The All Purpose Advice Thread

Also, if you can find one in good shape, it’s really hard to go wrong with Technics SL-1200. I have pair of them that I DJ with and they sound fantastic. I paid $700 for the pair, but mine are a bit dingy.

You can find ones in great in condition for $5-750 each if you look.

 

If the limit of your vinyl experience is a cheap (USB?) AT, you might want to heed the very good advice on the first page of the budget vinyl thread and spend some more time playing with cheaper gear to see if it's really for you before jumping into a $3k setup.

A Denon DL-103 cart and Schiit Mani preamp on a decent second-hand table with good resale value (Technics, Rega) will give you a taste for some of the fiddling required, even though those two aren't as adjustable as higher-end tables; and if you do find yourself using it a lot and dedicating the time to finding and cleaning good records, you can keep the cart & pre and substitute something like a used VPI Scout (c. $1000 and up), then go to better cart(s) & pre, and so on, if you continue to collect records and despite the effort find them more to your liking than digital.

 

Depends on your area. SL-1200s are super over priced in my area. We have a pretty big DJ community and if you do find a cheap one it needs a lot of care. There are a lot of other quartz locked technics that are really good. I found a SL-Q303 is fantastic condition for cheap. I wish I would have just stopped with it and MP-110.

 

Removing the preamp out if the lp120 is a descent upgrade. The line out on it doesn’t completely isolate it from the built in preamp.
If i remember correctly its like 2 spots to solder. Its was a few years ago on a friend’s lp120. The difference when noticeable especially on the highs.

 

Agree with Jalsar! I am listening to my LP120 right now, actually. Being completely honest, in stock form, the table is really not worth listening to. But if you know a little about circuits and are handy with a soldering iron, it's pretty fun and easy to mod. Taking the preamp board out entirely and installing proper RCA jacks provides the biggest bang for your buck imo. And if you're opening it up, might as well generously apply some dynamat since the plastic plinth is super light and lively. So unfortunately it's not a great product out of the box, and really requires some elbow grease (and a new cart) to reach it's full potential. This is the kind of tinkering that @Biodegraded was talking about. Vinyl world is kind of like this. If you don't feel like modding your LP120, you could always spring for a new Technics SL-1210GR. It's probably as close to "set it and forget it" as it comes with vinyl. I would pass on the new SL-1200 Mk7, they're made in Malaysia and aren't competitive with the proper Technics decks.

PS - I used this guy's video as a reference when performing my LP120 mods:

 

If I wanted to try out a cheap (<$300 USD) DSD DAC, is there anything out there that doesn't completely suck? I'm trying to avoid Topping based on what has been written here and the fact that AsSeR shills the crap out of it. Screw them.

I kinda want a back up DAC that doesn't sound like a Schiit product while my Yggdrasil is out for upgrade. More as an alternative flavor, and I also want to see if streaming high rez is something I might enjoy. This would be used only with speakers, so a combo headphone amp/ DSD DAC is not optimal. Or if $300 isn't realistic, what would be close?

 

The micro iDSD is a decent enough DAC for the price with a not-completely-bad headphone amp built in, and while the original nano iDSD wasn't very well received around here the Black Label version was— goes for about $200 on Amazon (f.u. Bezos) so well within budget.

I'd say the transportable iFi kids have a slightly u-shaped sound, big clean bass (I like the bass on the micro iDSD better than on the older Bifrost MB— not as bloomy and thuddy, more focused with similar texture) and inoffensive sparkle. Not great at layering, noticeable step down in imaging v. Bifrost MB, but with a more spacious soundscape, especially lateral extension. Good meat on the bones of instruments and vocals, no issues whatsoever plugging into loads of different sources.

I did try experimenting with DSD way back, found it not worth the extra storage space over PCM. The iFi brick handled the format well enough though, no complaints.

 

Yeah.

Also the nano iDSD Black Label - which is is laid back as opposed to the micro that is very energetic - and the xDSD that is maybe something in between but I'd say closer to the micro and has BT, which might be useful for a secondary device, maybe?

It mostly depends on what bells and whistles you want, they're all pretty kitchensinked but not all the same way.

And the usb is pretty good on all of them if that matters.

 

@Lyander I had considered that one...I wouldn't mind giving iFi my money since they've been a cool MOT here, But I don't need the headphone amp as I'm almost exclusively 2 channel now other than occasionally rocking a Fulla 2 and HD-650s at work. Also having coax as a digital input option would be nice, but not required. I may still go this way if something else isn't available.

 

They also have the nano iOne, which is a pure DAC with no headamp that doesn't break the bank like their big boy, but I don't think anyone here has put ears on it.

 

Ifi iDAC2 used - Ifi consider it their best DAC next to the Pro iDSD. Haven’t heard it myself though. I see a couple on USAM around the $200 mark...

Edit: Actually I think the SPDIF might be an output only in that one.

 

+1, forgot to mention the built-in USB "purifier" on my unit makes listening on my laptop not-torture. In my ridiculously limited experience it's about as good as USB Gen5 in that it doesn't sound like absolute buttflaps, but I have no meaningful experience with transports etc so... lol.

 

I don't know how I missed that one. I might have to just try it and give impressions for the benefit of others. The price is right, and it's not Topping. Thanks!

 

@crazychile micro iDSD has combo S/PDIF optical input. You should be able to get a used OG silver for less than $300. I'd sell you mine but shipping batteries overseas is a PITA.

 

I love my modded HD-6XX, eternally grateful to the hive mind here for those. But unfortunately in our current house, my gear is in the same large room as the TV and my kids running around. So some closed cans are in order. I have some B&W P7s that I use for commuting with a BT receiver. But I could go for something less publicly acceptable for home.

I don't get to listen enough to justify spending more than $3-400 US. What do folks recommend as decent mid-fi closed cans i that price range.

I have a Lyr 2 and have ordered one of the new Asguards. Using a Topping D30 (I swear I bought that before I knew anything about ASR) I may get myself a Modi 3 as well.

 

Uhm.

I think your best bet in that price range is a used, modded Fostex t50. Like a used ZMF Blackwood.

There's other good mods out there, @DEATHxMACHINE compared like 19 of them here: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/fostex-t50rp-mods-compendium.7824/

Nothing else in that price bracket really comes to mind.

 

I have been looking at those but there are so may iterations I find it a bit overwhelming. The T60rp is readily available in Australia where I am though, so that would be an option. But I don't want bass canons. The 650M is perfect tone-balance wise.

 

Yeah that's why I said mods. The base cans are too unrefined.

You won't find a closed, dynamic hd650 equivalent without going to something like an Eikon or other equivalents, they at best equal and mostly fall short of the 650's midrange, and they all cost a grand or more new.

That's just what closed cans are like.

 

What about an MDRZ7? How good can they get with modding?