Giving vinyl a spin

Fono is what I started with.  Excellent.

Nick

Pro-ject decks really are very good value and very good for what they are and you are going about it exactly the right way but listen with an open mind because people have made the mistake before of buying something like a Rega RP1 along with some brand spanking new CD to Vinyl records expecting it to live along side a Naim streamer worth many thousands of pounds, it's equivalent to saying I want to give streaming a try by plugging your iPhone into a cheap Chinese dac and then comparing it to a top spec LP12.

You are in a better posistion having some old vinyl and the Debut Carbon is one of the better entry level decks with the 2M Red which is a good cartridge, the Rega Fono is an excellent phono amp I used one with a variety of decks and it really punches above it's weight.

You may already know this having owned Record Players in the past and although the Pro ject is pretty much plug and play placement is very important it does need to be isolated if possible and on a heavy surface.

SS, I think you might be pleasantly surprised. I always had a TT in my system and was late in acquiring a CD player back in the day (circa 2000!). I had lots of vinyl and looked after it. For a long time I ran a moderate Rega P5 alongside my CDX2/XPS and not comparable to your Pro-ject-272/250, I found I still preferred the P5. Only when I moved to CDS3 did CD replay become "superior" to my ears. This was also through 282/300. Again different to your set up. The main point being fairly low spec TT's can deliver and I would not be shocked if you are hunting for a better TT in the near future. With that in mind, make sure you get a phono that is flexible for various loads and possibly both MM and MC. The Naim phonos are good but pricey and not very flexible. Unless you get a Superline of course which I would not recommend, for now, at least. The Rega phonos are pretty good.

Dave

Plenty of decent cheap phono stages out there secondhand.  The Rega is a good choice.  Others to look out for are from Creek, Heed, and even Pro-Ject themselves (look for the Phonobox SE).  Don't go crazy.  Any extra cash put in the piggybank for records or the next step up the TT ladder.

I have seen second hand Stagelines at very attractive prices at big city Naim dealers in the US.

Skip posted:

I have seen second hand Stagelines at very attractive prices at big city Naim dealers in the US.

272 doesn’t power a stageline so I would need a cap and that puts it way over budget. Going to get to gear different phono stages with it. One being a Schiit Mani. If I don’t get that I’ll keep an eye out for a Rega or Pro-Ject phono. 

Not sure what your budget is but the Arcam rPhono (£400) will future proof you if you get the bug and go for more revealing cartridges in future.

IME a good TT setup sounds better than streaming in HQ.

I use my Debut Carbon with the Project Phono DS.

Sounds pretty damn good to me and was less than £200.

Rega fono, even good with better decks, e.g P3

Friend of mine has just installed a Rega fono for his LP12. Must say I was impressed at its performance, especially given its modest price. 

Thought I would post a pic here as well. I ended up getting a Schiit Mani phono stage. The guy I bought the TT had one so I went with that. I can always change it out in the future if I feel the need. 

My back to vinyl experiences were initially disappointing which was partly due to the poor quality of new pressings.

I was also frustrated by static both during playback and when putting the records on - this was cured by replacing the felt mat with a Funk Firm Achromat.

I found surface noise annoying too until I got some Art du Sun record cleaner and a bottle of Lyra stylus cleaner for the needle.

So yes it has taken a bit of effort but now my TT is on a par with my CD player albeit different in an entertaining way and sometimes ruined by badly recorded or made records.

Ray

thebigfredc posted:

My back to vinyl experiences were initially disappointing which was partly due to the poor quality of new pressings.

I was also frustrated by static both during playback and when putting the records on - this was cured by replacing the felt mat with a Funk Firm Achromat.

I found surface noise annoying too until I got some Art du Sun record cleaner and a bottle of Lyra stylus cleaner for the needle.

So yes it has taken a bit of effort but now my TT is on a par with my CD player albeit different in an entertaining way and sometimes ruined by badly recorded or made records.

Ray

This is the key to getting the best from any record player, CD or streamer.

Source first and the first source is the record, CD or music file.

In the case of vinyl if you are recollecting records you once owned or looking for vinyl copies of CD's you own always and I mean always go for 1st pressings Discogs is the best site for this and if 1st pressings or too expensive then look out for a quality remaster or reissue do your homework and make sure these have been taken from the original analogue tapes. There are lots of specialist labels out there making quality modern pressings of old records if your not sure check the catalogue number on Discogs or ask on here.

The reason lots of modern reissues are so bad is that they have been taken from a digital source and in the worst cases just from a CD. If a modern Jazz, soul or blues reissue is very cheap it is because they have been pressed cheaply from a CD source chief amongst these shister labels are DOL and DOXY these should be avoided completely.

The reason many vinyl issues of fairly recent records sound bad is this most records released in the 90's and early 00's where recorded digitally specifically for CD release and can of course sound fantastic but when vinyl started to become popular again from the late 00's through until now in a rush to cash in some labels released records on vinyl by just transfering the digital file onto vinyl which usually does not sound great unless special care has been taken and somewhat defeats the object you may as well buy the CD or music file.

A good example of this is Oasis's first two records released in the early 90's with a very minimal run of vinyl these became collectors items changing hands for hundreds of pounds when records again became fashionable again so they record company cashes in by reissuing the record pressed straight from a digital file onto record and they sound terrible.

Brand new releases are different and can be trial and error although record companies are getting wise and will state if the record is 'all analogue' or if special treatment has been given to the recording and pressing of a record.