should i buy a turntable??

[Captain Duff]

Vinyl is undergoing a resurgance right now. In part this is due to people of a 'certain age' who could never bring themselves (or could never be bothered) to throw out all their LP's after they switched to CD based sources and now want a bit of middle-aged nostalgia, but there is also a far more relevant and important reason.

For all the ease of use of digital sources, and for all the oocassional crackles and pops, LP's played on a half decent TT (one that will often cost half the price of an equivilent CD player or streamer) just sound... better.

I've got some of the same albums on both CD and vinyl (CD's mainly for the car). If I'm in a rush then the CD will no doubt get played, but if I have time to sit and listen properly it will be the LP. My current CD player is far more revealing than the Marantz CD6000SE it replaced, but not as revealing, or warm, or 'live', as a piece of plastic getting scratched by an industrial diamond on something that is twirled around by a rubber band! This is nowt to do with nostalgia, or wishful thinking, but everything to do with enjoying music.

So to the OP, yes, get that TT (or an Essential, Debut or RP1 etc., etc.), grab a few cheap s/h LPs from your nearest record shop, or get some borrowed from friends and relations, and... enjoy

 

[Cass]

I dug out my old Systemdek II X900 TT a while back, after it had been in storage for about ten years. Put on an LP from my student days (when I acquired most of my vinyl), and my wife and I sat back to listen. "Wow!", I exclaimed as the first song boomed out through the speakers, "You don’t get that kind of quality with a CD. Just listen to how warm it sounds!".

We listened for a while longer before she ventured an opinion. "It’s a bit muffled isn’t it? And is it meant to go fast and slow like that?".

Reluctantly, I had to admit she was right. It actually sounded pretty bad.

I fixed the speed problem with a new belt and some bearing oil. I tried to improve the lack of top-end with a new cartridge, but the sound still wasn’t good enough. It may well be that my cheap phono stage was letting the side down, but I couldn’t be bothered to expend the cash and effort finding out.

So the Systemdek returned to the loft along with my vinyl collection. I’d say the reasons were:

(1) Poor sound.

(2) New vinyl is expensive, and I have little desire to listen the landfill indie that comprises most of my vinyl collection (the gems that I did own have long since been re-purchased on CD)

(3) Don’t want to have to find storage space for records.

I guess I just don't want the involvement!

 

[drummerman]

... and as previously said it's nice (if you have time) to sit back and enjoy an album start to finish

Actually ... you have to get up half way through ...

regards

 

[toyota man]

If you have not had any vinyl then I would stay well away storage keeping dust and finger print free also if they get warm they will worp and if you breath to close to them they will jump the only realy nice thing about albums is the artwork some thing tacktile the sound quality is also a bit hit and miss also when you are nice and relaxed in your easy chair you will have to get up and turn it over the lp not the easy chair

 

[davidpr]

And your point is?

 

[matn911]

Many thanks for all your comments

I can see the plus and minus but I got to say for the sake of a few hundred quid I'm going to give it a go!!

Can't wait to sit back and listen to a LP, admire the art work and hopefully be overwhelmed by the sound

 

[CnoEvil]

It's not an easy question to answer, as a convincing argument can be made on both sides of the debate.

Personally, I think it appeals to a certain type of person....ie the tinkeror, who likes the whole idea of the "hands on" challange and will enjoy the whole vinyl experience. It also makes sense if your musical taste rests firmly pre CD, then a lot of it sounds better on Vinyl.

A properly set up, competent TT sounds great, but one needs to fully appreciate the faff you are getting in to.

My advice is to sniff out an experienced specialist dealer, talk it over and give one a listen.

FWIW. I've been there (15 years and 4 TTs)), loved it....but don't feel the need to go back.

 

[floyd droid]

also if they get warm they will worp and if you breath to close to them they will jump

Brilliant post, made my day did that,lol.

What colour are the trees where you live ?.

To the OP. Cant you make up your own mind ?. Ah yeah sorry looks like you did.

8) Have fun buddy.

 

[Roby]

Damn amazing all you can read here.......

I mean verry differend opinion's....Mostly I can understand them others just don't make sens to me.

Personaly I love the handeling (cleaning, putting the record on etc)... In my case I recieved +- 800 lp's from family an friends an bought arround 200 of them mostly secound hand an it didn't cost me that much even If I can't tell you how much....

Sound wise to me a good recorded an clean record sound better than any cd I have, that's mostly the reason I disided to upgrade my TT afther 1.5 year. I'm now really happy with it an think it was a great move.

What they say about the storrage is a minus thay take a lot of space an it's best to take good care of them that's why I try to keep them clean an clean them before playing them when I buy some an than I change the inner sleeve an put the recocord also in a extenal plestic sleeve.

My advice now you made up you mind is the same I already saw in this tread

Project debuut or rega rp1 witch I both had a listen to an sound great, but really have a special attention to your phonostage

to me that's an element that can screw everything up.

The best budget one is the VPLSII of musical fidelity I agree it's not the cheapest one costing around 150€

but it's worth every penny I tested it next to phono stage costing arround 4 times more an it still sounded better, not better for the money but just way better ;-)

enjoy

 

[MajorFubar]

It also makes sense if your musical taste rests firmly pre CD, then a lot of it sounds better on Vinyl.

That's a very good point that isn't explored even half enough in typical vinyl vs digital debates. Surely buying albums on LP which have been generated from digital masters, there is little to no benefit, especially if the digital master is 16/44 or 16/48 (which many were in the 80s and 90s, probably the early 00s too). The only possible benefit could be if you believe that the DAC attached to the lathe was so immeasurably superior to your CD player that the benefits can be clearly heard on LP.

 

[Al ears]

'Damn amazing all you can read here.....'

Yes it is is it not ..... even the ones that cannot spell!

 

[shropshire lad]

'Damn amazing all you can read here.....'

Yes it is is it not ..... even the ones that cannot spell!

Now , now , don't be like that !

And you forgot a comma between "is " and " is " .

Yes, I know , I started a sentence with an " and" .

 

[floyd droid]

'Damn amazing all you can read here.....'

Yes it is is it not ..... even the ones that cannot spell!

Lol. Yip stonking innit. Hope it keeps running i does.

 

[ifor]

budget one is the VPLSII of musical fidelity I agree it's not the cheapest one costing around 150€

Another budget phono stage that should punch well above its weight. http://www.gspaudio.co.uk/gram-amp-2-communicator-phono-stage-preamp.htm

 

[Golly640]

Answer is yes if you want to start a record collection. You start in analogue and finish in analogue no digital conversion to risk losing detail. As for the clicks and crackles well there are plenty of record cleaning processes available and they do a good job in removing dust and static. I Put on the TT Pink Floyd's Echoes the other night and detail was great at least as good as any CD version but brighter in sound.

 

[Roby]

'Damn amazing all you can read here.....'

Yes it is is it not ..... even the ones that cannot spell!

Lol. Yip stonking innit. Hope it keeps running i does.

Ge kunt allemaal m'n rug op en ik blijf beleefd.... >)

 

[gregvet]

Ge kunt allemaal m'n rug op en ik blijf beleefd.... >)

Narrow escape from the swear filter there

 

[floyd droid]

Hey Roby. Thats all dutch to me .

I have a feeling that you have grabbed the wrong end of the stick mate.

Im being polite anaw.

 

[Covenanter]

If you like the sound of vinyl get a TT. Simples and you can have hours of fun fiddling with it.

Chris

PS Too much faff for an old codger like me. In the 70s I thought vinyl was miles better than CD but early CDs were often truly dreadful. There was a famous Karajon Prokofiev 5 which was wonderful on vinyl but was like listening to someone dragging their nail down a blackboard on CD. (It's been remastered and is great on CD now.)

 

[MajorFubar]

In the 70s I thought vinyl was miles better than CD

It was, because they hadn't invented CDs yet.