Question Newbie

[simonBURROWS]

Bit excited so want to get it right, I had a freebie Sonos play 1. from virgin media about 5 years ago and I thought oh, that sounds nice. I have been playing various genres on it ever since and have become interested in listening. I mean really listening, I've not really listened to music before, it's just been on so to speak. Anyway i've just splashed out on a Sonos five, chuffin Nora I didn't know that was possible. I have paired it with my play 1 and whilst I know it's not true stereo it is filling my room and head with a beautiful sonorous experience.
I have signed up to Apple Music and am currently streaming various genres, tonight I am listening to Apple Music Classical in spacial audio Dolby Atmos and the sound is idilic. Last night I tried Apple Music playlist " Audiophile tracks, Cambridge Audio" streamed at 24 bit lossless ALAC. I have been researching the best albums to play to get the richest sound out of my system, and I have found that the quality of sound varies a lot. I have also found that the best sound is coming from the Apple spatial audio soundtracks.
I have recently started thinking about buying a turntable and getting some vinyl, what made me think about this was the fact that my Sonos five has an audio socket that will allow me to connect a turntable. I do like researching this subject and have almost come to the decision to buy a Fluance RT 82 with a Schiit Mani preamp playing through the Sonos Five grouped with a pair of Sonos Play 1. So with that in mind the question to you experienced people is........am I going to gain anything in "Quality of Sound" through buying the turntable and hooking it up to my system?
I truly like the idea of taking a tactile object (vinyl) out of it's sleeve and enjoying the cover artwork and placing it on the turntable to play the music, BUT am I going to be disappointed at quality of music compared to the beautiful rich sound that I am currently getting through streaming, as I type this I have just listened to Danny Boy (Arr. Bateman for Solo Violin, Harp and String Orchestra) Daniel Hope, Marie-Pierre Langlamet & Zürcher Kammerorchester on Apple spacial audio and it almost, no it did bring me to tears, I haven't heard it like that before. Is the answer to this question going to be "it depends on the quality of the vinyl or the pressing? if I am going down that route then how do I discover the best vinyl albums to play?, is this a minefield? should I just stick with my current streaming system or is Arcadia around the corner?
Hope someone can advise.

Many thanks,

Simon

 

[Al ears]

Personally I think you really need to consider leaving vinyl alone, it can disappoint i n many cases and is not a cheap option to add on to a set-up that you're already happy with.

 

[skinnypuppy71]

Hi Simon...and welcome to the forum......vinyl playback is not something to take on lightly....it can sound absolutely beautiful..But it doesn't come cheap....the fluance turntable..I wouldn't touch with a barge pole...rega or project are the most popular brands among well informed music lovers...that ortofon om10 sounds pretty crap...you really need at least a Ortofon 2m blue to get a decent jumped in sq....you will also need a phono stage for the sonos speaker.....then the price of vinyl....it ain't cheap to build a good collection of music,have you thought about cd''s and cd player instead....cheaper and no faff setting it up.....although I would try to steer you in the direction of moving away from the Sonus speaker setup and progress to either some active speakers or a budget separates system....IF you want a improvement in overall sound quality....it'll be a bit of a shock from the Sonus way of presentation of music though....they tend to over egg the bass and are pretty shy on detail, compared to a traditional hi-fi setup.

 

[Gray]

I truly like the idea of taking a tactile object (vinyl) out of it's sleeve and enjoying the cover artwork and placing it on the turntable to play the music, BUT am I going to be disappointed at quality of music

...if not by the quality, more disappointed with the price of it possibly Simon.
Unless you've got loads of spare money, now is about the worst time to be starting from scratch with vinyl.
Have you seen the prices asked for new vinyl?
There's an album I fancy, but they're asking £45 for it on vinyl. Even the CD is £23, which is more than double what it should be.
No wonder people are increasingly into streaming now.
If you decide that vinyl is for you, be prepared to spend big.

 

[Tinman1952]

Spend your money on a proper amplifier and speakers….leave the 19th century technology alone. Did that 25 years ago and would never go back!

 

[Gray]

Spend your money on a proper amplifier and speakers….leave the 19th century technology alone. Did that 25 years ago and would never go back!

Bought my first vinyl 50 years ago this year (Slade / Coz I Luv You 7").
Back then vinyl had no real competition.
Wouldn't be my source of choice if I was starting now.

 

[jjbomber]

I have recently started thinking about buying a turntable and getting some vinyl, what made me think about this was the fact that my Sonos five has an audio socket that will allow me to connect a turntable. I do like researching this subject and have almost come to the decision to buy a Fluance RT 82 with a Schiit Mani preamp playing through the Sonos Five grouped with a pair of Sonos Play 1. So with that in mind the question to you experienced people is........am I going to gain anything in "Quality of Sound" through buying the turntable and hooking it up to my system?
I truly like the idea of taking a tactile object (vinyl) out of it's sleeve and enjoying the cover artwork and placing it on the turntable to play the music, BUT am I going to be disappointed at quality of music compared to the beautiful rich sound that I am currently getting through streaming,

Simon

Every professional musician I have spoken to prefers vinyl. It has that certain 'warmth' that you don't get elsewhere. Every single one without fail.
Me? I would never go back to vinyl. Streaming all the way for me.
You? Who knows. At the very least you need to go and demo a vinyl system. Then, and only then, will you know if it's right for you.

 

[Vincent Kars]

 

[Gray]

Every professional musician I have spoken to prefers vinyl. Every single one without fail.

So we must assume that, if they listened blind, they could always tell the difference

 

[jjbomber]

So we must assume that, if they listened blind, they could always tell the difference

Rather than assume, I prefer facts, however .....

Probably, but they are professional musicians, so they know what to listen for.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Clicks and pops, presumably!

 

[Al ears]

Clicks and pops, presumably!

Bit of a giveaway......
one can only assume those musicians haven't heard a DSD file through a decent DAC

 

[Tinman1952]

Rather than assume, I prefer facts, however .....

Probably, but they are professional musicians, so they know what to listen for.

Many professional musicians have impaired hearing or tinnitus……just saying….😄

 

[Al ears]

Many professional musicians have impaired hearing or tinnitus……just saying….😄

Define professional.... Many would not let their hearing get to that condition in the first place....

 

[Tinman1952]

Define professional.... Many would not let their hearing get to that condition in the first place....

Perhaps you should read this……

Musicians, tinnitus and hearing loss - a hidden problem

Many musicians have tinnitus and hearing loss, but often don't discuss it. Find out why it happens and how to get help.

www.healthyhearing.com

 

[simonBURROWS]

Update:
Well I went ahead and did it, I bought the Fluance RT84 coupled with a Cambridge Audio Alva Solo Moving Magnet Phono Preamplifier hooked up to a Sonos five paired with a Sonos Play 1 (another coming tomorrow). I have been comparing sound quality with Apple streaming at 24 bit lossless ALAC and........the turntable is my choice, I take the vinyl from the sleeve and clean it, I then clean the stylus, I place the record on the plater and slowly and carefully move the arm to the beginning of the record, I move the lever and it gently to it's own accord it lowers itself to the groove and plays. I have the tactile cover artwork and removable insert (Daft Punk, Random Access Memories) to handle and read. The whole experience of playing and listening to vinyl for me has beaten the wonderful experience of streaming. Yes cost has to be considered but this experience is something I did in the seventies with a cheap record player and the process for me is both nostalgic and also it gives me a sense of achievement because I can now afford to do something I couldn't in the seventies. The beauty of streaming though, is it means I can play as many albums as I want before I go ahead and invest in the vinyl. Maybe this is a familiar story and could depend on personality types but I still have my Nikon slr 35mm Film camera from 1981 and am still using it so I guess I'm in to the audiophile scene for the long haul.