Turntable pros and cons

All pros, the sound quality, upgradability,the pleasure of handling the vinyl, looking at the sleeves, seeing great piles of vinyl up against the walls, row after row of record spines

Oh no! I have turned into Nick Hornby again!

The only cons are the maintenance and care of the machine and the source material, and stability if you live in a bouncy castle.

DS

ITTC WSB - Naked Lunch

The additional pleasures of snap crackle and pop, having to leave your seat every 18 minutes to swap sides, being unable, without leaving your seat, to skip crap tracks, the exorbitant price of new vinyl releases, the cost of changing your cartridge every few years, worrying constantly about VTA, tracking weight, anti-skid etc., becoming a vinyl bore...

cheers

Nigel

Nigel,


Yes but think of the sound quality you can obtain from vinyl. Think of all the enjoyment you can obtain from all those hours of set up!
When was the last afternoon you spent setting up your CD player?

Vinyl may be awkward but its worth it!!

Regards

NB

Getting back to the original question, I'm sure most (if not all) contributors to this Forum would encourage you to explore the world of vinyl, but there are some issues to consider.

If you don't have an existing LP collection, you might be better off to just buy more silver discs for the CD3, rather than spend the money on deck, arm and cartridge.

If your musical tastes are contemporary this is particularly true as only a small portion gets released on vinyl.

If your taste is Classical, then there's a large market in s-hand vinyl to dig into. Same applies to 70s/80s Rock and if your into historic Jazz then vinyl is the only real way to go.

There are good vinyl re-releases from certain specialist record companies but the cost of these 'Audiophile' pressings are often £20+ making them a lot more pricey than CDs.

Just a few thoughts to ponder

David

"Opinions are like belly-buttons, everybody's got one"

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If your musical tastes are contemporary this is particularly true as only a small portion gets released on vinyl.

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Wrong. This has been discussed numerous times here and on Audio Asylum. There's lots of contemporary music available on LP, even thoroughly mainstream artists such as Britney Spears and Destiny's Child can be had on vinyl. Just take a look at Diverse Vinyl or Music Direct or Red Trumpet or even Amazon for a start. Beyond these sources there are what seem to be a million small record labels that sell LPs direct and cheap. One favorite of mine is Hopeless Records who sell LPs for a mere $7 including postage to US addresses. Hopeless artists Dillinger 4's brilliant Versus God was mastered by legendary audiophile cutter Stan Ricker, and it's yours for just $7.

Beyond LPs if you want really contemporary music there's a constant torrent of rap and dance 12" singles in specialist shops.

I opened this door about 2 years ago. I have since bought a few LP collections (dirt cheap) and my LP collection is obout 2,000LPs, sold off my CDS1 (vinyl is my only source now) and sold off all of the CDs I replaced with vinly.

Best audio move I have made. I never found satisfaction in CDs and normally bought a CD, upgraded it to a remastered version and then tried to source it out in the gold format if it was available and I liked it. Still never satified. I lived with the CDS1 and auditioned the CDS2 and neither player bridged the gap between vinyl and digital. Upgrading CD players only brings you closer to what vinyl already offers.

The cons, the time to source out collections or LPs and storage.


John

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Originally posted by David Stewart:
Getting back to the original question, I'm sure most (if not all) contributors to this Forum would encourage you to explore the world of vinyl, but there are some issues to consider.

If you don't have an existing LP collection, you might be better off to just buy more
silver discs for the CD3, rather than spend the money on deck, arm and cartridge.

If your musical tastes are contemporary this is particularly true as only a small portion gets released on vinyl.

If your taste is Classical, then there's a large market in s-hand vinyl to dig into. Same applies to 70s/80s Rock and if your into historic Jazz then vinyl is the only real way to go.

There are good vinyl re-releases from certain specialist record companies but the cost of these 'Audiophile' pressings are often £20+ making them a lot more pricey than CDs.

Just a few thoughts to ponder

David

_"Opinions are like belly-buttons, everybody's got one" _

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Thanks David

Overall, how much better is the quality on the older jazz LP's than the new remastered CD's say for example Kind of Blue by Miles Davis?

Number 5

Interesting question, this. I expect the answers you'll receive will vary widely.

My .02--
Vintage jazz on CD is "ok". Surface noise is definately a non issue, sound quality is "good". But what is it that enables a vintage album, even if it is not in Mint condition, to communicate a subtle, non-quantifiable essence that seems to be missing from cd's? I don't know. However, I do find a sense of ease, relaxation and a connection to the music on old jazz albums that is less available on CD. Personally I am not troubled too much by surface noise. Within bounds, I don't find it too distracting. And I actually _LIKE_ the notes, handwriting, water stains, initials and general "patina" found on less-than-mint vintage albums.

My advice would depend, in part, on the kind of music you are looking for. If you're interested in 70's-80's rock and pop, and 60's-80's classical then vinyl is an absolute incredible bargain as there is an enormous selection of this stuff available for pennies on the dollar. If you can't stand surface noise and want quiet surfaces then, cost-wise, it can become prohibitive, although it should be noted that a mint-condition vintage jazz album will probably only appreciate in value and CD's seldom will. Personally, I seldom buy the new, expensive reissues, since I either have originals or inexpensive reissues from earlier periods. If you're into jazz, the OJC reissues produced during the 80's represent an incredible value, providing great sound at nominal cost.

There are a lot of good sounding 'tables out there. You don't have to have the highest resolution setup to enjoy the music. For me, an LP 12/Ittok is "good enough" that I can turn my attention to other things.

Markus

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[QUOTE]Originally posted by integral:
The rest of my system is the old humble 52/sixpack 135s/CDS DBLs and will be upgraded into 552/500 in a week time. CDS3 will follow soon.[QUOTE]

Oh, why being so modest??

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Originally posted by Number 5:
Overall, how much better is the quality on the older jazz LP's than the new remastered CD's say for example Kind of Blue by Miles Davis?

Number 5

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With both Classical and Jazz the real vinyl afficionados say there's no comparison, vinyl always wins hands-down. Personally I think it's not that clear cut, there are good CD remasters which offer excellent quality and top value for money. These can often get very close to the quality of the vinyl original. Equally there's been a lot of very poor vinyl pressed in the past which can often be bettered by a very average CD remaster.

If you've not already done so, try to get to listen to a range of vinyl on a T/T, arm and cartridge you can afford. Your local friendly dealer will help. Then make up your own mind and try not to be too influenced by the vociferous zealots on either side of the digital/analog fence.

David

You might look into a used Garrard. Properly setup, they sound great.

How do I post a picture?

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Originally posted by integral:
I have been considering to invest in a Roksan TMS2 with Naim Aro and Dynavector or Magic Virus MC as an alternative to the LP12/PinkLink PS/ARO/Troika. Has anyone have any suggestion whether the TMS2 would contribute with greater musical access than the LP12. The rest of my system is the old humble 52/sixpack 135s/CDS DBLs and will be upgraded into 552/500 in a week time. CDS3 will follow soon.

H.Wibowo

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Hello Handoko,

This is Idris from Singapore. Hope you are enjoying the records that you bought from me on your last trip to Singapore.

The Roksan TMS2 is most definitely the most desireable record player this side of the world right now. As for cartridge choice, I would certainly go for the Virus as it would be more appropiate for a record player of the TMS2's stature even though the cost can quite prohibitive but I'm sure you are in that league.

Once you have the TMS2 in your system, you can compare it with your trusted LP12 and come to your own conclusions as I have mine.

In any case I hope you will continue to enjoy music and don't forget to call me as and when you are in Singapore. Until next time, CHEERS!

Best regards,
Idris Mohammed.

Trying again on posting a picture.

goose, if you have it on your harddrive make sure it is 30k or less.

write your post and click the icon that looks like a paper clip (If you are in the new forum) if the old one then scroll down and you will see attach picture.

You can then navigate to your picture for posting.

Insure its a JPG, and small!

Gary
Thanks for the tip. I am trying again.

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Originally posted by J. A. Toon:



One thing though: you should budget in the purchase of a record-cleaning machine (such as a VPI). If you're interested in s/h vinyl (and lets face it, if you're into vinyl you're surely going to be interested in the s/h market), then a decent record cleaning machine has to be regarded as an essential purchase, not a luxury accessory. The difference, quite simply, between pristine vinyl and anything not pristine, is that one sounds amazing, and the other is practically unlistenable.


John.

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Thanks John

I am almost (gulp) 40 so as Markus had mentioned s/h 70's and 80's vinyl is a bargain and would also bring back some good memories.I have recently starting to enjoy old jazz so as Markus had also mentioned this may be what the doctor ordered!!

John what is a VPI and how much do they cost

Thanks
Number 5

Advantages of vinyl......no CD player on earth can approach the sound quality of a good turntable

Disadvantages..... the constant maintenance to keep setup optimimum....this can be fun.

The major disadvantage is that new music is no longer released on vinyl

Laurie S

Thanks to everyone for the advice. It seems the pros have quite an edge over the cons.

Now to open the can of worms......can anyone recommend a turntable. I purchased all my Naim s/h so I would be interested in the names of t/t's that have stood the test of time as well as some advice on a new table.

#5

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Originally posted by Number 5:
Thanks to everyone for the advice. It seems the pros have quite an edge over the cons.

Now to open the can of worms......can anyone recommend a turntable. I purchased all my Naim s/h so I would be interested in the names of t/t's that have stood the test of time as well as some advice on a new table.

#5

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Hello,

There are many good bargains to be had on the second-hand market for turntables. Top on the list would be the venerable Linn Sondek LP12 (must be set-up right); Roksan Xerxes Mk1 (can be problematic if you live in tropical climate); Rega Planar3 (if you are on a very tight budget); Michell Gyrodec (if you are not too fussy about rhythm and timing).

All the turntables mentioned above have stood the test of time and offer different sound presentation. Please bear in mind that buying second hand poses some risks like mechanical integrity and electronic faults that might not show up at point of sale but develops soon after purchase. So "caveat emptor" or buyer beware. Good luck!

Best regards,
Idris Mohammed