?Best 2nd hand upgrade route--please help!!!

Posted by: Richard Paget on 12 September 2000

Hi
I'd appreciate your advice--
System LP12/Valhalla/ittok/oc7
naim 42.5/110
monitor audio 852gold (Marantz CD63-ouch)

I've been out of the country for 4yrs and have just come back to my boxed up system

As you can see immediate funds should go to Lingo/armageddon LP12 ?cirkus +service

Decent CD player--How do Naims compare nowadays?--seen a cd3.5 S/H for £700 ?cd2

So ~£600 for an amp upgrade----there are so many options in the Naim range

1)42.5-->72 (all of budget)
2) add hicap(£450)/upgrade 110->140 at naim(?£150)
3)change to 32.5(£200)/hicap with 110
4)change 32.5/real 140(£300-old type)
5)change 32.5/160(I know very long in tooth but told almost as good as 180)
6)keep 42.5,no hicap but push budget to 180(£750) or 250(£650)+snaps(£100)

? option gives the best return?

footnote is the snaps worth the extra£100 on the above options without hicap--or should this go on better CD player or speaker cable

Cheers Richard Paget

Posted on: 12 September 2000 by Vik

LP12/Valhalla/ittok/oc7
naim 42.5/110
monitor audio 852gold (Marantz CD63-ouch)

Any improvements to the turntable will stop at the preamp.

Service the Linn and try a cartridge change to a dynavector or oc9.

Try a 72/FC or HC/250. CD3 is good enough as well. Plus they're really cheap. Look for those over serial number 100 000. They have always sounded better to me. Ouch is correct - Bury the 63.
Lastly, clean all contact points and try to run the system (without ground loops) from a separate spur. You may want to change the NACA5s to newer ones, and use the newer interconnects where applicable.

To genuinely improve on all this is easily possible in terms of product availability but at a a bigger ca$h outlay.

Vik

Posted on: 13 September 2000 by Rico

Welcome, Richard.

I know the OC7 well, and ran one on LP12/Valhalla/Ittok. It's rather toppy, with the OC9 being much more balanced and integrated, as well as just plain better. I agree with Vik's recommendations above, and would target your OC7 for the drawer in the short to mid-term also. You'll find it may take twenty or thirty hours playing in to come to life again also; cartridge suspension stiffens over age.

I'd not bother with the full 110-140 upgrade, as you can find a 140 at more cost-effective price. The 110 is fine, perhaps it needs a service. I would recommend a power supply, and then a better pre, before you go upgrading the power amp from the 110. Overall, I'd go for your option 3, where amp upgrades are concerened. The 72 upgrade kit is a very worthwhile improvement for 32.5's.

Black SNAIC's, and perhaps new NACA5 will give you good bang-for-buck improvements.

The CD3 is a fine used buy, loadsa music for the money. Great buying at around £350-500. If you take an option that forces you to stay with the marantz for a while, use Naim ARO cable as the interconnect - inexpensive, and better than all of the costly alternatives.

Re the Cirkus question, some like it, some don't. Find an excellent dealer to help you through that one, or invite large debate here! If you try the search bicycle (or is that now a search-scooter?) you should find some recent debate on Cirkus/non-cirkus.

Rico - musichead

ricomuzik@hotmail.com

Posted on: 14 September 2000 by Richard Paget

Sorry about the tardiness of my reply
Thanks for the tips especially those regarding the cartridge change.---I replaced it from a K9 and was never truely happy.

Is an oc9 better than a recon troika ~£300

P.S what does avoiding ground loops involve? Can you run the cartridge without the ground lead
P.P.S When is the Hammersmith show?--I live in Hammersmith.
Cheers Richard Paget

Posted on: 18 September 2000 by Vik

A reconditioned troika is worth having. Results could go either way. So with the alternative being NO cartridge at all, there's nothing to lose.

Worse to worse, buy another cartridge and frame the Troika as a momento.

(The jewel case of the Ortofon MC-30 super allows me to do just that.)

The OC9 is nowhere compared to a good Troika. The OC9 is excellent in the price-performance context.

Vik.

Posted on: 18 September 2000 by Rico

I've not heard a rebuilt Troika. Can't imagine them being any worse than when new - hence miles better than an OC-9.

Rico - musichead

ricomuzik@hotmail.com

edit - oh yes I have heard a rebuilt Troika. Still kicks an OC-9's ass. If you have the inclination, I'd do it at that price.

Posted on: 18 September 2000 by Frank Abela

I would buy the recon Troika and the 32.5. If there's enough in the kitty, fit the 32.5 with 72 boards.

Obviously the LP12 needs servicing (£50), but some dealers would throw that in or do it at half price if you went for a Cirkus. That might break the bank though. My own experience is that the Cirkus is a fabulous upgrade in the same class as changing the power supply for a Lingo or Armageddon, so it's a relative bargain by Linn standards. That said, I'm not a Linn owner. I prefer the Gyrodec, so bear that in mind.

Regards,
Frank.