Vinyl Educate Me Please

bigaudiofanatic

So after looking at two records that I bought 2 years ago. I finally want to get my feet wet with records and turntables. The only problem is I have no idea where to begin nor what to get. I need some guidance from my fellow polkies. What do I need to look for when buying vinyl? What is a good starter turntable? Why do I want to listen to vinyl? well that one might be answered because i want to play around with it.

bigaudiofanatic

No one

fbm211

Have you looked on audiogon and ebay for used TTs. Buy your vinyl from george in the flea market as he does list the condition.Metrowax records has thousands of records in stock and Ive ordered some hard to find records from them.I prefer audio technica carts and am soon going to upgrade to the Audio Technica AT33PTG Prestige MC Stereo Cartridge. Hope this helps.

vc69

Well, I'm about to hop back into vinyl too. I scored about 150 LP's and EP's yesterday at a garage sale. Plus, I have about 300 LP's in storage. Hopefully they aren't toast from heat and such.

Vinyl is it's own world. Some love it, some hate it. Like tubes, it's a love-hate relationship for me.

Love how it sounds sometimes, other times it just pisses me off.

A good turntable/cart/arm is expensive and in the end, you have an inherently tedious and fickle source. It's just not fun sometimes.

All that being said, there are plenty of good tables out there to be had. I am seeking one now. Maybe a Rega, or a Denon or a Dual. I had a nice Dual a few years ago. I don't even know what is good anymore.

Then the cartridge... holy crap. I used to like the Ortofon's back in the day.

And then you have to deal with careful placement and isolation.

It is an entirely new rabbit hole to fall down, explore, and perhaps get lost in. Some people swear it is the highest of high fidelity. For me, it's just another, different way to enjoy music. It's really about the music. Right?

bigaudiofanatic

Yes it is about the music. I just want to see what I can hear from my cd's or lossless collection too a record. I have heard that the sound is more natural and that it is warmer as well. I remember hearing records when I was young but never relay heard them on a nice system. There are a few artists that I want to hear on records and see how it sounds. Journey, Eagles, Meat loaf, and so on are just a few. I am curious and also bored that is why I want to try records.

Fireman32

Go and try to find a table thats not too expensive. I started out with a 100 table that sounded quite good and then got bit buy the bug and upgraded. If you really enjoy listening to vinyl then you will also need to purchase a record cleaning machine. I am currently without a table but cant wait to get one back.

You can get a nice setup for not alot of money. Im sure more people will chime in. Good luck.

madmax

Its best to go to someones house and listen to a good setup.
madmax

bigaudiofanatic

I am not that worried about wasting money. I think it will be fun either way. I just want to know what to get and what to look for. Also how to clean the records, some say use a dam cloth others say use soap and water, others say windex.

I just like having fun with audio and music, as long as your having fun and enjoy what you are listening to that is all that counts.

TroyD

Unless you know about turntables, I wouldn't bother with a used one. A starter table from Rega, Music Hall or Project would be a good start. The other thing to consider is, does your preamp have a phono stage? If it doesn't, you'll have to get one of those.

Search on record cleaning....the long and the short is, if you don't start with clean vinyl, you are wasting your time. I've tried a bunch of different ways, but, a vacuum machine is not optional. It's a must have.

LP's CAN sound better than cd's....but it's going to cost you. If you pick up an old direct drive table with a cartridge that's shot and/or misaligned and throw on a record that hasn't been vacuumed....yup, you can do that for less than a C note....but it WILL sound like ****. In that case, save your money. Go to a dealer or someone who has a decent setup first.

BDT

bigaudiofanatic

My receiver does not have a phono input so yes I know I will need a phono pre amp. I will take care of what I get and make sure the LP's stay clean. I am not going to use them as flying disks.

TroyD

I still don't think you are getting what I'm saying....a brand NEW LP needs to be cleaned. An should be cleaned before and/or after each playing. Otherwise crap will accumulate in those grooves...and then the stylus will come along at a million PSI and permanently embed it in the groove and you have records that really aren't worth a ****.

Again, I've done this....ignore my advice at your own risk.

So, tell me this, do you know how to properly handle an LP, remove it and replace it from it's sleeve? Now, you might but are you sure the person previous to you did?

Just saying is all.....

BDT

bigaudiofanatic

Troy I do appreciate your feedback and your help. But they way you are putting it and wording it you are taking the fun out of it. I am looking to experiment that is all, if I get serious about it than I will invest in cleaning materials and such. I am jsut getting my feet wet right now.

TroyD

Well, f*ck me....you know, sometimes I wonder why I frigging bother.

Fine, buy a POS table, throw some records on and have a blast.....but, vinyl is a process, some of us LIKE that part of it. If that's what you wanted to do...just frigging say so.

(but, when you DO that and then post back that it sounded like ****, and oh, btw, what do you guys see in this...don't say that I didn't tell you so)

I thought you actually wanted to know about vinyl playback.

BDT

TroyD

Ok, lemme just expound on WHY I like that process....I've got some LP's that date back to the late 1950's...long before I was born. It's kind of a cool thing to take an old LP and keep it nice and pristine. I like reading the liner notes. I like the cover art...these things just don't really exist now. I love the whole process. I don't view it as a kill joy. MAYBE just perhaps some of the vinyl I have, someone a few decades from now, will do the same thing.

BDT

bigaudiofanatic

I do, and as I said I appreciate the feedback. I just do not see how you can not take out a clean record from it's cover and play it if it has been cleaned. There is not doubt that you will have to clean them every once in a while. I also think that you are right about getting a good tt I do want to be able to enjoy my system and I know that records take more time. They are like tubes that you have to allow to warm up and such.

george daniel

FWIW,,I don't play anything,new or old without my cleaning process.

TroyD

Have you ever PLAYED a record?

Let's see...I've played more than I can count. I know what I'm telling you because I've done it. I didn't just START with this opinion...and if you do some reading, you will find that I'm not alone in that philosophy.

Just because you 'don't see how you can not take out a clean record from it's cover....' Lemme just throw this out there, pressing vinyl is not done in a sanitarium (sp) PLUS they ad things like mold resistant **** to your record (think about that one for a moment, sport)....


Eh, eff it...this is all doing a complete frigging fly by.

Do what you want, meat. I don't care. You've wasted enough of my time.
BDT

Face

hearingimpared

There is all kinds of nasty dirt, grime, dust and mold realease compounds in the factory where they press vinyl. That is why you need to take some time and the proper chemicals to prepare the record for playback.

I highly recomend VPI turntables and a record cleaning machine such as the VPI 16.5.

bigaudiofanatic

Okay now I know why I have to clean them all the time. Thanks, I will take a look at the vpi's

vc69

bigaudiofanatic wrote: »

Okay now I know why I have to clean them all the time. Thanks, I will take a look at the vpi's

Plus, as soon as you drop a needle on an uncleaned record, you just destroy the groove and embed the grime into the vinyl.


I agree with Troy that part of the magic is in the ritual laying on of hands baptism, and finally the exorcism of the demons.

Vinyl can sound absolutely amazing.

bigaudiofanatic

So without spending money on a cleaning machine how do I do it by hand? What do i use? I have been told mild soap and water.

TroyD

You can use mild soap and water...google record cleaning....There is also a manual cleaner calle the Orbitrac or some such, I've had it and it's better than nothing...but, it's actually more time consuming to do it by hand. With a machine, it's about a minute a side....

The problem, as I see it, without the vacuum, there is no way to keep crap from settling back down into the grooves.

BDT

bigaudiofanatic

Well better to do it by hand than nothing I guess. I will see if I can located a TT in the next few days. I guess I will also need a phono pre amp considering my receiver does not have a phono in correct?

TroyD

Yup....check out Project...they sell both....

bigaudiofanatic

LOL a tad expensive from what I see.

bigaudiofanatic

I was looking at these.

http://www.amazon.com/AT-LP2D-USB-Automatic-Turntable-Recording-Cartridge/dp/B000UKUDSE/ref=sr_1_278?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258081669&sr=1-278

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-PS-LX300USB-Stereo-Turntable-System/dp/B0015HOFZI/ref=sr_1_340?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258081858&sr=1-340

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-PL-990-2-Speed-Automatic-Turntable/dp/B00009QORL/ref=sr_1_437?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258082055&sr=1-437

miner

I use a Disc Doctor brush and fluids and clean by hand prior to putting on it on my NG 2.5Fi.

TroyD

bigaudiofanatic wrote: »

I was looking at these.

http://www.amazon.com/AT-LP2D-USB-Automatic-Turntable-Recording-Cartridge/dp/B000UKUDSE/ref=sr_1_278?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258081669&sr=1-278

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-PS-LX300USB-Stereo-Turntable-System/dp/B0015HOFZI/ref=sr_1_340?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258081858&sr=1-340

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-PL-990-2-Speed-Automatic-Turntable/dp/B00009QORL/ref=sr_1_437?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258082055&sr=1-437

If all you want to do is play records....cool. If you are interested in honestly hearing what potential vinyl playback is capable of, that is a waste of time.

Honestly, you are just better off stick with CD's at this point. I don't mean this in a perjoratively but those tables will not give you any sense of what vinyl is capable of.

BDT

Face

Watch Ebay and Audiogon for used Rega P1/P2's or NAD 533/555's. You can sometimes find them for around $200 and they would be leaps and bounds above what you posted.

bigaudiofanatic

Thanks face, I will keep an eye open. Yes a few people have told me to just stay with my digital collection, but I always look to expand. Especially with my neighbor having over 300 lp's all in god condition.

Oh but no TT right now.