Recent content by MotelBlues

Darn that “Darn That Dream”.

“Sketches of Spain” for me, magical. Bit of a cheat but since nobody’s mentioned it I’d also like to vote for “Panthalassa”, my gateway drug to his electric work.

Not speaking from personal experience - me and my 301 are at the wrong end of the country - but I suspect Audio Grail would be a good place to start. They don’t seem to have much of a web presence these days but they have a Facebook page.

The pulley on my IIX 900 got the wonkiness; this would have been nearly 30 years ago. As Eoin says above, a new motor was the cure.

Heybrook made an outboard power supply for the TT2, the TPS. That might be a good start if you can find one used without a TT2 already attached. https://www.audioeden.com/products/view/heybrook-tt2-turntable-with-tps-power-supply

Absolutely concur with the OP. 25 years of anti-CD/pro-vinyl snobbery started to overturn about ten years ago when I tired of wearing out my Lyra on badly-pressed new mainstream releases that sounded worse than the MP3s they were bundled with. Factor in how digital technology has blossomed in...

Some people actively complaining that they don’t have too much of a good thing: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/01/beyonce-cowboy-carter-missing-songs-vinyl-cd-physical-release-streaming-digital-edition-tracks

Band On The Wall, Manchester https://bandonthewall.org/ Not seen any jazz there, but The Orb sounded great.

That does sound quiet.

One of each?

The OP might find that a local hi-fi or record shop with an RCM offers a cleaning service for a few dollars a disc. Beware, though: from experience this can be a gateway drug to RCM ownership.

Lordy, yes. Mind you, I’m playing Tom Jones on mine right now so my opinion might not count. As others have said, a 303 is an excellent amp for 57s; I use one when my Quad II Classic Integrated is “indisposed”. Also, I suspect the laws of physics would give way before a 303 broke a 57.

In the Windows world I live in I’ve happily used Apple’s Remote app on iPhones and iPads to control iTunes running on my PC. Admittedly I don’t do much more with it than pause/unpause a playlist I’ve kicked off from my computer, though.

You might be able to find a local hi-fi or record shop with an RCM who could clean records for a few pounds a disc. Trying it on a few stubborn cases would give you an idea of what improvements are or aren’t possible. I was a happy Systemdek IIX 900 user for 17 years.

I tried that once, when I only had about 75 CDs. It lasted until the first time I couldn’t remember the spine colour of a CD I wanted to listen to. Alphabetical by artist, it’s the only choice. Anything else is just inviting trouble.