DrJRapp
Well-known member
This post is for those of you that are “lurking” around the analog section trying to decide whether to jump in the pool, and those of you who are ready to get wet, but are hesitating because the economy has you in a bind. I’ve discovered a “way in” for $550 that won’t prove to be an embarrassment to the rest of the gear you have connected to your MLs, no matter what level they may be!
First I need to give you the background of how I made this find. I recently did a major upgrade to my analog rig, going from a Michell Engineering Technodec with Rega RB250 arm, Grado Reference Sonata cartridge and CA 640P phono stage to a SOTA Sapphire with Rega RB 1000 arm and a Lyra Argo I cartridge and Rega IOS MC phono preamp. Needless to say the sound I get from this rig is nothing short of stunning and has increased my interest and enjoyment of analog nearly 1000 fold.
Here is the rub; my vinyl collection consist of a lot of oldies but goodies collected from Goodwill and many a garage sale along with a few new purchases of select pressings and new releases. Many of the oldies are not in the healthiest of condition and even with obsessive cleaning and restoration I am concerned about the potential of damage to my $1500 cartridge. I’ve actually had a scratch kick the stylus out of the grove once…then I decided that was once too many times. My analog friends, including our own Jeff D (Tonepub) suggested that I needed a second TT setup and a cartridge with replaceable stylus to deal with the rigors of some of the older discs. I readily concurred that the thought of replacing a $79 stylus, while not pleasant, certainly beats the heck out of a $1000 retip.
I originally thought about retaining my Techno and Sonata, but in the end decided they needed to go to help pay for the “upgraded” gear and I needed to buy something more economical. After searching around for a few weeks my thoughts turned to picking up a used Technics SL1200 for about $500 and getting a decent MM cartridge in the $200 range and hooking it up with my CA 640P phono stage from my original setup...... Enter Tonepub again with a great suggestion..... The Audio Technica PL120 Pro is a clone of the Technics and best of all it was available NEW on Amazon for the amazingly low price of $188 shipping included (now $175). Jeff even indicated to me that the arm wiring in the AT was superior to the Technics. It took me all of three minuets after I hung up my call with Jeff to have the AT120 in my shopping cart and on its way here. I later decided to go for the Ortofon 2M Blue MM cartridge, which is in the middle of Ortofon’s new 2M line of cartridges and can be easily obtained for $200 or less.
Two days ago everything was onboard and I had the time to hook it up and dial it in.
The sound quality is amazing considering that the AT PL120, 2M Blue and CA 640 represent a total investment of $550! I’m not going to say that it comes anywhere near the SQ of my high end rig, because, if I did most of you would tell me to get my head examined (well…at least the ears). What I am going to tell you is that this mini rig exceeds the enjoyment level of the four times more expensive Technodec, Sonata and 640P I replaced. It is very musical, very listenable and not fatiguing at all. The bass is not as full as my big rig, but it is definitely clean and tight. Midrange detail is truly excellent even though it lacks some of the magic that only can come out of an expensive moving coil cartridge on a rigid low mass (and expensive) arm. The highs are clean and clear with sufficient detail and clarity to make the instruments believable but perhaps lack the ultimate transparency that $7000-10K buys. What I am saying is….YOU CAN’T GO WRONG!!!!
PS…for those of you that think $550 is too steep for entry, be advised that the AT PL120 comes with a cartridge and a built in phone preamp. The cartridge is listenable but not great and the preamp works well (except for the slight hum). So for the price of a couple of dinners out ($175) you can get into the game and upgrade to the better seats later.
First I need to give you the background of how I made this find. I recently did a major upgrade to my analog rig, going from a Michell Engineering Technodec with Rega RB250 arm, Grado Reference Sonata cartridge and CA 640P phono stage to a SOTA Sapphire with Rega RB 1000 arm and a Lyra Argo I cartridge and Rega IOS MC phono preamp. Needless to say the sound I get from this rig is nothing short of stunning and has increased my interest and enjoyment of analog nearly 1000 fold.
Here is the rub; my vinyl collection consist of a lot of oldies but goodies collected from Goodwill and many a garage sale along with a few new purchases of select pressings and new releases. Many of the oldies are not in the healthiest of condition and even with obsessive cleaning and restoration I am concerned about the potential of damage to my $1500 cartridge. I’ve actually had a scratch kick the stylus out of the grove once…then I decided that was once too many times. My analog friends, including our own Jeff D (Tonepub) suggested that I needed a second TT setup and a cartridge with replaceable stylus to deal with the rigors of some of the older discs. I readily concurred that the thought of replacing a $79 stylus, while not pleasant, certainly beats the heck out of a $1000 retip.
I originally thought about retaining my Techno and Sonata, but in the end decided they needed to go to help pay for the “upgraded” gear and I needed to buy something more economical. After searching around for a few weeks my thoughts turned to picking up a used Technics SL1200 for about $500 and getting a decent MM cartridge in the $200 range and hooking it up with my CA 640P phono stage from my original setup...... Enter Tonepub again with a great suggestion..... The Audio Technica PL120 Pro is a clone of the Technics and best of all it was available NEW on Amazon for the amazingly low price of $188 shipping included (now $175). Jeff even indicated to me that the arm wiring in the AT was superior to the Technics. It took me all of three minuets after I hung up my call with Jeff to have the AT120 in my shopping cart and on its way here. I later decided to go for the Ortofon 2M Blue MM cartridge, which is in the middle of Ortofon’s new 2M line of cartridges and can be easily obtained for $200 or less.
Two days ago everything was onboard and I had the time to hook it up and dial it in.
The sound quality is amazing considering that the AT PL120, 2M Blue and CA 640 represent a total investment of $550! I’m not going to say that it comes anywhere near the SQ of my high end rig, because, if I did most of you would tell me to get my head examined (well…at least the ears). What I am going to tell you is that this mini rig exceeds the enjoyment level of the four times more expensive Technodec, Sonata and 640P I replaced. It is very musical, very listenable and not fatiguing at all. The bass is not as full as my big rig, but it is definitely clean and tight. Midrange detail is truly excellent even though it lacks some of the magic that only can come out of an expensive moving coil cartridge on a rigid low mass (and expensive) arm. The highs are clean and clear with sufficient detail and clarity to make the instruments believable but perhaps lack the ultimate transparency that $7000-10K buys. What I am saying is….YOU CAN’T GO WRONG!!!!
PS…for those of you that think $550 is too steep for entry, be advised that the AT PL120 comes with a cartridge and a built in phone preamp. The cartridge is listenable but not great and the preamp works well (except for the slight hum). So for the price of a couple of dinners out ($175) you can get into the game and upgrade to the better seats later.
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