Accession riaa curves ?
Printed From: Graham Slee Hifi System Components
Category: Turntable Audio
Forum Name: Graham Slee Phono Stages
Forum Description: Questions, answers, and product information zone for Graham Slee Phono Stage Preamps
URL: https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4145
Printed Date: 27 Mar 2026 at 2:12am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Accession riaa curves ?
Posted By: Gekados
Subject: Accession riaa curves ?
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 9:55am
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Hi. Promised somewhere else on the forum that I would ask a lot of questions, so here we go :) I am in the process of deciding on which phonostage to get for the future. And my initial thought was to test the Reflex M through the loanee program, as it had a sweet spot financially. This got quite complicated last night, when my beautiful wife arrived home with her dad's old record collection of 1300 albums of which at least 90% is pre 80's. Looking through a few boxes, there are a lot of rca/columbio/decca etc recordings, whicb I suspect was made using a different riaa curve ? So, some last night browsing let me to the Accession phono stage, which has selectable riaa curves as I understand. Could someone please help me understand, not the technical bit really, but the practical bit ? First of all, the different settings on the accession seems to be British, American and RIAA. If I look at a cover of Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club ( https://www.discogs.com/The-Beatles-Sgt-Peppers-Lonely-Hearts-Club-Band/release/499497" rel="nofollow - https://www.discogs.com/The-Beatles-Sgt-Peppers-Lonely-Hearts-Club-Band/release/499497 ). Would the 'British' setting provide correct feedback in that case, or is 'riaa' just as good ? And what is the 'American' setting ? I guess that this addition to our record collection changes our needs for phono stage as well, as a mono switch and different riaa corrections needs to be applied to the oldies ? Or would it work just as fine with a Reflex M, standard settings ? Hope that someone can enlighten me a bit here :) ------------- I'm not harmful, just introspective. You can probably think I'm weird, but it's not harmful weird. |
Replies:
Posted By: Aussie Mick
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 11:30am
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Hi! Terrific questions. I've used a Reflex M for two and a half years and I've always been happy, never feeling the urge to listen to anything else. However, I had a similar experience of being given a large collection of albums around about the same time as I started reading about the Accession. I currently have the Accession from the Australian loan scheme. To start with, it is superior to the Reflex M, even not considering the switchable EQ. I've noted my thoughts elsewhere in the forum. My experience with the EQ settings is that, yes, they make difference. An important difference. I use the British setting for older EMI and DG classical albums, and the American for my early Columbia classical albums. I think I have around 30 records for which this has been useful so far. As for Decca, I also use British. The flow of the music seems different to me. Much better and more organic. The mono switch has been less widely used, though. I tend to get most value out if it when playing a noisy pressing. So, I'm now looking to buy the Accession because it's improved my enjoyment. Could I live with the Reflex M? Definitely. It's brilliant. As is often said around these parts, get the loan and try it. If you don't feel there's value, don't spend the extra cash. Mick. ------------- Rega RP8 - Apheta 2 - Accession MC Enigma PS -Solo ULDE (Focal Utopia) - PS Audio M700 - Fical Kanta No2 |
Posted By: Drewan77
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 1:21pm
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Hi Lars I seem to recall that recordings mostly pre-dating the '60s may require some form of British or American correction. Graham or maybe Jon (Fatmangolf) would be able to clarify this (I don't think Sgt Peppers' needs adjustment though. I tend to leave the Accession on the RIAA setting unless I'm listening to some much older LPs). ------------- Older than I once was, younger than I'll be ............................. Andrew |
Posted By: morris_minor
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 1:43pm
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Hi Lars, Sgt Pepper wouldn't need a non-RIAA curve. As Andrew and Mick have said the alternative curves are really useful for older LPs. BUT  - you can look at the alternative settings as subtle tone controls, whether or not the record in question was recorded to the RIAA standard. For instance if a recording sounds a bit "flat", switch to "British" to give a bit more body and warmth.No doubt this advice would alarm the ultra-audiophile for whom tone controls are the spawn of the devil, but in reality every component in a system will impart some kind of character, however small, on the final sound, and trying to achieve absolute accuracy (accurate to what?) is impossible. So you might as well tweak just a little to get a sound that pleases you. Just my opinion.  You're going to have fun playing those 1300 "new" albums!
------------- Bob Majestic DAC/pre-amp Accession MC/Enigma, Accession MM, Reflex M, Elevator EXP, Era Gold V Solo ULDE, Novo, Lautus USB and digital, Libran balanced, CuSat50 2 x Proprius + Spatia/Spatia Links |
Posted By: Gekados
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 4:07pm
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Thank you. So the riia standard is only for really old records then. Most of these were from 1960 and onwards. I read somewhere that the riaa standard was intruced in 1980, but after googling a bit, it looks like it was '64. Don't know how I got that wrong.. So now we got to go through some more boxes (sorting out the keepers, rest goes to storage), and see how big a part is pre mid-sixties. Thanks for the input, somehow it's always easier to 'speak' to people, rather than just scour websites for info. ------------- I'm not harmful, just introspective. You can probably think I'm weird, but it's not harmful weird. |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 4:19pm
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Like Bob I use the non-RIAA options when some EQ is needed. British is a slight mid/treble boost, USA a slight cut. ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: Gekados
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 4:28pm
Can imagine that it works well for certain records. I'm not that into tonal controls though, for me it would be to get the right 'correction' curve. Dug up a few Sinatras last night, will see how a few do on my current riaa, that should give me a baseline, before I commit to additional features :) ------------- I'm not harmful, just introspective. You can probably think I'm weird, but it's not harmful weird. |
Fatmangolf wrote:Posted By: Bi-wire
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 4:39pm
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Flying the flag for the Revelation M here. More settings than you can shake a stick at and well worth auditioning. ------------- Peter Satisfied user of: Revelation M, PSU1-Enigma, Solo SRGII and lots of CuSat50 |
Posted By: morris_minor
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 5:08pm
https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/about/reproducing-old-records.html" rel="nofollow - https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/about/reproducing-old-records.html ------------- Bob Majestic DAC/pre-amp Accession MC/Enigma, Accession MM, Reflex M, Elevator EXP, Era Gold V Solo ULDE, Novo, Lautus USB and digital, Libran balanced, CuSat50 2 x Proprius + Spatia/Spatia Links |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2017 at 11:13pm
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RIAA "new orthophonic curve" became the defacto standard for all microgroove records produced from 1954 onwards, except for the records already in production and those who took a while to change the engineering. After all they were still making 78s in 1960. So all stereo records should be to RIAA. 1940s microgroove records tended to use 100uS shelving in the US, and 50uS shelving in the UK. RIAA took the average of 75uS. ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: Gekados
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2017 at 7:29am
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Hi Graham. Thanks for that fact. Should have done my research properly. Now I need to bug Suggs, so I can do some actual testing :) ------------- I'm not harmful, just introspective. You can probably think I'm weird, but it's not harmful weird. |
Posted By: Paperweight
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2017 at 9:04pm
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The oldest record I have is a Mercury pressing of Erna Sack in a tight fitting red cardboard sleeve. No inner sleeve. I believe it's late 40s, early 50s. I had always wondered when RIAA became the standard.
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Posted By: Gekados
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2017 at 10:08am
Too many options for me on the Revelation. I like to keep it as simple as possible :) ------------- I'm not harmful, just introspective. You can probably think I'm weird, but it's not harmful weird. |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2017 at 10:43am
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The Revelation includes HF settings found on 78's as well as the three on the Accession. If you have a lot of older recordings the LF options, right hand switch on the Revelation, are helpful too. ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |