stageline and turnable questions

In my experience cartridge matching with the phono stage is vital. The Stageline is excellent VFM but whether it would offer more over your built in stage I couldn't say. 

However, the 282/250 is a high end combo. It is deserving of the best TT configuration so I would get saving rather change to a Stageline at this stage. The Rega Planar 3 is excellent but how much of a step up I'm not sure.   I would be looking at the very least at a Rega P 8. Sorry!!

regards,

Lindsay

The Strat (Fender) posted:

The Rega Planar 3 is excellent but how much of a step up I'm not sure.

I'd thought the same. RP6/ Exact/ Fono as a package could well put digital in the shade.

Best, Chris

Hi Analogmusic,

Both Lindsay and Christopher offer wise advice.  As ever, why not find a decent dealer and let them demonstrate the difference in music as you go from your Project Debut Carbon via something like a Rega Planar 3, an RP8 and a high end turntable.

I enjoyed a similar demonstration the very first time I ever visited a Linn/Rega dealer (many, many years ago!) and it was a real eye opener.  That demonstration led me to buy my first turntable - a Linn LP12 with moving magnet cartridge.

Happy listening!  FT

analogmusic posted:

How does one achieve signal grounding with the stage line? (right now I run a wire from earth post of 282 into mains earth)

The arm's earth (if it has one) connects to the earth post on the back of the Stageline and then to your NAC282.

C.

Stageline will simply outperform the Project's internal phono, and is the logical choice given your 282/HCdr. 

Debut Carbon is a nice TT, but is somewhat let down by The OM5. 

Rega TT's offer a more energetic, rythmic performance. Only you can decide if you prefer their presentation over the Project.

Hi

Your amp will accept sources of a highest calibre. So I would not limit it with just a an MM phonostage.

I'm a bit partial to Rega and their turntables - currently listetning to a 1976 Brian Ferry in NM condition on my RP10 via Rega Aria. Aria is a fantastic phono stage. It shined with my previous RP6 and continues to shine with an RP10.

The point I'm making: I would recommend getting a very good universal phono-stage (e.g. Rega Aria) - this way you can move from MM to MC or indeed have both turntables connected and swap betwen them at a flick of a switch.

By the by: we loved our RP6/ Exact II. The only reason we've decided to part wit it, was that a very good friend of ours who loves music, was after a good turntable to start his vinyl playback. 

Adam

OP, What are you going to do with the info/ opinions given?

Chris

A used Stageline will probably not break the bank, I'm guessing, so go out and get one to try.  As has been noted before, if you don't like it, flog it for what you paid for it.

I have a Dual 721 tt with intercghangeable headshells, so I can swap between my Entré MC and my Shure V15 MM, and to accomodate this I have two (one of each type) Stagelines one ex-dem and one ex fleabay,  powered by a Flatcap.

(My other tt is a Klimax LP12 complete with Urika, but that's a whole different ball game.)

Christopher_M posted:

What are you going to do with the info/ opinions given?

Pontificate or spin it into a subsequent post is my guess.

You get the sound you buy. A Rega phonostage will trend a the vinyl side toward Rega's sound. If such a proponent of Naim's sound then buy a Stageline - Aux2 connection and BOOM - system grounding concerns abated.

Can the internal pre-amp of the Pro-ject Debut Carbon you have be bypassed?  I know some of the Pro-ject turntables have built in pre-amps which can't be bypassed and others are more packaged of turntable and pre-amp.  Depending exactly what pre-amp you have; a Stageline (or other pre-amp) would offer a step up in quality, though I think you should consider and have some idea your ultimate ends - a Stageline on the Pro-ject with its OM5 would be unbalanced, but would allow you to step up to say the RP8 level at a later date.  The downside of the Stageline is that its fixed in its abilities and alternatives would be more flexible offering MC as well as MM functionality and possibly flexible loading.

I suspect (like various comments here) the Rega Planar 3 would not be a significant upgrade over the current Pro-ject.  A bigger step up would be to fit a better cartridge to the Pro-ject (IMO).

I think you need to decide on a budget for this upgrade then consider how best to spend it ... for example assuming the budget is around £625 (cost of the new Planar 3 with Elys2 cartridge): a better expenditure might be  £2-300 on a cartridge - the obvious step up would be to Ortofon 2M Blue at around £175 or even the Quintet Blue MC at £335; in addition spend a couple of hundred on a better pre-amp - either the Stageline if you are sticking with a MM cartridge or look at alternatives for MC cartridge (something like Pro-ject's Phono Box DS).

Thanks for suggestions everyone. My mistake, actually the Project Debut carbon uses Om10 Ortofon cartridge.

I was looking into the Rega Aria phonostage, and it seems to be a very fine one, and also the Rp6/Exact 2 combo.

The aria has dual MM and MC preamps, and the MC side is apparently quite good !

I will be selling the Debut carbon, as the built in phonostage cannot be bypassed. It served me very well, and I would say on VFM basis it is a very good turntable at that money.

Eloise suggestions are also very good ones, will consider changing the cartridge, maybe that is more VFM than buying a new turntable.

I just remembered  that my friend who has the same turntable (minus the inbuilt phonostage) has a stageline, so I will compare both to hear what the stageline brings to the table and post on this thread soon.

Hi Adam,

Since you already have an LP12, and you recommend the Rega Rp6, could I ask you to describe differences between them?

My LP12 is a fairly advanced piece of kit - with built-in Urika and Radikal.
So comparing it to Rega RP6 is not very fair (for RP6).

Rega RP6 / Exact II / Aria (that is what I used) is a very enjoyable deck, with good insight into the music. It handled difficult recordings well too.  I was a little sad to see it go, but at least it went to a good home and my friend enjoys it very much.

sad to see it go is a good indication, it played beautiful music while it was in your home 

analogmusic posted:

sad to see it go is a good indication, it played beautiful music while it was in your home 

That is absolutely true.
The sadness, though, was alleviated by it's bigger brother - Rega RP10 with Apheta

Adam Zielinski posted:

analogmusic posted:

sad to see it go is a good indication, it played beautiful music while it was in your home 

That is absolutely true.
The sadness, though, was alleviated by it's bigger brother - Rega RP10 with Apheta

Amazingly both decks sound very similar in the way they present music. RP10 has more details, but RP6 has a certain magic to it as well.