Johns rec in the other post. The Yaquin MS 22 has been replaced by the MS 23. A little under $200. Keep your cart for now but make sure the stylus is good.
As to the other poster recommending a low output moving coil (LOMC) I am going to say not now. Besides the cost of the cart a good phono pre and or step up transformer required for that cart would be a little different and cost more.
Yes get rid of the phono pre you have now.
ET
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936
Point taken regarding the replacement of the pre amp and I am doing some research on the MS models. As far as stylus wear how do I check this? I've had this turntable going on 7 years but it spent a fair amount of time in storage while in the military
Edits: 09/24/16
There are nice metal pocket fitting click counters. Used typically for Golf, but for any situation needing a counter.
I use two of them. One for each TT. Every LP side I click once. It may not be a totally exact count of hours played.. But it sure beats no idea at all! i 'guesstimate' 20 minutes to a side, so 3 x the count for hours used.
This is the best cheap investment for a TT around.
They cost maybe $10
Here is one from Amazon.
Sounds like it has lower hours and should be fine. A jewelers loop or appropriate microscope will do the job. I bought the USB microscope on eBay for less than $20 that took this picture. It is a never used Grado elliptical stylus same tip style as on your Ortofon.
ET
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936
Whilst I am normally in agreement with your postiings in this case I am less than sure about a recommendation to use a jeweller's loup to check for stylus wear.
A comparatively low magnification loup ( say 10X) will not reveal much more than obvious dirt clinging to the stylus or cantilever. Higher powered loups are difficult to use for this kind of purpose as any slight hand movement or tremor is magnified proportionately.
Aside from spotting any catastrophic damage - like the diamond being parted from the cantilever - there is then a question over what stylus wear looks like or how it should be interpreted ( this point arises with any form of magnification). Please see the link below with a response from Peter Ledermann of Soundsmith whom I would definitley count as an expert in this field. He doubts the ability of just about anyone to have the requisite knowledge.
Mr. Ledermann's response was to a posting of mine where I had suggested the usual "rule of thumb" stylus wear advice of 1,000 hours for a diamond. I had also quoted Jonathan Carr (Lyra) who has suggested 1,000 hrs for his lower priced cartridges and up to a little over 2,000 hours for his top of line cartridges which use the finest diamonds. Both in optimum replay conditions of clean discs.
Interpreting wear also becomes more difficult as stylus profiles become more complex.
So the difficulties involved are sufficiently great for me to have to return to the "rule of thumb" 1,000 hours for a diamond. But either replace it then anyway ( for safety's sake) or get it checked by an expert.
I enjoyed your post and I hear you.
I have seen hundreds of styli under various magnifying devices. A well worn stylus is pretty easy to see. Slightly worn much less so even with very good mag devices. Many loupes wouldn't be so good but some are if you brace your wrist to keep it steady.
I am a fan of Peter and when I was a dealer we used him. Vintage gear is easier with non Diamond styli. Those wear more.
Also poorly maintained styli with embedded dirt at the base of the tip and visible dirt on the cantilever can be easily spotted. After cleaning well the result is visible.
I had a file of styli pics on my laptop before it died in a vehicle crash. I would have posted some to see if I had them. Old worn styli look nothing like the perfection and cleanliness of a virgin stylus.
ET
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936
Your link pretty much covers what I would have added!
Apparently the longest lasting tip profile is a VdH Type IS giving about 500 hours before distortion components for a 15kHz tone exceed 3%. Given that VdH claim up to 2000 hours, that suggests a safety factor of 4x. However, there is no knowing what the distortion levels are and the risk of damage on a tip that has done 2000 hours since it will be so dependent on the record condition, cleanliness, alignment accuracy of the cartridge etc etc. Extreme cuts like a MicroLine will cause "catastrophic" damage if they fail (eg ridge is chipped) as opposed to the more progressive "flat" being worn on a typical parabolic or elliptical tip.
The tip on the 5E is a bonded industrial grade diamond. These will have a much shorter life especially given the elliptical profile and the fact that the higher tip mass combined with generally limited LF tracking ability is likely to exacerbate the rate of wear.
In fact, with an elliptical tip of this nature, audible degradation will occur around the 150 to 200 hour mark (not long!) and Ortofon themselves suggest about 500 to 600 hours max for such tips (which suggests a similar 3x to 4x safety factor). However, based on my personal experience with tips of that grade, I stop using them after about 300 hours or so as distortion becomes more evident so I think a factor of 2x (3x max) is more appropriate for cheapies. However, that's just my preference to minimise tip wear damage to the records and I am fussy!
Regards Anthony
"Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty.." Keats
Thanks Anthony for another illuminating contribution.
Given the situation and the possibilty that as little as 300 hours use could result in detrimental wear I think it would be prudent for the OP to replace his Ortofon 5E stylus now for safety's sake (duration of use to date unknown).
I am not confident of predicting what constitutes an expensive outlay for various people but it does strike me that the cost of a new 5E stylus should not be ruinous for most.
Regards
Pete
Jico is normally about $56 for most stylus, can be sourced via LP Gear as well.
Depends on the OP current situation but a LP collection in good condition is expensive to replace.
Sometimes you get tired of rebuilding..
It's all about protecting the software. Why cheap out on stylus when it reduces the quality of sound AND can ruin the collection?
I used a Schiit Mani while my $2500 tubed phono stage was being repaired.
It's a great phono amp for the money. Relative to the rest of your system, it may be a good choice. You could then consider a low cost, LOMC which would really bump up the sonic performance if you still feel the existing cart doesn't fit the bill.
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