Essentially, I want to bring my analog up to par with my digital. I'm currently running with the following:

Nait 5i/CD5i
Harbeth P3ESR (NACA5)

Michell TecnoDec w/ RB250 Special + Michell Clamp (Goldring 1012GX)
Pro-Ject Tube Box II (Ecosse)

At present, the CD5i sounds much more clear, with a realistic attack/decay. The TecnoDec, in comparison, sounds dull and un-involving. I'm not sure I can describe it much better than that (I suck with hifi adjectives).

The problem is, I'm not quite sure what to attribute the difference to. Admittedly, the Naim equipment is sitting atop a proper isolation rack - one that's similar to the Naim Fraim. The TecnoDec, however, is sitting on a highly resonant table with no isolation whatsoever. Would this be enough to 'muddy' the sound, at least to this extent? Also, the Goldring cartridge was part of a package deal, but I eventually plan on upgrading to the Benz Micro ACE. Would this help close the gap? At this point, I'm simply trying to figure out what would cause the huge disparity in sound quality, given that the TecnoDec is a decent table.

Thanks for any/all advice!

P.S. Assuming I get various recommendations for an isolation platform, has anyone tried the Michell Isolation Base? It appears to only sell in the UK, and while I have no idea how it performs, it does look quite nice.

I have a tortlyte platform under my Clearaudio deck. It has made a positive difference. I don't know about the Project Tubebox. Have you tried a different phono stage?

Steve

To me, changing the tonearm cable on my LP12 made a huge and positive difference -it might be the same in your case...

cheers,
Joakim

I definitely think you need to try your TT atop of the isolation platform and see what like. I moved my gyro from the top of an isoblue to a wall mounted isolation platform and the improvement was substantial. Obviously you could buy better cartridges and a better phono stage but I'm not sure at what point you would just be wiser to upgrade your technodec to say a gyro, someone else will know I suspect.

Let us know what difference the isolation platform makes....

Best wishes

Andy

a) Put your table on a light and rigid platform,
something like Symposium acoustics for example.

b) Then, replace the Goldring by a Dynavector 10X5, or a DV20 XH. They both mate well with Rega arms.
Hope this helps

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pt109:
a) Put your table on a light and rigid platform,
something like Symposium acoustics for example.

b) Then, replace the Goldring by a Dynavector 10X5, or a DV20 XH. They both mate well with Rega arms.
Hope this helps[/QUOT


try a thick piece of mdf under turntable to see if isolation is a problem. it seems the cartridge is under par for your system
look at ortifon/goldring range

Thank you for the responses.

Just to clarify, the Goldring 1012GX is a temporary cartridge that came with the table. I will upgrade to the Benz Micro ACE as funds permit.

It also seems a bit hasty to discuss possible tonearm/wiring/pre-amp/table changes. I would like to explore some tweaking options before I do anything drastic.

Concerning isolation platforms, which brands would you recommend any why? I noticed a suggestion for Symposium Acoustics, but what about Gingko? Also, I'm a bit worried about the dimensions of the TecnoDec (it's fairly wide). Does anyone have any experience with the Michell platform?

Thanks again.

It depends on what floor you have. If it is solid then a good equipment table dedicated to the TT is a must; if if is a wooden suspended floor, then a good wall-mounted shelf will be a lot better and tidy-up the sound a lot. I eventually migrated over a period of 20 years to a wall-mounted shelf for my Linn - a huge uprade in clarity across the board compared to all of the varied good quality tables I had previously used.
It is not even worth looking at any other upgrades to the TT until you have the shelf sorted IMHO.

DB.

quote:

Originally posted by Darke Bear:
It depends on what floor you have. If it is solid then a good equipment table dedicated to the TT is a must; if if is a wooden suspended floor, then a good wall-mounted shelf will be a lot better and tidy-up the sound a lot. I eventually migrated over a period of 20 years to a wall-mounted shelf for my Linn - a huge uprade in clarity across the board compared to all of the varied good quality tables I had previously used.
It is not even worth looking at any other upgrades to the TT until you have the shelf sorted IMHO.

DB.

That's part of the problem - I'm always moving. I need an isolation platform that can adapt to various environments, so to speak. Is there an isolation platform that performs well under most circumstances? I presently have hardwood floors, with the table sitting on a highly resonant ikea desk... less than optimal conditions.

I used a small rectangular welded steel tube frame device with up and down pointing spikes from sound-organisation, then another from another company that slipped my mind while I was in my moving about days. These worked very well if you kept them away from loose floorboards.
You want a light and rigid small table that you can level.

DB.