One turntable, no microphone: Official Vi*click*Vi*click*Vinyl Discussion Thread

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Any other EB'ers got the vinyl bug? I used to think that people were crazy for claiming records sounded better than CDs or MP3s. But then I listened to some unscratched records on a decent record player with decent speakers. Oh, it does sound good! And when you listen to a correctly mastered piece of vinyl on a rock-solid record player with excellent speakers, it's night and day.

My current setup is:

Turntable - Technics 1200 M3D



I did a lot of research and decided that stories of "motor noise" interfering with your vinyl playback was so much FUD. In the end, I went with the Technics 1200 direct drive: built like a tank, easily repaired, and amazingly accurate. Too many low-end "audiophile" belt drive players seem to behave like tempermental Jaguars in the field. The M3D is basically the MK2 with pitch lock.

Cartridge - Denon DL-160



This cartridge is amazing. The single best component I own. It's a high-output moving coil and ever since I installed it, background vocals are absolutely distinct in every song I throw at it.

Ever since I set up this turntable/cartridge set a few weeks ago, surface noise has been greatly reduced and I haven't skipped once.

Phono pre-amp - Cambridge Azur 640p



Very good pre-amp for the price, plus it includes a Moving Magnet and Moving Coil stage.

By figuring out what I wanted and waiting for it to show up on CraigsList, eBay, and Audiogon, I managed to put this setup together for a fraction of MSRP. It's worth it to me to hear things in songs I've heard a hundred times by Bowie, Talking Heads, the Stones, &c that I've never heard before. There's something insanely wonderful about listening to a song you've heard your entire life on the radio and suddenly hearing instruments and vocal parts you never knew were there before.

Anyone else have a setup they'd like to share? Suggested recordings (either vintage or modern) that totally blow you away every time you hear them? Or just questions about the best way to start listening to music like you give a shit about how it sounds? Let's talk about vinyl!

[Mr. Gundam]

I collect 7" singles, everything I else I buy on CD.

[T-Short]

well. I don't have an audiophile setup at all, just a DJ setup which works for me.



two SL-1210:s currently with Ortofon Concorde Q-Bert carts (have a pair of Nightclub S ones as well) going through a Vestax PMC-08 mixer to an XTZ ClassA100 DII amp.

[Phoenix Dark]

I have my parent's old record player, it works very well despite the age; when I get home I'll check the brand name.

And their old records work/sound amazing too. I have What's Going On, the Shaft soundtrack, Superfly, and other cool shit

[Eric P]

vinyl sucks

get with the times, nerds

[Mr. Gundam]

I play my 7" singles on this faux retro wood LP/CD/AM-FM stereo thing I got at Best Buy a few years ago. Nothing spectacular, but it does the job and it's not like I listen to 45's all that much.

Speaking of 45's, I need to get that new Conan O'Brien/Jack White 45 that came out today.

[tiesto]

Only stuff I buy on vinyl is stuff that's unreleased digitally. At least as far as EDM goes, hardly anybody DJs exclusively with vinyl anymore... it's usually the old guard holdouts.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I have my parent's old record player, it works very well despite the age; when I get home I'll check the brand name.

And their old records work/sound amazing too. I have What's Going On, the Shaft soundtrack, Superfly, and other cool shit

the Purple Rain soundtrack on vinyl is perhaps the most amazing album I've ever heard

[disgruntled_jojo]

I have my parent's old record player, it works very well despite the age; when I get home I'll check the brand name.

And their old records work/sound amazing too. I have What's Going On, the Shaft soundtrack, Superfly, and other cool shit

the Purple Rain soundtrack on vinyl is perhaps the most amazing album I've ever heard

I also own this and it's pretty dope.  Although Thriller trumps it IMO

edit: missing space

[TakingBackSunday]

fucking hell patel, I literally have the exact same setup as yours

[Dickie Dee]

Really the only physical media I don't feel bad about buying. Even CDs I just rip at max quality and then have no idea what to do with them. Usually any album I *acquire* online that is also available on vinyl I'll buy it, and am slowly trying to fill massive gaping holes in my collection.

[Phoenix Dark]

I have my parent's old record player, it works very well despite the age; when I get home I'll check the brand name.

And their old records work/sound amazing too. I have What's Going On, the Shaft soundtrack, Superfly, and other cool shit

the Purple Rain soundtrack on vinyl is perhaps the most amazing album I've ever heard

oh god yes, that must sound epic

[Howard Alan Treesong]

fucking hell patel, I literally have the exact same setup as yours

haha. well, if you did the same research I did, you would probably arrive at the same conclusions

Really the only physical media I don't feel bad about buying. Even CDs I just rip at max quality and then have no idea what to do with them. Usually any album I *acquire* online that is also available on vinyl I'll buy it, and am slowly trying to fill massive gaping holes in my collection.

Same. I'm done with CDs, done with DVDs, and I'm trying to only buy 3-4 Blu-rays a year. But vinyl? Vinyl is FOREVER, man.

[Phoenix Dark]

Haven't bought a CD (for myself) since 2006 I think. I haven't spent too much money on vinyl do to being a dirty poor, but the cool thing about it is that it's not hard to find nice shit for cheap. Salvation Army, yard sales, stuff like that.

I got Bitches Brew for $5 at a yard sale

[TakingBackSunday]

Nice!  I got Sketches of Spain for around 6 bucks a couple weeks back.

[T-Short]

wassup PD

[Phoenix Dark]

I probably won't do anything in my lifetime to match the awesomeness of that picture 

[T-Short]

 

[TEEEPO]

that shirt 

[Dickie Dee]

OMG I WANT IT

[T-Short]

Staple. Spring '08 collection

[Dickie Dee]

can't seem to find it - the links on gis are dead, oh well  :'(

found this - don't think i could pull off integration on a tshirt though

[T-Short]

http://www.stapledesign.com/apparel/sp08/

[T-Short]

back on topic, just got this little shelf up recently so I can display some nice records. will be switching these out every now and again

[CajoleJuice]

i will admit that is badass

[Robo]

There's a record shop in the same building as my apartment. 

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sadly, they only seem to stock dreck at the moment, and it's kinda expensive dreck at that.  Being a dirty poor and having no extra space for a turntable, I only buy records to use as decoration, anyway.

[close]

[Howard Alan Treesong]

back on topic, just got this little shelf up recently so I can display some nice records. will be switching these out every now and again

I have that shelf in black for my setup.

The shelves are the perfect size for records! And it's just high enough to place your turntable.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

IKEA Expedit never forget. :'(

[close]

[T-Short]

hehe, well actually I meant the narrow one above the decks, the Expedit one is more of a stopgap solution, it's really not deep enough to have my turntables in vertical position and I  don't have enough space for my kaoss pad mini and kaossilator 

[Howard Alan Treesong]

hehe, well actually I meant the narrow one above the decks, the Expedit one is more of a stopgap solution, it's really not deep enough to have my turntables in vertical position and I  don't have enough space for my kaoss pad mini and kaossilator 

kaossilator > vinyl

that's a cool idea, especially if you swap them out every so often. much better than (shudder) FRAMING your vinyl

[Bloodwake]

I should dig out my dad's old turntable. Wonder if a late 80s/early 90's turntable will sound good on modern digital speakers...

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Finally installed a dust cover on my Technics 1200. What a fucking nightmare. You have to disassemble the thing down to the motor just to install the hinges... But two dozen screws and an hour later, here I am.

[Rman]

I've always wanted to dabble with DJing. I just don't want to adopt another expensive hobby, though.  I've always loved records, though.  My uncle had an awesome collection and I remember just pouring through them as a kid. 

Though MP3s are convenient, there is a novelty about physical media like vinyl that cannot be duplicated digitally.

[recursivelyenumerable]

My go-to record store just expanded its vinyl section too - is this what the kids are into these days? Bah! My busy adult lifestyle leaves me no time for these new-fangled contraptions!

[DJ_Tet]

What's the story on Victrolas?  My gf has one and a few of those 'records.'  They are heavy as shit compared to vinyl.  Anyway, just curious if any record collectors know anything about Victrolas.  I'll probably hit up wiki and find out more than I ever wanted to know about them.  I always thought they were a 'brand' of record player when I was growing up but apparently they are their own separate entity. 


fake edit:  Upon reading wiki it seems like they are a 'type' of phonographic record player and the company went out of business during the Great Depression.  No word on compatibility with current records but I would be hesitant to play one of the old Victrola records we have on a newer machine, it's noticably heavier. 

Anyone got any advice for storage/care of one of these machines?

[Rman]

Got the vinyl bug of late, but I missed Record Store Day. :'(

[Himu]

i have a few jazz records and most of queen's 70's catalogue on vinyl. i'd kill for bitches brew.

[TEEEPO]

it's not hard to find it?

[Howard Alan Treesong]

it's not hard to find it?

No.

Is a man's life really only worth $23.65? Obamanomics

[jiji]

Bitches Brew

I haul it out about once a week.

I have the first Pro-ject table, whatever that's called. My setup is nothing fancy otherwise. I still need to swap in the Grado cartridge that I bought before I moved to NY. My vinyl-cleaning brush is probably more important to sound quality in my system than anything else. clean records

[Howard Alan Treesong]

My vinyl-cleaning brush is probably more important to sound quality in my system than anything else. clean records

My girlfriend got me a Spin-Clean (http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Clean-Record-Washer-MKII/dp/B002UKSZUU/) for Christmas and it's done more for my vinyl than all the electronic components combined. It took my copy of Lou Reed's Transformer from "I wish the record store took returns" to one of the top 10-sounding discs in my collection. CLEAN YO STUFF