1st foray into vinyl

[Oxfordian]

Morning all....I've been toying with the idea of getting back into vinyl (like many others) over the last couple of years. I decided to take the plunge, did loads of research into a straightforward turntable setup, and ended up down so many rabbit holes!!! I didn't have a big budget so decided to go for a package that had already been put together by a certain hi fi chain of stores. Anyways, it all arrived yesterday and I'm so pleased with it, but I've only got a few LPs so far (Mike Oldfield x 2 and Elton John) and I listened to them all last night. I've got my eye on much more vinyl and intend to increase my collection. Here's my simple set up; Pro-ject Primary E turntable, Cambridge AXA35 amp and Q Acoustics 3010 speakers. Any other advice / info would be much appreciated. Thanks for your time 👍.

Congrats on joining the rest of us mad vinyl lovers, it is a difficult medium to justify in this modern era but can reap many hours of enjoyment, it certainly does for me.

Your issue is going to be the cost of building a collection, vinyl is ridiculously expensive, at least 4 or 5 CD's can be bought for the cost of one LP, and as others have pointed out the 'cheap' route to getting a collection via the charity shops has long gone, but they are worth an explore as sometimes you strike lucky. Also ask around within your immediate family and friends, people may have vinyl stored away they haven't thrown out or sold and maybe happy to let you take it off their hands.

Over the years I found it very difficult to have my HiFi in our main living space, when the wife wanted to watch her TV soaps or other such rubbish I tried using headphones to carry on listening, but the wife complained about me singing along, apparently I don't have a good singing voice.

Now I am happily set-up in a spare bedroom and whilst the space is compact I am left in peace.

Good luck in getting the system sorted and that LP collection built.

 

[Gray]

My frustration is the loss of approx 300 or so 7" singles and 100 or so 12" singles that have gone AWOL, somewhere in my various house moves an incoming owner has found a few crates of music that I inadvertently left behind.

What a disaster! ☹️

 

[Oxfordian]

What a disaster! ☹️

The 7" singles were just a simple mix of what was in the charts at the end of the 70's early 80's but there were some cracking titles in amongst the 12" records, some were just the long versions of the 7" singles but others were EP's and they are the ones I miss most.

 

[colinj71]

Congrats on joining the rest of us mad vinyl lovers, it is a difficult medium to justify in this modern era but can reap many hours of enjoyment, it certainly does for me.

Your issue is going to be the cost of building a collection, vinyl is ridiculously expensive, at least 4 or 5 CD's can be bought for the cost of one LP, and as others have pointed out the 'cheap' route to getting a collection via the charity shops has long gone, but they are worth an explore as sometimes you strike lucky. Also ask around within your immediate family and friends, people may have vinyl stored away they haven't thrown out or sold and maybe happy to let you take it off their hands.

Over the years I found it very difficult to have my HiFi in our main living space, when the wife wanted to watch her TV soaps or other such rubbish I tried using headphones to carry on listening, but the wife complained about me singing along, apparently I don't have a good singing voice.

Now I am happily set-up in a spare bedroom and whilst the space is compact I am left in peace.

Good luck in getting the system sorted and that LP collection built.

Thanks for the tips on increasing my vinyl collection. In my younger days I had quite a bit of vinyl, mainly 45s and 12"s but when I left home in the mid 90s I foolishly just left it all behind and I've no idea what happened to it...parents probably chucked it 🙄. I'm very limited on where I can set up...it has to be in the living room or nothing so I'm looking at ways of putting everything in the right place. Currently at looking at building a riser out of some chunky timber I've got in the garage which I'll put the turntable on.

 

[Al ears]

Thanks for the tips on increasing my vinyl collection. In my younger days I had quite a bit of vinyl, mainly 45s and 12"s but when I left home in the mid 90s I foolishly just left it all behind and I've no idea what happened to it...parents probably chucked it 🙄. I'm very limited on where I can set up...it has to be in the living room or nothing so I'm looking at ways of putting everything in the right place. Currently at looking at building a riser out of some chunky timber I've got in the garage which I'll put the turntable on.

Make sure riser is perfectly level, good idea though.

 

[colinj71]

Make sure riser is perfectly level, good idea though.

I've seen a set of smart looking adjustable legs on Amazon....I don't trust myself to cut 4 legs at exactly the same length 😂. Once the wood is all sanded and stained, the wife will love it 😂😂.

 

[Al ears]

I've seen a set of smart looking adjustable legs on Amazon....I don't trust myself to cut 4 legs at exactly the same length 😂. Once the wood is all sanded and stained, the wife will love it 😂😂.

You hope......

 

[Oxfordian]

You hope......

I let my better half choose the first HiFi rack, it was perfectly functional but lacked any style or presence, once everything was assembled she didn't like it - too industrial.

Now we all know the two rules when dealing with our wives don't we?

 

[plastic penguin]

Hardly ridiculous, just your unqualified opinion….

Given others have said the same thing, it has quite a bit of credence. To make a MC cart worthwhile you need to spend the thick end of £700, which unless you have high end system.

 

[Oxfordian]

Thanks for the tips on increasing my vinyl collection. In my younger days I had quite a bit of vinyl, mainly 45s and 12"s but when I left home in the mid 90s I foolishly just left it all behind and I've no idea what happened to it...parents probably chucked it 🙄.

I know how that lost vinyl situation feels, didn't hurt at the time it went missing as I didn't know it went missing, but it hurts now

 

[WayneKerr]

I did read your post carefully and it's still a ridiculous suggestion. To put this into context, my system is more expensive yet I would be hard pressed to think about a MC cartridge.

Agreed, PP A good quality MM is all that will ever adorn my turntable for the foreseeable future. Al's advice on MC is always sound, good MC playback does not come cheap, and the playback chain must be up to reaping the benefits of MC.

 

[Amormusic]

Enjoy your system OP. I have some Q Acoustic concept 20's in my office system and they do make affordable, but great sounding speakers for the cash.

I have nothing to add over and above agreeing with the positioning improvements already made above.

The only thing I'll add (as I can't quite tell in the pic) is if you haven't got one, make sure you buy yourself a mat as this helps the sound. A cork mat is less than £10 on ebay.

Other than that. Enjoy your tunes! All the best.

 

[plastic penguin]

Agreed, PP A good quality MM is all that will ever adorn my turntable for the foreseeable future. Al's advice on MC is always sound, good MC playback does not come cheap, and the playback chain must be up to reaping the benefits of MC.

That why I surprised to see affordable Pro-ject tables with a Ortofon Quintet cartridges fitted. To me, given how good MM versions are it's a head scratcher.

 

[Rui]

Morning all....I've been toying with the idea of getting back into vinyl (like many others) over the last couple of years. I decided to take the plunge, did loads of research into a straightforward turntable setup, and ended up down so many rabbit holes!!! I didn't have a big budget so decided to go for a package that had already been put together by a certain hi fi chain of stores. Anyways, it all arrived yesterday and I'm so pleased with it, but I've only got a few LPs so far (Mike Oldfield x 2 and Elton John) and I listened to them all last night. I've got my eye on much more vinyl and intend to increase my collection. Here's my simple set up; Pro-ject Primary E turntable, Cambridge AXA35 amp and Q Acoustics 3010 speakers. Any other advice / info would be much appreciated. Thanks for your time 👍.

the only advice i have ,is whenever you can buy a better cartridge ,the only upgrade i think necessary ,it will cost you some money but the sound will be improved ,i bought one from Grado the prestige III gold to a technics SL3100 i had stoped ,now works perfect and still with a wider frequency spectrum or better frequency response ,direct drive no quartz engine(still to come in this new wave of turntables), if you like the sound,of what you´ve bought, congratulations, now there are lot´s of litle things that a more updated person in terms of new turntables will tell you what to buy so your turntable works better like pre-amp ,mat to decrease static and many more

 

[plastic penguin]

the only advice i have ,is whenever you can buy a better cartridge ,the only upgrade i think necessary ,it will cost you some money but the sound will be improved ,i bought one from Grado the prestige III gold to a technics SL3100 i had stoped ,now works perfect and still with a wider frequency spectrum or better frequency response ,direct drive no quartz engine(still to come in this new wave of turntables), if you like the sound,of what you´ve bought, congratulations, now there are lot´s of litle things that a more updated person in terms of new turntables will tell you what to buy so your turntable works better like pre-amp ,mat to decrease static and many more

Think a few of guys are getting ahead of yourselves. The OP's priority is to sort the speaker position and find a way of giving the amp some breathing space, as the turntable is sitting on top of the amp.

 

[plastic penguin]

I've seen a set of smart looking adjustable legs on Amazon....I don't trust myself to cut 4 legs at exactly the same length 😂. Once the wood is all sanded and stained, the wife will love it 😂😂.

Have you deleted a post?

 

[Al ears]

That why I surprised to see affordable Pro-ject tables with a Ortofon Quintet cartridges fitted. To me, given how good MM versions are it's a head scratcher.

If that turntable happened to be the X2B then I have already explained that to get a fully balanced system, and this was why the deck was created, you need a Moving Coil cartridge. This is why they have fitted a cheap MC.
Hope this helps.

 

[colinj71]

Have you deleted a post?

Not that I'm aware of?

 

[Oxfordian]

If that turntable happened to be the X2B then I have already explained that to get a fully balanced system, and this was why the deck was created, you need a Moving Coil cartridge. This is why they have fitted a cheap MC.
Hope this helps.

I understand the MC/Balanced set up and you've recommended the X2B in other threads but is there a big improvement in sound quality/clarity/soundstage over my RP3 with say the Goldring 1042 or Ortofon 2M Black on board?

Just considering options for a possible upgrade path at a later date.

 

[npxavar]

A decoration-friendly idea would be to get yourself a new piece of furniture designed for TVs, with a shelf to accommodate the amplifier.

 

[colinj71]

A decoration-friendly idea would be to get yourself a new piece of furniture designed for TVs, with a shelf to accommodate the amplifier.

I've been looking at this option too....I have a solution which involves a new piece of furniture. ...the idea just needs selling to the wife 😄.

 

[npxavar]

It should not be a difficult idea to sell. As long as you mention nothing about the amplifier causing interference to the turntable that degrades sound quality. You will not be taken seriously.

 

[colinj71]

It should not be a difficult idea to sell. As long as you mention nothing about the amplifier causing interference to the turntable that degrades sound quality. You will not be taken seriously.

😂😂😂 noted.

 

[Gray]

I let my better half choose the first HiFi rack, it was perfectly functional but lacked any style or presence

That's no way to talk about her.

 

[colinj71]

That's no way to talk about her.

😂😂😂