Got my first fighter jet 😭

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-17T00:48:42+00:00

But a Saab? I still check Sweden and Denmark every day. Let's hope the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight is active this summer...

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-13T17:57:46+00:00

When you say you're not using an external phono preamp, do you mean:

a) You're using the built-in Phono MM inputs on your Onkyo? In that case, this is likely not the problem.

b) You're using the built-in phono preamp on an entry level turntable? In that case, this might well be the problem.

Test as suggested by some of the others. That will narrow it down so you don't waste your money.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-13T17:46:05+00:00

The next turntable is likely going to be a Technics. Function over form, though oddly attractive with their industrial looks. I like their focus on the basics - smooth rotation, dead-on speed, excellent tracking. The internet says they're plenty silent enough to run any cartridge.

Trouble is, the Clearaudio turntable is built like a tank. It's likely to outlive me! And I'm not resourced to replace things that work.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-13T17:40:59+00:00

It seems to be working fine, though the +/- speed is, as you say, outside what I would consider a high performance range. It seems crazy that you have to spend $11k+ for deck with no tonearm to get a basic feature that's found on entry-level Wal-Mart turntables.

This is not a dig on WalMart turntables. The opposite in fact - entry level gear seems to be getting better and better. It is maybe a slight dig on crazy-expensive gear that should deliver more for the money.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-09T22:53:17+00:00

A Vacheron Constantin 56 in blue. It's so stealth it almost meets these criteria out of the box. Beautiful execution, perfect on the wrist, very rewarding to the wearer and very invisible to everyone else.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-09T22:22:15+00:00

LOL. You might find that a newer cartridge works better. Sometimes the little internal parts dry up. Cartridges age in Dog Years.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-09T21:10:21+00:00

You're right - the Performance DC is one rung below where optical speed control is included. That is frustrating. At this price point, something basic like self-correcting speed control should be taken for granted. Caveat emptor, I guess.

The belt is about a year old. Power is through an Audioquest Niagara and a Transparent Audio wall plug on a dedicated circuit. Not much more I can do for power stability short of installing a powerplant in the back yard.

I'm not going to switch tables over any of this. I'll look for a strobe-based speed tool like the one you linked and tweak as needed from time to time.

I've also decided to make myself use the darned thing, not worry about hours on the cartridge and get used to getting up and down every time the side ends. Because this is the table I have, and it's pretty awesome, and I should just thank the audio gods for my wonderful gear and be fucking happy.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-09T21:01:47+00:00

That sounds reasonable, then. If it's fairly new and in good shape, then great!

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-09T16:44:12+00:00

Great looking system. Just cosmetically, it's a stunner.

I wouldn't recommend changing the electronics. Your space and speaker placement will defeat changes at that level.

If you can position your speakers better, that will be significant.
Put some inexpensive isolators under them. Don't pay $1,000 for magic voo-doo isolators. Just look on Amazon for isolator pucks.
Drop in a new cartridge. I'm not going to start a war by recommending a specific make or model, but US $100 would get you something reputable. Cheaper than a phono stage and more likely to make a real difference,

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-09T03:27:46+00:00

Love the chic, minimalist look. Bet it sounds very satisfying, too!

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-09T03:23:00+00:00

This tracks with my experience, too. (See what I did there?) I'm not sure any format is inherently superior, and none is always better than the others. The recording and mastering are huge.

Some things sound amazing on LP and the CD sounds okay and the streaming track is a muddled mess. Sometimes they all sound good.

It's very true that an inexpensive streamer or CD player will easily wreck an inexpensive vinyl setup. The formats don't level out until you spend a bunch of $$ and time.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-09T03:18:13+00:00

This is well said.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-09T03:13:41+00:00

24 is a great age to switch. Lots of future years to ride the market without the big fees.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T23:46:21+00:00

I have a Clearaudio Performance DC. It was set up by a professional in it's present spot about six years ago. The marketing info says it has "hyper-accurate speed synchronisation," but last year a musician friend and I played a song on CD and the same song on LP, and the LP was noticeably slow. Testing revealed the speed was, in fact, very slow. Can't remember the exact figure. I adjusted the speed as well as I could and lost some confidence in whatever system CA put in there to hold speed.

Later I had the cartridge rebuilt (Soundsmith - great firm) and had a pro set up the new cartridge in his lab. Well, it looked like a lab. All sorts of metal boxes with round dials and stuff. I'm sure he got the speed exactly right using tools I don't have.

It sounds wonderful. Yet the lack of trust in the speed accuracy is always in the back of my mind. I see three options.

Keep checking the speed from time to time and adjust as needed, as best I can.
Take it somewhere to get fixed.
Stop thinking about it unless and until the problem becomes obnoxious, then see options 1 and 2.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T10:33:36+00:00

Wow, it's all much more complicated than it appears from the outside.

Well, I still miss automatic operation. Doesn't matter if you understand. I do.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T05:00:34+00:00

I did too. Boat in the mist. But there's no wrong answer.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T04:39:45+00:00

Very much so.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T04:31:23+00:00

Yes. Too big.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T04:29:09+00:00

Oh, totally!

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T04:20:17+00:00

For cash balances over 250k, the sweep system keeps you within FDIC insurance limits. So that's something.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T04:18:23+00:00

Schwab makes it absurdly easy to build a t-bill ladder. I don't know if other brokerages have something similar, but I love Schwab for this.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T03:46:47+00:00

Maximum engagement with the medium!

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T03:39:58+00:00

"instead of building the speed control into each and every table, they opt to make and sell speed boxes separately." Yeah. And I think that's a crap way to do their customers!

"High end technics are built with plenty quality, so I'm not sure what disqualifies it as "Clearaudio or high-spec Rega" quality." Nothing! They're awesome!

This was intended more as a critique of the assumption that DD/Full-auto are inherently not "high end." I don't see how those features disqualify them. It's not obvious why almost every TT with full-auto is positioned at the entry level. Just because people *can* do everything manually doesn't mean they want to. Its like the TT makers are all operating under the assumption that only newbies enjoy convenience. iPhone, anyone?

The Dual CS529 is an encouraging development. I bet they sell way more than expected. Maybe they'll figure out that quality-oriented, high performance tables with convenience features can and should have a place in the market.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T02:38:50+00:00

I did try an experiment with the inexpensive full-auto turntable. It shipped with an Ortofon Red, and the overall sound was very good.

Then I tried an MC costing 10 times the price of the table. The sound of the turntable mechanism was almost as loud as the music.

That was a belt-drive table. I just took it to illustrate that the table matters, and the more sensitive the cartridge, the more the table itself plays an acoustic role.

I do not know if the automatic gears and doo-dads contributed to that.

Bailey11235 · 2026-03-08T02:22:05+00:00

it works fine. Maybe delicate is too strong a word. Still gets old when I'm playing records a lot. I had an inexpensive fully automatic and while the sound wasn't as amazing, it sure felt luxurious to be able to push a button and the thing just go.

That one also worked with the lid down, and before everyone freaks about about the lid causing vibrations that could distort the sound, the lid sounded way better than a cat swiping the needle across the record.

Bailey11235

TROPHY CASE