upgrade turntable or phono stage
 

thinking of upgrading my turntable. currently vpi prime 21 with koetsu rosewood signature going directly into mac c1100 built in phono stage. where would i need to be to hear an improvement? wondering if new mac c12000 has a better phono stage. hear great things about sutherland phono stages. thanks for feedback.

ed

You have a very nice vinyl setup. An outboard phonostage may be a good way to go. You could also consider a step-up transformer like the Koetsu or Bob's Devices.

what does a step up transformer do?

Here's a fairly straight-forward explanation:
https://www.henleyaudio.co.uk/step-up-transformers

K&K Audio also offers some very nice SUTs.

With the Sutherland, care must be taken to match the cartridge to any of the LOCO models. I would not mind owning either a 20/20 or Duo at some point. Some very nice phono preamps.

With that setup you're already in the upper tier of vinyl listening. I'd spend the cash on more records and enjoy what you've got!

Would agree...!

I would look at this option. While the phono in the C1100 is nice. It’s not great and I think this is your weakest link.

anyone know if the phono stage in the new c12000 is better than c1100?