LP12 vs/or CD-3.5/flat- or HiCap

A well-functioning LP12 (accurately set up, good bearing and power supply) with an Akito that still has life left in the bearings will piss all over anything below a CDX/XPS. With an Ittok, it will hold its own with the CDS-level machines.

All that is based on musical values/involvement, unless one has a major objection to record noise. If you really hate record noise, you're SOoL and will prefer a CD player.

although I'd be the first to recognise the quality possible with vinyl, I'd be very cautious about starting down that road today.

This is only worthwhile if you look around your area and find loads of discs available, at the right price, that you'd love to own.

cheers, Martin

I think this TT is a 2nd hand bargain and generally will trounce most CD players. I have a LP12/Ittock/Circus/Lingo/OC9 and it more than lives with a CDS 11. With any CD player you will always get a degree of digital glare - vinyl has its faults but they are generally benign and alluring! Go for it as there is plenty of vinyl available both new and 2nd hand.

Alco

I'd agree with Martin.

I recently thought long and hard about getting another LP12 and decided against it.

About 5 years ago I sold my LP12/Ittok/MC30s and all of my records, having made what turns out to be an incorrect assessment that vinyl would no longer be available by now. At that time, I was watching a very quick decline in the availability of new vinyl where I lived, so I started buying secondhand, but most of these turned out to be poor quality. It was a very frustrating time. I know others claim to be happy with secondhand albums but it didn't work for me. Given the circumstances I believe I made the correct decision in selling the LP12. However, the mistake I made was in selling my records. Had I not done this I would still have a decent collection and I know that I can still get new rock albums. Also, now that I live in a different part of the UK, I would probably have a better chance at secondhand ones too.

It doesn’t matter how much you can get an LP12 for. You must ensure you can buy good quality vinyl first. As long as you can do this then get the LP12, it’s a great deck. If you can’t get the vinyl then forget the LP12.

Brian

Hi Alco,

To make life more complicated, I saw Hartmut Quashick is selling his LP12 + ARO tonearm for 3.000 DEM.

Ciao!

Willem

Alco, if I were you I would go for this.. its a steal. I don't know what the situation is in Holland with used Vinyl, but here in the UK there is loads around, and overall fairly good quality. There are also loads of web sites you can buy, usually very reliably from..

What I can say is that my vinyl system (Linn/Armageddon/Aro/DynavectorXV1/Supercap) produces much better music that my CDS2. I realise that these vinyl components add up to being overall (not significantly) more expensive than the CDS2/XPS, but this CD setup is, in my opinion, the best by a long way that I have heard, - so the comparison is fair, and also it is not mean't to be any criticism of the CDS2. I also think that other price points also bear the same comparison (eg, the same points of comparison being made between CD 3.5 or CD5 and less expensive vinyl setups).

However, at some time you might want to invest in or at least have access to a record cleaner if you end up buying a lot of used stuff (or even new for that matter!). I have just recently invested in a VPI 16.5 machine and listened to some some Deutsche Gramaphon and EMI classical albums that I first bought 35 years ago, after cleaning them. I had not listened to them for quite a while and I was totally amazed at how fresh and how natural they sounded.. they put modern recordings to shame. I am now trawling through the rest doing the same... ( only a couple of hundred to go...).

Go for it mate - you wont regret it...

Ton

The stereo system gives you pleasure and the level of pleasure is to my mind the factor to consider where the money goes (and I have a CDI and LP12).

You have 400 CDs - hundreds hours of pleasre, 25 LPs - almost nothing. Put the money in the place that can give you more pleasure - your primary listening is CDs and that is the place to put the money on.

Arie

Arie,

The economics says get the LPs - at least at US prices. At $2/LP vs $18/CD, it'll be easy to make up the gap between 400 and 25. My understanding is that CDs in England are more expensive than the US.

Phil

Phil,

It is not that easy, first you never stop buying CDs even when you have a TT and you can't buy all kinds of music with LPs.
Secondly, old recordings which is the most pupular to buy with vynils, is very cheap and easy to get on CDs (at least here in Israel).
Old records from the 70s and 80s on cds, are in Israel for the price of less than 10 US $.

So if a person has a high quality cd player, and has no records and TT, I don't think it is wise to put the money on a TT INSTEAD of IMPROVING his cd player quality.

Arie