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hello there,I'm looking for some advice concerning my record player set up. about four or five years ago I paid 1000.00 US dollars for a Vpi HW 19 -MK III turntable with a Rega RB 300 tone arm. Since then both items have been sitting in a storage closet due to lack of time and money. My specific question centers around what sort of phone-preamp and cartridge would work with the table and tone arm I already have. Being that I’m in college now I don't have a lot of money. Is there anyway I could get both a pre-amp and a decent cartridge for under 500 dollars? does anyone have any suggestions? I took some time to begin looking but I clueless on where to go from here. thanks for listening and I welcome any responses.
For a cartridge I’m looking to spend about $130-190. For the phono preamp I’m looking to spend $150-190.I was on needle doctor looking and found some cartridges worth considering….Benz Micro MC20E2, Grado Silver Prestige Series, or the Goldring 1006.
Also for preamps I’m considering the Thorens MM 001, the Goldring PA1, or the Music Hall Phone Pack.
Thanks for reading and any help you can provide
Follow Ups:
You may find something of interest there,
enjoy,
mark
Bellari VP129 tubed phono stage -- $250 new or check A'gon for used.I'd suggest a Grado Prestige Gold, but the Grado may produce hum with your tt and ain't a pefect match with your arm. I don't think the Bellari (which I think is probably the best phono stage you can get for the $$) works well with low output cartridges, and I like mm's anyway. A Goldring 1022 or a Shure M97XE should work well, or a Rega Elys (which obviously is a perfect match with your Rega arm).
If it were me I would look into a Hagerman Bugle ($70 or so, DIY assembly with decent instructions) and a Denon DL-103 from Ebay seller William Thakker for $160 shipped.I have a HW-19 MkIII...You will be able to grow with it for years!
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Al G
The Bugle is a good choice for a phono amp but I think that I would go with a high output moving coil (HOMC) like the Benz Micro Silver. It is possible to set up the Bugle for the 60db of gain that you would need for a LOMC like the DL-103, but I'm not sure that you wouldn't get into some issues pushing it to the edge but then again I haven't tried it or know anyone who has so it may work.
The Bugle works fine configured to operate at it's maximum gain with a Denon DL-103.
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Al G
thanks for your advice AlSo it looks like the Denon DL-103 would be a solid cartridge to go with. I seem to hear a lot about Benz Micro...is that MC20E2 at $175.00 a good buy? or would it be smarter to go with the Denon at $170. on the issue of the preamp--honestly I don't know much about electronics but that I checked that hagerman bugel model and it looks rather...different. is that music hall phono pack which handles both a mm and mc worth setting up with either of aformentioned cartridges. thanks again for all your help.
...But after having built three Bugles now and using one set for 60dB of gain and the load set for 80 ohms with my Denon Dl-103, I found that it worked pretty darn good. The Hagerman Bugle outperforms *ANYTHING" priced under $500 IME.In my humble opinion there is nothing out there that will beat this combo for the money (roughly $250, chump change in the world of high end analog).
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Al G
in regards to the Bugle. It's $135 assembled: cheap and it's performance is comparable if not surpassing the Black Cube.
HenryA 12-gauge shotgun is the ultimate arbiter of disputes - G. Gordon Liddy
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