Well, I was worried. I ordered from Music Direct an MMF 2.2LE turntable, made by Pro-Ject in Czechoslovakia. Then I heard a Project Debut III at Magnolia and it sure sounded like total crap. So, I figured maybe this was a bust of an idea.

Last night after help from my good friend, I got to listen to some Marvin Gay, Miami Vice, on the Kenwood KA 9100, the MMF and the Dahlquist DQM905s, modified Kenwood SW300 subwoofer (only the cabinet is Kenwood anymore) and a pair of supertweeters. I was very pleased. We went back and forth between a CDP and the table (different material) and the records sound great.

today, some Frank Sinatra, Leonard Cohen, and Frank Zappa Hot Rats.

There is something liquid about vinyl as opposed to CDs. After my tube amp is repaired, I look forward to hearing the vinyl/tube combination.

The KA9100 has a reputation for a wonderful phone preamp section. It is well deserved.

Yes, it's a quite noticeable phenomenon that the fascination with one obsolescent audio technology(LP recordings)almost inevitably leads to another(tube amplification).

It's the music, JohnK. If I had to guess, you have no personal experience with a good tube system whether or not it's connected to a good turntable. If you did, you not just dismiss this audio technology as "obsolescent."

But then again, you welcomed a fellow who reports that he enjoys his new Axiom 2 channel system with the following statement:

"...there's no good reason to voluntarily restrict yourself to "good old stereo"(I never do anymore)when you have a surround setup."

Oh, I remember now, "Laugh at Folks Who Claim to Know it All."

Hot Rats on vinyl... that's good stuff!

For all out there that think vinyl is obsolete...

I played Genesis' 'The Lambs Lies Down On Broadway' on a remastered cd for friends who didn't really know the music (young).

They thought it was great. Then I played it for them on vinyl.

It blew us all away! So much more depth and punch and richness.

The contrast is quite stark.

As much as I love dvd audio (and it is amazing), analog playback still cannot be beat.

And I purposely left out 16 bit cds in that statement, cause they are inferior to vinyl and dvd in every way.

Anyone who says otherwise does not own a decent turntable.

Sound quality debate notwithstanding, you can't say "in every way" when DVD usually means turning on the screen, which can be inconvenient, and vinyl is larger, which can be inconvenient. Ha ha.

the thing about vinyl is OCD behavior its promotes. Rituals - cleaning the records, careful handling like passing a kidney between surgeons, the sleeves, the stacking, keeping them out of the sunshine .... pain in the you know what,

but, you know what? it's worth it. the sound is beautiful, like audiosavant said, lush, rich, liquid or something like that ...

That's one of the major reasons I don't give vinyl a try. I don't really like my every interaction with it potentially degrading the sound. I would love to hear some of the vinyl setups people talk about, but it would take quite a revelation for me to invest in analog gear for myself.

Did you know that wood glue is a great way to clean your LPs? No need to spend money on special sprays and expensive cleaners. Just spread wood glue, allow it to dry, and peel it off.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=99837

Yes, of course if you play the reverse mask you can hear "Paul is dead," which would be worth the effort.

Congrats on the turntable rig, nice to hear it worked out for ya. I need to find a suitable stand (just for the TT) so as to get the TT rig back up and running.

I like to sit a enjoy some vinyl at times.

I just checked Craig's list and saw some really nice entertainment furniture for great prices.

I agree with your thoughts about vinyl. I listened to my brother-in-law's system a couple of weeks ago and was blown away. He has a Rogue Audio Ninety-Nine preamp and Rogue M-150 power amps. His turntable is an MMF-9 and his speakers are Legacy Classics. We listened to Charles Mingus' Mingus Ah Um and it sounded so realistic I could swear that I was in the studio with the band. I personally have not bought a turntable and likely will not as I don't like cleaning and maintaining the albums. The albums are also too expensive for my budget and I can't see replacing 700 CDs with a different format even if it sounds better. Now if I won the lottery...

Hey David

Yes, the MMF 9 (and the new 9.1) are terrific turntables, with great tone arms and come standard with a wonderful cartridge. The big Rogue tube monoblocks are powerful and great sounding. Not familiar with the speakers but obviously that system sounds terrific.

I agree. There is a "you are there" quality to a good tube / vinyl system. Even though my KA 9100 is solid state, it sounds great with my new table. I played some Frank Sinatra, Live in Paris, this morning for my assistant and she was shocked at the sense of realism this set up presented.

If you go used, you can get some pretty high end sound for not much coin.

Good Luck.

2x6