Back to Vinyl.....

admin_exported

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I have recently decided to dust off my old vinyl collection and need a new TT. I want to be impressed by the sound compared to listening to my CDs, I have Marantz 6000 OSE CD player (I think that is the correct number about £300 new), Bi-amped Arcam Alpha 8Rs to Eltax Symphony floor standers can't remeber the model but about £300 a few years ago........

I have been considering the Pro-Ject Debut but will I be dissapointed? Have thought maybe about the Xpression or possibly the Regas? Should I consider any others? What about second hand stuff? Budget could stretch to about £350 but only if it is money well spent over the Debut price.

Any opinions greatfully recieved.

Gareth
 

John Duncan

Well-known member
Well there's no doubt that 350 quid will buy you better pitch stability, surface noise, build etc. My recommendations at that level would certainly be the Xpression, or a good s/h example of something like the Rega Planar 3, Systemdek IIx (v good value), Michell Syncro, my own Project RPM5 or earlier RPM4, Linn Axis, that sort of thing.

But do not expect huge leaps over CD, or you will be disappointed - I have reinstated a 'table in my (not budget) system so that I can listen to my hundreds of LPs that I don't have on CD, but tbh I find the sound inferior to CD on the whole, primarily because of the old vinyl issue of surface noise.

Given a pristine 180g LP then you can hear the advantages of the medium, but how much of your vinyl is like that? You can take steps to improve the situation with cleaning (a Knosti Disco Antistat must be in your budget plan), but there will always be the odd pop and crackle........
 
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Anonymous

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I guess it comes down to what you prioritise in terms of sound quality as to whether you will find it to be "superior" or inferior." I have a budget CD player (Cambridge 540C) and a budget deck (Project Debut III) and to my ears, the sound quality off vinyl is superior overall. More warmth, fuller bass, just generally more presence all round. Sure there are pops and crackles on some of my vinyl (usually the more recent ones actually, a lot of the older second hand stuff seems to be less susceptible - better quality pressings in ye olden 70s and 80s perhaps?) but overall I prefer the sound. However, the difference is not so massive that I'd necessarily go out of my way to buy something on vinyl rather than CD.
 

survivor

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Hi Gareth.

Welcome back to the fold!

Good decision of yours to hold on to your vinyl collection. Don`t think you`ll get a much better sound than cd at that sort of price but a Project for instance I`m sure will have you smiling in a nostalgic sort of way as you listen once more to some dear old friends. Even the cheapest Project turntable gets good reviews so how about buying a cheaper one, see how you get on and if you really have re-caught the vinyl bug then save up for a more expensive spinner? Project and Rega for example sell lovely turntables at around the £500 mark. It cost a bit more than that but I splashed out on a Project X-perience and it has made me a very happy man!

Good luck!
 
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Anonymous

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Hi

Thanks for the responses and the advice, a new log in as my previous seemed to be single use only!!

I accept the pops and crackles will be part of vinyl and know I can put on the CD and get rid of it, but I am hoping to repeat the experience at friends after listening to several tracks on CD then listened to one on vinyl and no more CDs for the rest of the evening! Though that was a project X-perience and Sugden Amp so different class to what I have.

As getting another new TT past my other half maybe tricky I am tempted to go for the X-pression rather than the debut and hope it pleases!

Another thought, would the project Xpression benefit from upgrades in the future more so than the debut or one of the Regas?? A new cartridge may slip under the radar more easill than a new deck!

Gareth
 

John Duncan

Well-known member
And an RPM5 might even more so, cos it looks cool
emotion-5.gif


yeah, the better decks will take better cartridges and are generally more upgradeable - eg it's worth spending £100 on a power supply for a 350 quid turntable, perhaps not for a debut. And you're only going to buy one once every few years, so why skimp now?
emotion-1.gif
 

Charlie Jefferson

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[quote user="JohnDuncan"]Given a pristine 180g LP then you can hear the advantages of the medium, but how much of your vinyl is like that? [/quote]

You're right there but I still think there's something intrinsically "better" about how vinyl sounds, even, or should that be, especially when, I'm playing, let's say, an old Small Faces mono LP, when compared to the CD equivalent.My Roksan Radius often wins out over my Arcam 92/Chord 64 Dac combo. The latter cost almost three times my turntable, yet the Radius more often than not matches it, and often surpasses it.

[quote user="JohnDuncan"]a Knosti Disco Antistat must be in your budget plan)[/quote]

Yep, definitely. It's a wondrous, relatively cheap thing.
 

matthewpiano

Well-known member
Another vote for the Knosti Disco Antistat here!! Its quite incredible.
Clean your records, spend time setting a turntable up properly, and maintain your stylus and cartridge properly and vinyl will beat CD every time IMO, although the gap is significantly closer than it used to be. Vinyl just takes a lot more patience and perseverance if you are going to get the best out of it.
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="matthewpiano"]Another vote for the Knosti Disco Antistat here!! Its quite incredible. [/quote]

I am convinced I shall be adding one to the list, I am very tempted to go for the more expensive option provided I can ensure my 18 month old hooligan doesn't use it as a launch pad for his cars.............

I will go and audition some TT around the £350 mark and take it from there, thanks for the advice and I look forward to putting some effort into ensuring I set up correctly to get the best out of my new TT whatever it may turn out to be
 

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