I'm enjoying my new turntable, but what I'm enjoying even more is that copy of Yes Fragile I picked up in 1973. Despite the surface noise, it still sounds fantastic!
P1170863.JPG
I'm enjoying my new turntable, but what I'm enjoying even more is that copy of Yes Fragile I picked up in 1973. Despite the surface noise, it still sounds fantastic!
P1170863.JPG
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
Nice. What kind of turntable is it? I still use my old direct drive Technics.
Pro-ject Debut Carbon, with Ortofon 2M Blue (which was an upgrade). My "70s stereo" has an old Technics direct-drive!
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
I went for almost 15 years without a table and it was quite the revelation when I got one again. And it turned out a lot of albums in my collection didn't have a lot of surface noise: Donald Fagen, Sting, Pink Floyd, ever a couple Zeppelins.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
Sweet. I have a Rega P3 that I use occasionally.
I still play a lot of my vinyl. I have a manual Gemini turntable. It's a brand generally used by DJs. I figured if that's the case it should be heavy duty enough for me and besides it was (relatively) cheap. Sounds and plays very good to me. I still enjoy the old vinyl. One of these day's I'll get a vinyl cleaning machine so I won't have to wipe the disks on my sleeve or sponge them down in the kitchen. I used to have a Technics linear-tracking turntable. One of the worst pieces of poo I've ever bought. Skipped on almost every record I played on it even after making the correct adjustments. A repair shop I brought it to wouldn't even take it in trade, so I gave it to him for nothing. Don't know if you can buy linear-tracking turntables anymore, but never again for this boy.
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
I wonder about those as well. Will it really improve the sound of my vinyl? How audible is the "gunk" on a record?Originally Posted by Lopez
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
A friend has the entry level VPI machine (over $600.00) and he swears by it. Says he's hearing things he never heard before. Another friend in the used-record business says they are not worth it. A little alcohol in a spray bottle of water and a lint-free cloth is all you need.
Once I tried the trick of using wood glue on the disk and then peeling it off. The record was indeed immaculate from doing so, but there were so many tiny shards of dried glue around from the peeling that I'll never do that again.
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
I have a Nitty Gritty machine. Ive maintained on many a fool-audio forum that, yes, these vacuum machines make the record LOOK clean, but in my experience - and Im speaking of cleaning a LOT of lps - you only get audible difference on 10 to 20% (tops) of the records cleaned.
As to linear turntable, I have 8 different turntables only one of which is linear. Its a Fisher and, next to an old Sherman tank German Dual, I use it the most. It has never failed me.
Here's a neat little vinyl app... anyone going to pick these up?
http://www.thebeatles.com/vinyl/
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
Yes, they will improve the sound.
It depends on how much "gunk" is on the record.
If most of your record buys are from the used bin, a record cleaning machine is a must. Less necessary, but still helpful and effective, if your records were purchased new and/or they are handled with extra care. There are quite a few options on record cleaning machines, anywhere from just under a hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars. You can also build your own record cleaning machine for about $50.
There are also many types of cleaning solutions out there, plus you can make your own. Making your own cleaning solution will save you a good chunk of money, especially if you have a large record collection. If you are making your own, make sure you are not using rubbing alcohol or a lower than 90% pure isopropyl alcohol in your solution. Go to a chemical supply store to buy the isopropyl alcohol and distilled water.
Below I am providing links with the most recommended entry level record cleaning machines and a DIY record cleaning machine:
Spin Clean (100% Manual, no vacuum)
KAB EV-1 (Manual, you need to provide a vacuum cleaner)
DIY Record Cleaning Machine (Recipe for record cleaning solution is included on the link)
That's my experience too. I've manually cleaned albums all my life, but rarely do I notice that much difference!
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
What's the mix on the solution? Do have experience with the Spin clean?
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
Old turntable (Acoustic Research EB101), old vinyl - currently spinning "Marching Out" the 1985 offering from Yngwie's Rising Force.
The blend on the DIY link is one part isopropyl alcohol, three parts distilled water and a drop of surfacant. Other blends are listed on the following link. The previous link also has a few good tips on general record care. FWIW, NEVER use any kind of alcohol solution to clean 78's. Distilled water by itself will do the job. If you do not want to make your own solution, one of the best out there is made by The Disc Doctor.
Not personally, but many folks in the audio community rave on this record cleaning machine. Some people use the Spin Clean to get the nasty gunk out of their records and then run it through a Nitty Gritty, VPI or other vacuum record cleaning machine for a final clean-up.
BTW, If you are not using a vacuum record cleaning machine, make sure the record is completely dry before placing it back on the sleeve. Not doing so might be risking mold growth on the record and that one is very hard to get rid off.
great thread.
i scored a Technics SL1200 from craigslist with an average grade Shure cartridge for $100 that was virtually factory new (the dude was thrilled to get rid of it!). i am completely thrilled with this setup as it is pretty much bulletproof and this cartridge seems very forgiving of my scratchiest records.
for those of you wanting back into vinyl these tables are a great buy and usally very cheap in the used market.
thanks for the tip, i'm going to have to look up the Doctor, it looks like he's in my backyard.
i am currently using my old 70's vintage Discwasher (still pristine) brush with an almost full bottle of fluid - but since i've been accumulating used vinyl like crazy this won't last long.
Anyone have any recommendations for purchase of a new turntable/cartridge setup for less than $1000?
I'm looking for "where to buy" (online, of course...nobody stocks these anymore) and "what to buy".
Thanks in advance for anyg advice.
I downloaded a vinyl app for my iPhone, it allows me to play LPs, 7" singles and 12" singles on it. Been looking for a cassette app without success. Anyone know of one?
Interesting thread. I actually just replaced an Ortofon 2M Blue on my vintage Rega Planar 3. I found the Ortofon a little too bright and forward, but it's possible it was a function of the setup. Anyway, I'm thrilled with the Dynavector DV-20X2H cartridge and matching Dynavector P75-MK 2 Phono Preamplifier. The sound is much more relaxed and involving. Another difference I find is the new gear is much more forgiving of clicks, pops and ambient surface noise.
I also bought the low-end Nitty Gritty record cleaner a few years ago when I was resurrecting my TT, as I buy the majority of my vinyl at used shops. I figured the ~$400 was a good investment as I my record collection is getting up there.
I had a Pioneer that I bought for €20, but today I bought a 70's Dual 1210 turntable, totally reconstructed by a sound engineer
It cost €130 but it's really amazing
"When I was growing up, there were two things that were unpopular in my house. One was me, and the other was my guitar." Bruce Springsteen
if it has to be new and you want bang for the buck - this Audio Technica LP120 is basically a chinese clone of a Technics SL-1200 with a few extra bells/whistles that add convenience:
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica.../ref=pd_cp_e_0
add a Denon DL-110 cartridge (providing you have a preamp that can handle a moving coil) and you're in for around $350
-or- if you want to keep it on the cheap the Shure M97xE cartrige does a fine job and can be had for around $60 if you shop around, it sounds good and if you have a lot of scratchy records theres no sense using a real high grade cartridge.
if it were me i would shop around used, vintage gear is cool and most people don't give a rat's ass about turntables.
i'm sure others will chime in with different setups, 1000 bucks is a pretty decent budget.
Very nice. I have the Audio-Technica knock off of the Technics 1200, and that same Ortofon 2M Blue. Bass is solid, and the highs are very detailed without being brittle or harsh. I would bet your Pro-Ject has much less rumble and slightly better tracking.
Vinyl ROCKS! My main table is a Dual 714Q with a Shure V15 Type 4, cost me around $40 at a yard sale.
There is no such thing as a stupid question. There are, however, a lot of inquisitive idiots.
The best places to buy turntables on the web are The Needle Doctor and Music Direct. There are plenty of choices for turntables under $1,000. FWIW, all of my recommendations below are belt driven since I tend to prefer them to direct drive turntables:
Pro-Ject Debut ($399)
Rega RP1 ($445, Plenty of mods and upgrades available)
Pro-Ject Debut USB ($499, same as the Pro-Ject Debut, but with USB output in case you want to transfer vinyl to digital)
Music Hall MMF 2.2 ($449)
Pro-Ject Xpression III ($699)
Music Hall MMF 5.1 ($875)
Rega RP3 ($895, Plenty of mods and upgrades available)
BTW, if the turntable you purchase comes with a dust cover, listen to some familiar track at medium to high volume with and without the dust cover to find out which way it sounds better. Depending on the type of rack you have the turntable, where the turntable is located in relation to the speakers and the type of flooring in your listening area, the dust cover might work as a microphone and introduce some unwanted low frequencies into the sound. If that is the case, you can remove the dust cover while playing and place it back when you finish your listening session.
Last edited by enpdllp; 11-15-2012 at 02:27 AM.
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