• @Stevethecoffee - thank you very much as well ✌️
    Yeah I kinda suspected the whole chain needs to be proper good to really get the "3D juicy thing" as you put it.

    I'm kinda wondering if it's worth pursuing that goal at all when basically the middle price range is all that's gonna happen here..
    ..meaning I got this basic (£300) amp at the moment- willing to upgrade to something around £600-900 in the future, got a SL-1210 with a £200 cartridge right now, probably going to upgrade to a £300-400 one.. speakers are £1000 Canton's that most likely won't be upgrading any time soon..

    So yeah, so far my hunch has been that the tube-y magic is only gonna happen with equipment 2-3 times as expensive (mostly because the tube amps are so hideously expensive) - but will check out the used market more, thanks for the heads up!

  • SL-1210 can be a decent source. I'd be looking at

    1) decent phono stage. look around for a good second hand one on the 'bay or hifi nerd fora. Trichord, Rega, Clearaudio etc

    2) cartridge upgrade - probably a good MM would suit (bear in mind when choosing your phono stage as they need to be compatible). Ortofon, Nagaoka, Goldring etc

    3) amp with some grunt to drive your speakers cleanly. Again, lots of great and robust solid state amps available second hand. Meridian, Cyrus, Sony ES, some of the older Linns might fall into budget.

    oh and ideally place the turntable on a sturdy wall shelf, if it isn't already.

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