What System Do We Use to Play Our Recordings?
A look inside the analog signal chain we use to play and preserve vinyl — when the LP sounds superior to its digital counterpart.
Purpose
This system is primarily configured to rip vinyl where CDs are not available, or where the vinyl pressing demonstrably sounds superior to the digital format. It is not a casual listening setup — it is a capture chain designed to extract the highest fidelity possible from an analog source and preserve it in high-resolution digital.
Cleaning
- Pro-ject VC-S3 — Record cleaning machine
Ripping Equipment
The centerpiece is a VPI Scout (original 1.0 version with acrylic platter), heavily modified:
- Upgraded 300RPM motor
- Upgraded VPI stainless steel record clamp
- Upgraded 120mg drop counterweight
- Upgraded JMW 9" Unipivot tonearm with reference wiring
- Upgraded HW-40 feet
- Benz Micro Wood S-MOMC (0.8mV) cartridge — calibrated using Baerwald geometry; VTF 1.88mN (optimal), currently VTF 1.89mN as of June 10, 2026
- Azimuth set to just under 'C' on SoundSmith counter-intuitive weight
Amplification
- Aurealis Audio SUT-CM (3440AH) — Step-up transformer (not currently in use)
- Low Gain: 9x gain, loads cartridge at >500 Ohms
- Conrad-Johnson ET6SE tube pre-amp
- 3 × Telefunken 12AX7 ANOS for phono stage (high gain L/MOMC cartridges)
- 1 × Telefunken E88CC/6922 for line stage
- 500 Ohm dip switch set for impedance — to accommodate Benz Micro Wood S-MOMC
- PS Audio P12 — Power conditioner
- Rogue Audio Atlas Magnum III
- 4 × Telefunken KT88-TK
- 2 × Telefunken NOS 12AU7
- 2 × Telefunken NOS 12AX7
Cables
Interconnects:
- Turntable to SUT: 1m Morrow Audio PH7 Grand Reference — upgraded with Eichmann silver bullet connectors
- SUT to pre-amp: 0.66m Aurealis Audio R3 AgSh(L) — UPOCC Silver Litz with Eichmann silver bullet connectors
- Pre-amp to power conditioner: 1m Aurealis Audio R3 AgSh(L) — UPOCC Silver Litz with Eichmann silver bullet connectors
Power cables:
- Silnote Audio Poseidon GL on all active components
PC Capture
- Dell Latitude 5490 with Realtek ALC3246
- Ubuntu 22.04.3
- Audacity 2.4.2 — capture at 24-bit / 192kHz
PC Processing
- Intel i9-9900K CPU @ 3.60GHz (5GHz turbo), 8 core / 16 threads, Windows 10 Professional
- Adobe Audition CS6 — splicing and noise floor elimination at 24-bit / 192kHz
- iZotope RX 5 Advanced:
- Decrackle: "Remove vinyl crackle" preset (if needed)
- Declick: "Vinyl record" preset, M-band (random clicks)
Speakers
The speakers used to assess every recording in the archive:
- Tekton Designs Lore — Hand-crafted, with Audax tweeter
- Efficiency: 96dB @ 1W @ 1m
At 96dB sensitivity, these speakers reveal micro-dynamics and low-level detail that less efficient designs simply mask. Paired with the Rogue Audio Atlas Magnum III tube amplifier, even a single watt produces full-range, room-filling playback — making differences between pressings, masterings, and source quality immediately apparent.
This is the chain behind every judgment in the archive. You can hear what it reveals in our ranking of the 25 best-sounding records we own, each one evaluated on exactly this system.
Keep Reading
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