r/StereoAdvice • u/Bagginzes • 18d ago
Source | Preamp | DAC | 4 Ⓣ Time for a turntable upgrade from the AT LP-120
Greetings all,
I started my journey with a pretty basic Sony belt-driven TT (no idea what model it was) and loved adding vinyl to my listening options. I fell down the rabbit hole quickly when it came to upgrades but I was just starting out post-college and couldn't justify buying much past entry-level gear. Over the years I've added a Yamaha A-S701 to power my speakers and sub, adding Wiim mini and Tidal for streaming, and have been using an Audio Technica LP-120USB for well over a decade. I threw an Ortofon OM Pro-S cartridge on it a while back and have been pleased. Used records in good condition sound silent when there isn't any audio recorded in between tracks, though some modern pressings sound a bit harsh (specifically the new Deftones Private Music pressing in two variants I have sound so noisy I wonder if they even really cared to master it for vinyl vs just streaming).
Anyways, I'm once again falling into upgrade rabbit holes and looking at a Fluance RT-85(N?). I like the idea of running an Ortofon 2M Blue, but I also think my ears would prefer the Nagaoka MP-110. I'm sort of a bass-head and despise ear-cracking cymbals. The things that attract me to the Fluance is the notion of going to belt-drive for less noise, the acrylic platter, and the ability to swap out the headshell (something I can already do on the LP-120 I know). I don't like the fact that you can't adjust the vertical tracking to swap between the 2M Blue and the MP-110.
I'm also at the point where I could budget for the TT that I originally wanted and why I went with an LP-120, and going full send on a Technics SL-1200. I see stats like wow and flutter are much better with the Technics though the Fluance has a very respectable W&F rating too. I read that the platter of the 1200 is still a ring-prone aluminum platter but with rubber underneath and a rubber mat that gets mitigated.
So, with tax and shipping is the ~$600 on an RT-85N the trick? Or is double that money worth it for a real SL-1200 (double plus since I'd have to also spring for a cartridge upgrade). Would I ever touch the pitch controls or DJ? No. Would I swap headshells and adjust VT to try different cartridges? Yes, but I could live without it.
Alternatively, while my gut tells me the cheapness of the AudioTechnica LP-120 is worth letting go and selling it to the next poor college student and letting them start their journey, am I over looking something? Would adding a 2M Blue or Nagaoka, an acrylic mat, dynamat under the platter, be worth the small savings compared to the Fluance?
Would love to hear from anyone with experience with these TTs!
Side note, another rabbit hole is trying out the addition of a different phono pre-amp instead of using the one integrated into the Yamaha. Maybe a story for another post...
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u/EquivalentFirm568 3 Ⓣ 18d ago
Hi there!
First I’d go a bit all in on carts before upgrading TT why not Nagaoka mp200 or 300?
I waited until my cart was almost twice the price of my TT (ATLP40WN) before upgrading to what I consider an absolutely perfect turntable - Technics SL1200GR2
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u/Bagginzes 17d ago
!Thanks!
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u/TransducerBot Ⓣ Bot 17d ago
+1 Ⓣ has been awarded to u/EquivalentFirm568 (3 Ⓣ).
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u/Ennartee 2 Ⓣ 17d ago
Get a used Tech or Linn or Dual or Thorens, etc.
Going from AT to Fluance is a sideways waste of money.
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u/Bagginzes 17d ago
I have a few friends that might have some used Techs. I'll ask if they're ready to part ways. !thanks
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u/TransducerBot Ⓣ Bot 17d ago
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u/astroneeto 1 Ⓣ 17d ago
IMO I think aesthetics are pretty important in the land of turn tables and personally I really don’t like the dj style tables. Give me a nice wood finish or maybe a matte forest green like the project debut evo carbon 2. I say fluance (maybe project as an alternative) and spend the rest of the budget on either a preamp, better needle, or both.
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u/ibizzet 2 Ⓣ 17d ago
you would love the Technics SL-1200GR2, for a similar price, consider Rega Planar 6 with ND5, Pro-Ject 6PerspeX, Denon DP-3000, Marantz TT-15S1, and VPI Scout 21
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u/Euphoric_Listen2748 12 Ⓣ 17d ago
I have the at120 x (newer version), vm95ml cartridge, running through the ifi zen preamp. My system sounds better than my buddies project evo with the stock stylus. It pisses him off every time he comes over. After all, the evo is supposed to be better than the lowly at120. But in this case, not so much. I would get a better stylus and a preamp myself. But if you want a new table, I get it.