[Community of A/V Enthusiasts]
How many of you plan to get a turntable (or get it out of the attic) and start purchasing LPs?
For me, vinyl resurged two years ago. I had given all my LPs to the Good Will store 25 years ago when I started collecting CDs. I kept the turntable - an inexpensive one - until about 10 years ago, when I finally just tossed it. Most of you are aware of my article on Vinyl vs. CD:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/technical-articles/426-a-secrets-tec...
The technology for building turntables, and also for mastering and producing LPs, has improved tremendously over the years. What I found in testing the differences between the two formats has resulted in my now having a first rate setup for listening to LPs. But, I don't listen to all types of music that way. I have confined my new LP collection to jazz, much of which is remastered classics, and cut at 45 RPM instead of 33-1/3. I love the sound of vinyl, but am a realist. There is quite a bit more distortion with an LP, compared to CD (I listen mostly to SACDs these days). Nevertheless, the LP sound is very involving, more so than with the digital format. I can't explain that, but it's there nonetheless.
Many musicians are now putting into their recording contracts that an LP must be released as well as the CD. This includes hard rock groups.
So, do you plan to get a turntable and start an LP collection?
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/technical-articles/426-a-secrets-tec...
The technology for building turntables, and also for mastering and producing LPs, has improved tremendously over the years. What I found in testing the differences between the two formats has resulted in my now having a first rate setup for listening to LPs. But, I don't listen to all types of music that way. I have confined my new LP collection to jazz, much of which is remastered classics, and cut at 45 RPM instead of 33-1/3. I love the sound of vinyl, but am a realist. There is quite a bit more distortion with an LP, compared to CD (I listen mostly to SACDs these days). Nevertheless, the LP sound is very involving, more so than with the digital format. I can't explain that, but it's there nonetheless.
Many musicians are now putting into their recording contracts that an LP must be released as well as the CD. This includes hard rock groups.
So, do you plan to get a turntable and start an LP collection?
Views: 70
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Cory Potts on -
There's a great article in a printed magazine dedicated to electronics (written by Michael J. Nelson) this month that sort of sums up my experience with vinyl...old players, older records, and hard to locate record shops selling media that are almost unplayable when you get them home (unless you use earplugs to filter out the hiss and scratchiness and turn it up REALLY LOUD).
My friend has a really nice sounding setup...I think he spent about $13,000 for his tonearm. If it takes that level of commitment to get a pleasant setup, I know a lot of people that will never give vinyl a chance.
Any advice from budget minded vinyl veterans is much appreciated. -
-
Permalink Reply by Mike Tubbs on -
Well, with a collection of over 3,000 albums and six turntables, much of it from garage sales, I can say nothing thrills me more than finding a gem for a dollar that should sell for $50 or more!
Cory, if you start with a decent, working turntable, and immediately change out the stylus, you are going to get better sound. Make sure the disc is in good shape with no obvious scratches on it, clean it when you get home, and transfer it to CD with a quality transfer software product...I use Spin It Again from Acoustica. The deal with CD's is that 40% of all vinyl has never been issued on CD or Itunes, etc. That which has been issued, sometimes have inferior mixes, truncated songs, or are missing songs altogther. As to record stores, I don't know where you live, but in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live, there are no less than 15 record stores that specialize in vinyl, twice that many down south. Of course, you can always find vinyl online, too.
But your best bet is to go to a record swap meet in your area, where you can ask questions and find out more about this great hobby.
Mike Tubbs
Vinyl Revival!
vinrev.com
Cory Potts said:There's a great article in a printed magazine dedicated to electronics (written by Michael J. Nelson) this month that sort of sums up my experience with vinyl...old players, older records, and hard to locate record shops selling media that are almost unplayable when you get them home (unless you use earplugs to filter out the hiss and scratchiness and turn it up REALLY LOUD).
My friend has a really nice sounding setup...I think he spent about $13,000 for his tonearm. If it takes that level of commitment to get a pleasant setup, I know a lot of people that will never give vinyl a chance.
Any advice from budget minded vinyl veterans is much appreciated. -
-
Permalink Reply by Jesenko on -
Hello to everyone!
I am new to the group and the website as well.
With the risk to sound too much of the “gearhead”, I am going to try to answer to Cory’s question: no, you do not have to spend $13,000 for entire system, including decent CDP, to get very nice set-up.
Your cart (needle) can eliminate most of the surface noise, and it does not have to be exotic (very expensive). I have Grado Platinum, wooden, see it at the Needle Doctor:
http://www.needledoctor.com/Grado-Platinum1-Wood-Body-Phono-Cartrid...
Most of the LPs I paid lees than a buck need one wash, and there is almost none of the surface noise. Entire setup is responsible for a very quiet and dark background, but I do not want to go into the details unless I’m asked to. Every part of the system is important, but for about 20 % of your friend’s tonearm expense, you could enjoy many LPs, and CDs as well.
Sound is very subjective thing.
Building the system is like building the racing car: for a mil, you will build the formula one. But, only the average formula one. To get that car to go faster and win the race, you will have to invest another mil for every millisecond down.
For the money invested, vinyl beats CD.
Yeah, there is certain type of the distortion. Read about the First and Second Order of the distortion. I am certain you can find a lot on the web. It is all about what is more natural.
I hope I was not boring, and all of this is just an opinion. -
-
Permalink Reply by T. Rodney Tatum on -
I think it might be time to raise this thread from the dead. The audiophile push back from low-rez MP3 music is gaining momentum and vinyl sales are picking up. The re-issue of classic "Blue Note" jazz watershed albums...the introduction of 45 rpm LP's on 180g media...the influx of sub five hundred dollar turntables...Vinyl is back and better than ever! I was just like the rest of you. I threw away my turntable and support gear. I gave away hundreds of albums to charity and went digital. NOW, I'm back to the fold. I understand the basic attraction to new toys. My son's might be trolling for iPod's for Xmas, but I'm fishing for a Rega!
Here's the real fun part: No other media format has ever provided a more fertile enviroment for tweaking! Platters, power supplies, cartridges, stylus', tonearms, mats, speed control...you name it; Tweak heaven! You can spend 10 bucks or as much as 2,000 bucks for a record clamp! I love it! Old school rules! Now come on Santa! Squeeze your fat a#$ down the chimney and bring me some analog bliss. I've got an original pressing of Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue just waiting to usher in an old era! -
-
Permalink Reply by Steve Scaggs on -
I never got rid of my albums. I never stopped playing my albums. Friends would ask me "why don't you get the cd of a particular album. It will last longer and sound better". Well, when I did an A B comparison between the album and the same cd , they heard it. There's more music on an album. More warmth, more body,just more. Now Cd's have gotten a lot better over the years, but as I wrote on this forum a couple of months ago, record player's and all that goes with them adds to my listening enjoyment. I don't mind getting up every twenty minutes or so to flip or change.
When I upgraded my vinyl rig it cost me $ 2,000 bucks. Project rm5 table, PS Audio GCPH phono amp, Benz Micro Ace cart.
I also got the speed controller for the table. Cables are DH Labs and a Shunyata power cord. My cousin and I split the cost of a record cleaner. His collection is bigger then mine, and he's about to upgrade his table. For some of us vinyl never really left the scene. But in the end it's like Richard said. It's all about the music. Whether Cd's , vinyl, cassettes, or open reel, just listen. -
-
Permalink Reply by Jim Milton on -
Having long since donating my last LP to my local library, I firmly support shiny silver discs as my medium of choice. CDs and anything "digital" get a bad rap. Though flawed, it does not suffer nearly as many issues as vinyl. Digital has come a long way since the 80s! You'll never hear about a "hi rez" LP. My view is similar to the opinion found in this article by Peter Mitchell:
http://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/890awsi/index.html -
-
Permalink Reply by Steve Scaggs on
-
If you can find a store in your area that sells one or the other, go give a listen. If your spending that much it's worth a trip. I'd lean toward the Rega with a Ortofon Black cart.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Ron Marcoux on -
I have to admit vinyl is not for me!!! So far antway.
Tried rebuilidng my old TT and borrowed a friends VPI, disappointed.
I have about 3k lps in storage, don't plan on getting rid of them. -
-
Permalink Reply by Jim Milton on
-
T. Rodney Tatum said:This is no longer a research project. There were lots of contenders at this price point. The winners are:
Music Hall MMF-7.1 Turntable (Simplistic and Good Looking)
Ray Samuels F-117 Nighthawk Phono Stage (Load resistance and gain controls on front panel and battery operated for noise)
Shipping in progress. Kevlar jacket fitting to take place soon. I'll need extra protection for spending this kind of money just before Xmas!
After all the setup and tweaking are done...and extensive listening conducted....you owe us your impressions! ;)
(Inquiring minds want to know) -
-
Permalink Reply by james shawell on -
i still have my album collection ,i still love handing my albums istill get up and flip the album ,li love all format in the audo spectum i have a dual cs500 ,still in great shape ,i had it for about 25 yrs ,again i glad that some of the audio folk getting back to this rich history of music listening
-
-
Permalink Reply by T. Rodney Tatum on
-
T. Rodney Tatum said:This is no longer a research project. There were lots of contenders at this price point. The winners are:
Music Hall MMF-7.1 Turntable (Simplistic and Good Looking)
Ray Samuels F-117 Nighthawk Phono Stage (Load resistance and gain controls on front panel and battery operated for noise)
Shipping in progress. Kevlar jacket fitting to take place soon. I'll need extra protection for spending this kind of money just before Xmas!
Addendum: I am going to hold off on the phono stage for the time being. The Music Hall MMF-7.1 is pre-fitted with a MM cart and I have been told by multiple soucres that the phono stage built in to The Integra DTC-9.8 is very good. I'll give it a shot first before I lay down $800+ for The RSA Nighthawk. I'm quit sure I will upgrade to a MC cart eventually which will require a MM/MC phono pre-amp, but that's the future. You can fish a spot and catch nothing today. Next week you might catch more than you can eat in the same spot. Who knows what phono stages will be available in the future? Anyway; If the phono stage in my pre-pro is as silent as a submarine, I'll have the option of upgrading to a better MM cart. If not, the outboard phono stage is but a "left-click" away. -
-
Permalink Reply by Steve Scaggs on
-
Makes sense to me . No use spending money when you don't have to. Keep us informed.
-
© 2013 Created by Secrets of Home Theater and HiFi.
