Where does the slippery slope end?

[VES]

hey, all,
I'm just now getting into vinyl, researching on which my first turntable should be, and already I experience just how slippery the slippery slope can be.

so I'd like you to tell me, as this forum is full of people who have experience with hi fi and analogue music for decades, if money was no issue, where would you draw the line? meaning, which turntable would you choose paired with what system so that you would have sheer enjoyment of music without the anxiety of missing out by not upgrading this of that?

to give you some context, I know that the world of hi fi in general, is a world of diminishing returns. but I see that is not only true for the money side of it, but also emotionally. I see friends spend ridiculous money on hi fi equipment that doesn't bring them any more actual joy than what they had before but with the added hustle of matching components, adjusting everything all the time and generally it seems the experience gets ruined.

so if you could tell me, as people who have been thought that and come the other side, where is the sweet spot?

all opinions are wellcome,
thanks.

 

[12th Monkey]

so if you could tell me, as people who have been thought that and come the other side, where is the sweet spot?

I hate to say it, but it'll be different for different people - whichever part of the hifi chain you are considering. Worth reading the thread in the main hifi forum about the slippery slope:

The slippery slope

Circumstances have led to me selling pretty much all my kit over the past 6 months, and replacing it with the system in my signature. I'm sharing this in case it helps anyone who feels like they are drowning in the hi-fi sea. Some of you know how much hi-fi I've been through over the past 15+...

forums.whathifi.com

 

[daytona600]

researching on which my first turntable should be,

Project / Technics / Rega are all total no brainers
Allocate 50% of your budget to the source
Visit a good dealer or ask for a home demo / home loan
Project hifi in one box

Pro-Ject Colourful HiFi System Review

AVForums hardware review of the Pro-Ject Colourful HiFi System which consists of the Debit Carbon Evo turntable, the Maia S3 amp and the Speaker Box 5 spea

www.avforums.com

 

[VES]

I hate to say it, but it'll be different for different people - whichever part of the hifi chain you are considering. Worth reading the thread in the main hifi forum about the slippery slope:

The slippery slope

Circumstances have led to me selling pretty much all my kit over the past 6 months, and replacing it with the system in my signature. I'm sharing this in case it helps anyone who feels like they are drowning in the hi-fi sea. Some of you know how much hi-fi I've been through over the past 15+...

forums.whathifi.com

I realize that and I love Mathew's take on the subject. he actually inspired my question. I just wanted to hear where others ended up.

 

[camcroft]

I just wanted to hear where others ended up. Broke with empty bank accounts and lots of regrets

 

[12th Monkey]

I realize that and I love Mathew's take on the subject. he actually inspired my question. I just wanted to hear where others ended up.

I think with many of us, our signatures will tell you!

And never spend money that you can't afford to.

 

[matthewpianist]

It's a state of mind thing. If that isn't right, you'll never stop, and as @12th Monkey says, there's the danger of starting to spend money you can't afford. Those who can afford the kind of kit reviewed in Hi-Fi News are an extreme minority, and not matter how far you go there's always something even more expensive to suck up your cash or credit.

 

[12th Monkey]

Those who can afford the kind of kit reviewed in Hi-Fi News are an extreme minority

It's a bit like the car magazines. I enjoy reading about stuff I could never realistically (or often unrealistically) afford, but there must be issues of evo where the average list price of cars tested is well north of £100k.

 

[plastic penguin]

hey, all,
I'm just now getting into vinyl, researching on which my first turntable should be, and already I experience just how slippery the slippery slope can be.

so I'd like you to tell me, as this forum is full of people who have experience with hi fi and analogue music for decades, if money was no issue, where would you draw the line? meaning, which turntable would you choose paired with what system so that you would have sheer enjoyment of music without the anxiety of missing out by not upgrading this of that?

to give you some context, I know that the world of hi fi in general, is a world of diminishing returns. but I see that is not only true for the money side of it, but also emotionally. I see friends spend ridiculous money on hi fi equipment that doesn't bring them any more actual joy than what they had before but with the added hustle of matching components, adjusting everything all the time and generally it seems the experience gets ruined.

so if you could tell me, as people who have been thought that and come the other side, where is the sweet spot?

all opinions are wellcome,
thanks.

If money was no object I would upgrade the whole system. As most, if not all, are financially hamstrung the question is non applicable.

It'll boil down to the rest of your system, not much point buying a 3k turntable if your amp and speakers are sub-£1000.

All the usual protagonists make tables for most budgets, so that's a good starting point.

If I was starting my hi-fi journey now, I wouldn't go near vinyl.

 

[matthewpianist]

If I was starting my hi-fi journey now, I wouldn't go near vinyl.

@VES there's food for thought here. If you are a newcomer to vinyl it may be best to start small and to see whether you take to it long-term, before buying an expensive turntable. The Sony PS-LX310 or Audio Technica AT-LP3 could be a perfectly good starting point. Give it a year, see how you get on with paying high prices for decent LPs and review.

If I didn't already have a few hundred LPs I wouldn't bother.

 

[VES]

I get what you are all getting at.
you all look at it so painfully realistically that it makes me feel extremely naive
even though, thank you all for replying

 

[matthewpianist]

Out of interest, what is the rest of your system?

 

[VES]

Out of interest, what is the rest of your system?

Uniti Atom + Chora 806... if that constitutes "a system"

 

[matthewpianist]

Uniti Atom + Chora 806... if that constitutes "a system"

That's a nice set-up.

What's your motivation for adding vinyl?

 

[VES]

That's a nice set-up.

What's your motivation for adding vinyl?

I think it's more the sentiment that goes with it than anything else. the mechanics fascinate me (I'm an architect), the romantic memories of listening to my grandfather's old and crusty turntable, the ritual with starting the TT, putting the record on, stuff like that.
honestly, I don't really believe there's an argument to be made for analog over digital or vice versa. it's just too different to compare. in both cases at the end of it we are consuming a musical product that was consciously designed for us and its just different, the record on the vinyl is just different from the one streaming.
that is why I want to keep both.

 

[plastic penguin]

Uniti Atom + Chora 806... if that constitutes "a system"

Does your amp have a built-in phono stage? If not you'll have to budget for a decent stage.

We all need to be painfully realistic otherwise you could end in a nasty, financial mire.

 

[VES]

Does your amp have a built-in phono stage? If not you'll have to budget for a decent stage.

We all need to be painfully realistic otherwise you could end in a nasty, financial mire.

no, it doesn't have a phono and since I am new to this I'm thinking of going with the easy choice of a turntable with an integrated phono stage or a phono stage from the same manufacturer in the same class.

right now I am leaning towards a Rega Planar 3 & Fono MM MK5.

yes, I understand completely.

 

[matthewpianist]

no, it doesn't have a phono and since I am new to this I'm thinking of going with the easy choice of a turntable with an integrated phono stage or a phono stage from the same manufacturer in the same class.

right now I am leaning towards a Rega Planar 3 & Fono MM MK5.

yes, I understand completely.

That's a combination which you would struggle to improve on without spending considerable money. If you're committed to vinyl, go with that and think no more about further tweaks and upgrades.

 

[plastic penguin]

no, it doesn't have a phono and since I am new to this I'm thinking of going with the easy choice of a turntable with an integrated phono stage or a phono stage from the same manufacturer in the same class.

right now I am leaning towards a Rega Planar 3 & Fono MM MK5.

yes, I understand completely.

Sounds like a really good combo. Rega started out making turntables before any other component. I've yet to hear a bad one.

Let us know how you get on.

Good luck.

 

[nopiano]

no, it doesn't have a phono and since I am new to this I'm thinking of going with the easy choice of a turntable with an integrated phono stage or a phono stage from the same manufacturer in the same class.

right now I am leaning towards a Rega Planar 3 & Fono MM MK5.

yes, I understand completely.

As others have said, you can’t go far wrong with that combination. If you go to a dealer, try to hear their bargain Planar 1 Plus in the Eco edition alongside the 3 model. It has a built in phono stage as required by many budget buyers, but it’s a barmy low price because it has a slight flaw in the finish. Not much more than the Fono MM itself!

Rega Planar 1 PLUS ECO DECK Green Grade

Rega Planar 1 ECO DECK available at Doug Brady Hi Fi. Instead of not using parts with cosmetic faults Rega have decided to use such parts to build Green Grade Rega products. These products will function and perform perfectly and come with Rega unrivalled Limited Lifetime Warranty against...

dougbradyhifi.com

Chose this dealer at random, to show what’s on offer. I suspect they’ll be unavailable soon.

 

[camcroft]

As others have said, you can’t go far wrong with that combination. If you go to a dealer, try to hear their bargain Planar 1 Plus in the Eco edition alongside the 3 model. It has a built in phono stage as required by many budget buyers, but it’s a barmy low price because it has a slight flaw in the finish. Not much more than the Fono MM itself!

Rega Planar 1 PLUS ECO DECK Green Grade

Rega Planar 1 ECO DECK available at Doug Brady Hi Fi. Instead of not using parts with cosmetic faults Rega have decided to use such parts to build Green Grade Rega products. These products will function and perform perfectly and come with Rega unrivalled Limited Lifetime Warranty against...

dougbradyhifi.com

Chose this dealer at random, to show what’s on offer. I suspect they’ll be unavailable soon.

What the product or the dealer? I saw something on another forum someone had put on about the turntables at HMV .. I will leave it there because they have gone from records to turntables and headphones.

 

[nopiano]

What the product or the dealer? I saw something on another forum someone had put on about the turntables at HMV .. I will leave it there because they have gone from records to turntables and headphones.

I didn’t chose the product at random, no! The dealer was merely an illustration. Rega is sold widely, as you know.

 

[Al ears]

To be frank I think you have to get to a point where the slippery slope ends, and then work backwards to where it actually started...