What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Record player guys -- Talk to me Goose, about record players (1 Viewer)

Otis

Otis

Footballguy
For a while I've been curious about the warm, analog sound of vinyl.  I'll never forget in college, my roommates and I stumbled onto an estate sale and bought an old, tube-powered wall console.  I also bought my still to this day favorite jazz record, Miles Davis: My Funny Valentine, along with Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, and Simon and Garfunkel's live concert in Central Park.  Years later, I still think back to that being the best sounding I ever heard that music -- from a record, and through vacuum tubes.

Fast forward 20+ years, and as much as I love the convenience of my over-the-air complete catalog of music from my apps, I am interested in picking up a record player for my den, and a handful of my favorite jazz and rock records.

What should I be getting?  I'm not some audionerd and don't need the best of anything on the planet, but I want a record player, preferably something with tubes in it, unless someone here tells me I can get that warm sound without tubes given modern technology.

Guide me, recordnerds.  What do I do?

TIA

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Otis said:
Then do you need a preamp in addition to speakers?  or just speakers?
Click to expand...
It depends. If it's the Project Debut Carbon, I think some have their own preamps. There are three different turntables in the Debut Carbon line. A standard, a USB, and Bluetooth.  The USB has a preamp for sure, as that's the one I own. 

 
You can go waaaaaay down the rabbit hole here. A few points:

stay away from *anything* Crosley. Garbage. You're going to spend, at minimum, $300-$400 for the TT. You need not go to 4 figures, but figure a $300-$400 TT is like Makers Mark - that's your entry point. That Project Carbon in that entry level system is a decent place to begin. 

Your sound will depend on everything you have - turntable, preamp/amp, speakers. A nice turntable won't help if you don't have good speakers.

You definitely want a preamp - even if your turntable has a built in one, it's nowhere near as good as a real preamp with a phono stage (or just a standalone phono stage connected to your current amp). Now, a ton of guys will say the one on the TT is good enough, and they are right if you just want a record player. But you say you want that great sound, so I'd definitely look beyond just the built-in preamp. 

What do you have now for music? What kind of amp/speakers are you running?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm down the turntable/audiophile rabbit hole - have 3 TTs in my house.  While the sound is great, I also like the idea that I'm "forced" to listen to an entire album and not just skip around like a CD or curate a playlist like on spotify.  It's a much more active listening experience.

My basic system for the office is a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, Peachtree Audio Integrated w/ phono preamp, and Focal Aria 905 speakers.  Every single piece was bought demo from my local stereo store or musicdirect.com.  You could do a lot worse for the $.

And if you want to spend more, let's just say I'm lucky I have an amazingly tolerant wife.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
scorchy said:
I'm down the turntable/audiophile rabbit hole - have 3 TTs in my house.  While the sound is great, I also like the idea that I'm "forced" to listen to an entire album and not just skip around like a CD or curate a playlist like on spotify.  It's a much more active listening experience.

My basic system for the office is a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, Peachtree Audio Integrated w/ phono preamp, and Focal Aria 905 speakers.  Every single piece was bought demo from my local stereo store or musicdirect.com.  You could do a lot worse for the $.

And if you want to spend more, let's just say I'm lucky I have an amazingly tolerant wife.
Click to expand...
That's a perfect place for someone who wants to try this to start. Those are all nice components, without being too spendy.

I agree on the listening part - it's like night and day. It's also cool to hear the hits a band is known for integrated with the rest of the album. 

Another great thing about Vinyl is record stores. Used record stores are fun. 

eta: then you end up buying one of these.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
jwb said:
Another great thing about Vinyl is record stores. Used record stores are fun. 
Click to expand...
Definitely.  I drop by my local at least once a week, and hit other ones in the area frequently.  Just great places to browse and learn from other music dorks.  I have to say, though, I was so excited to visit the Williamsburg and East Village record stores on my last trip to Otis-ville, but left really disappointed.  I guess there's so many more hipster record buyers in NYC that the inventories were pretty beat.

 
  • Smile
Reactions: jwb
jwb said:
You can go waaaaaay down the rabbit hole here. A few points:

stay away from *anything* Crosley. Garbage. You're going to spend, at minimum, $300-$400 for the TT. You need not go to 4 figures, but figure a $300-$400 TT is like Makers Mark - that's your entry point. That Project Carbon in that entry level system is a decent place to begin. 

Your sound will depend on everything you have - turntable, preamp/amp, speakers. A nice turntable won't help if you don't have good speakers.

You definitely want a preamp - even if your turntable has a built in one, it's nowhere near as good as a real preamp with a phono stage (or just a standalone phono stage connected to your current amp). Now, a ton of guys will say the one on the TT is good enough, and they are right if you just want a record player. But you say you want that great sound, so I'd definitely look beyond just the built-in preamp. 

What do you have now for music? What kind of amp/speakers are you running?
Click to expand...
Honestly, I use an amazon Alexa for music at home usually. That or my computer speakers. :bag:  

 
I went to a Best Buy tonight and hung out with a salesman in that high end Magnolia area. He demod some equipment for me. Holy crap. Even the two sets of “low end” bookshelf speakers I listened to, each like $550 a pair, sounded absolutely incredible. It sounded like the music was coming from all over the place, can’t beleive it was just two little speakers.  Amazing. 

I’ve been sitting complacent listening to crappy sound for too long.  Totally doing this.

ETA didn’t end up buying because they didn’t have any amps in stock. But it sounds like I’ll need to be around $500 for a decent TT, $500 for decent bookshelf speakers, and probably the same for a decent amp. I asked about tube amps and he told me they cost thousands. Woah. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
scorchy said:
Definitely.  I drop by my local at least once a week, and hit other ones in the area frequently.  Just great places to browse and learn from other music dorks.  I have to say, though, I was so excited to visit the Williamsburg and East Village record stores on my last trip to Otis-ville, but left really disappointed.  I guess there's so many more hipster record buyers in NYC that the inventories were pretty beat.
Click to expand...
I don't go nearly that much anymore. I have about 400 albums now (about 75% used), so I have most of what I really want on Vinyl. Now when I go (usually once a month, depending on where my wife and I visit), I'm not leaving with a stack, but with one or two that I've been targeting. 

Wife was out all morning so I went to the local shop that usually doesn't get the best quality stuff (because they buy anything from anyone), but has a solid inventory as far as titles go. I managed to find a very clean copy of CSNY Deja Vu, which has been eluding me for some time. That prettymuch made my day. 

 
Otis said:
Honestly, I use an amazon Alexa for music at home usually. That or my computer speakers. :bag:  
Click to expand...
ok, so you need everything. Those Focal Aria 905's Scorchy mentioned are really nice - I've had an opportunity to hear those, and was very impressed.

The prices you mentioned in your other post are about right to enter this, but if you want to buy and not look back, you may want to bump a bit on the amp (and maybe the speakers). If you buy the right stuff, it'll be lifetime gear. For example, I have this integrated 2-channel amp, and I love it. I'm big into older/vintage gear, and this one looks and feels the part, but also handles modern digital music nicely as well. Get a little bluetooth receiver for it, and hear spotify via your phone like never before.   

 
Ok after doing a bunch of research, here's about where I'm leaning in terms of my setup -- someone talk me off the ledge or tell me where I'm wrong:

-- Quad VA one tube amp -- $1599 -- I really love and want a tube amp sound.  Most are a fortune.  But I found this little rig that sounds perfect -- tube preamp and power amp, small form factor, supposedly sounds warm and amazing for the price point.  The reviews I've read are all glowing (no pun intended).  It won't get obscenely loud, but this is a smallish room where my record player setup will go, and I have small kids and neighbors, so I don't need mega loud.

-- Pro-Ject Debut Carbon SB turntable -- $599 -- Everyone seems to say this is the gold standard for starter/decent quality TTs.  

-- Pro-Ject Phono Box MM DC Phonograph Preamplifier -- $79 -- I believe I need one of these, to bring up phono level from the TT to be sufficient to go into the Quad VA preamp?  (Maybe??)

-- Bowers and Wilkins 600 series 686 S2 bookshelf speakers -- $549 -- honestly don't know what to do on speakers, but when I listened to these "entry level" speakers at the Magnolia store at Best Buy, I was blown away.  Kind of embarrassed after that to explain to the guy that I've been listening to music through computer speakers or the Amazon Alexa all these years :bag:    I'm sure there are better speakers out there, but these were sufficient for me.  That said, I can't seem to find these online, which is kind of annoying, so if anyone is aware of comparably nice speakers for this budget or less, I'm all ears.

Woah, looks like all-in I'll be around $3k.  Wonder if I should talk to Mrs. O about this before taking the plunge... :unsure:  

 
I'm not loving the speaker / amp combo. That amp seems a little underpowered for 85dB speakers. Hopefully, some other audiophileguys wiegh in. 

In regards to tubes, would you be open to a nice vintage piece? You can get something modern, and then also find a nice Dynaco ST70 for about $500 - $700.   

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Balanced Audio Technology also makes a great tube amp. I think you can get a used VK-75 for a few grand used at Audiogon at times.  

 
The cost of a quality turntable will pale in comparison to the cost of new albums. Don't get me wrong, I love vinyl, but good lord. $30-$40+ for a new album is ridiculous. 

 
Patrick Bateman said:
The cost of a quality turntable will pale in comparison to the cost of new albums. Don't get me wrong, I love vinyl, but good lord. $30-$40+ for a new album is ridiculous. 
Click to expand...
It's absurd. Most of them are coming in gatefold and breaking up sides and tracks that have no need to be broken up. 

It's a massive cost, this vinyl. I find that only the 180 gram stuff is really the only stuff worth the price. I actually can tell the difference.

 
jwb said:
I'm not loving the speaker / amp combo. That amp seems a little underpowered for 85dB speakers. Hopefully, some other audiophileguys wiegh in. 

In regards to tubes, would you be open to a nice vintage piece? You can get something modern, and then also find a nice Dynaco ST70 for about $500 - $700.   
Click to expand...
Educate me!  Yes I’m open to whatever, provided it has those warm Smokey tubes. I’m imagining sitting in low lighting at the end of a long day with a Miles or Thelonious or Was record and a tall scotch. 

 
jwb said:
I'm not loving the speaker / amp combo. That amp seems a little underpowered for 85dB speakers. Hopefully, some other audiophileguys wiegh in. 

In regards to tubes, would you be open to a nice vintage piece? You can get something modern, and then also find a nice Dynaco ST70 for about $500 - $700.   
Click to expand...
Or can I get slightly less powerful speakers to match to this amp?  Again, I’m not in need of big volume. I’ll never be able to use it. 

 
rockaction said:
It's absurd. Most of them are coming in gatefold and breaking up sides and tracks that have no need to be broken up. 

It's a massive cost, this vinyl. I find that only the 180 gram stuff is really the only stuff worth the price. I actually can tell the difference.
Click to expand...
Not to mention the problem with new albums being warped. I bought Houses of The Holy from Amazon and it was badly warped. I returned it, and they sent me another badly warped album. I repeated this process 4 times before I received an album that was not warped. My daughter bought a deluxe double album version of OK Computer a few weeks ago from a local record store. It was badly warped. She took it back, and they said sorry. Can't help you. She's out $40. 

 
Patrick Bateman said:
Not to mention the problem with new albums being warped. I bought Houses of The Holy from Amazon and it was badly warped. I returned it, and they sent me another badly warped album. I repeated this process 4 times before I received an album that was not warped. My daughter bought a deluxe double album version of OK Computer a few weeks ago from a local record store. It was badly warped. She took it back, and they said sorry. Can't help you. She's out $40. 
Click to expand...
Yep. But that's a bit surprising: My local record store is actually way, way more reliable than Amazon, who sent me a nearly warped Vampire Weekend - Vampires Of The City. Yeah, being out forty dollars as a teen or young adult must suck. 

I also think I own that Radiohead album that you're talking about. 

It's OKNOTOK Computer, right?  

 
rockaction said:
Yep. But that's a bit surprising: My local record store is actually way, way more reliable than Amazon, who sent me a nearly warped Vampire Weekend - Vampires Of The City. Yeah, being out forty dollars as a teen or young adult must suck. 

I also think I own that Radiohead album that you're talking about. 

It's OKNOTOK Computer, right?  
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm not trying to be a downer here. I find buying used albums that you can inspect beforehand to be the way to go. Selection is the only issue when you're buying used. I can spend hours getting lost in record stores. I love it.

 
Patrick Bateman said:
Yeah, I'm not trying to be a downer here. I find buying used albums that you can inspect beforehand to be the way to go. Selection is the only issue when you're buying used. I can spend hours getting lost in record stores. I love it.
Click to expand...
Bolded: You're not being a downer, I immediately now spin the records to make sure they're not warped, something I didn't have to do years ago. You're sort of speaking just truth. I never used to worry, now I do.  

Italicized: Yeah, there's a charm to music stores that I just love, too.  

 
BTW, Oats. Those old jazz records are shipping out notoriously badly these days. The companies will promise you a heavy vinyl and send out ####ty recordings that they've acquired the rights to or have fallen into the public domain. 

I went to order some, read a ton of reviews, and decided against ordering Ornette Coleman and Charlie Parker, etc., because I kept hearing from the reviews that the vinyl was produced in a crappy manner. So just caveat emptor when you buy these old jazz records. Do your research. 

 
rockaction said:
BTW, Oats. Those old jazz records are shipping out notoriously badly these days. The companies will promise you a heavy vinyl and send out ####ty recordings that they've acquired the rights to or have fallen into the public domain. 

I went to order some, read a ton of reviews, and decided against ordering Ornette Coleman and Charlie Parker, etc., because I kept hearing from the reviews that the vinyl was produced in a crappy manner. So just caveat emptor when you buy these old jazz records. Do your research. 
Click to expand...
Thanks good to know. I don’t see myself buying a crap ton of records. So maybe I’ll buy used originals of my favorites. I still have the record of my favorite Miles Davis record that I bought 25 years ago. I’ll try and do the same with others even if I have to pay a little more. 

 
Otis said:
She’s a woman of good and discerning taste. 
Click to expand...


krista4 said:
You anti-vinyl?  I suppose I should have guessed. :lol:

Yeah, looking to get a set-up but hadn't started researching yet, so this thread is :moneybag:  for me.
Click to expand...
:shrug:

I guess I just don’t buy into the whole “vinyl just sounds better, it’s more authentic” deal.

Hell, I’ve still got a milk crate or two of albums somewhere.  I’ll give them to you guys if you pay for the shipping.

 
Seriously wedded to this tube amp. Can one of you audionerds tell me what speakers would work well with it?

TIA 

 
Officer Pete Malloy said:
:shrug:

I guess I just don’t buy into the whole “vinyl just sounds better, it’s more authentic” deal.

Hell, I’ve still got a milk crate or two of albums somewhere.  I’ll give them to you guys if you pay for the shipping.
Click to expand...
Is it all Pixies?

Seriously I’ll take your old albums. 

And seriously, it sounds amazing. The records I listened to on a tube amp record player from the 60s were better, warmer, richer than the crap I listen to on my Alexa today. Best music I ever heard. I still remember it. 

So yeah, I believe analog probably does sound better. Digital by definition loses some of the music. 

 
Otis said:
Seriously wedded to this tube amp. Can one of you audionerds tell me what speakers would work well with it?

TIA 
Click to expand...
My brother is kind of -- well, totally an audio nerd -- he once ran two Balanced Audio Technology mono blocks with tubes into a pair of Helicons. 

One problem. The cashier. "That'll be $17,000, please."  

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Officer Pete Malloy said:
:shrug:

I guess I just don’t buy into the whole “vinyl just sounds better, it’s more authentic” deal.

Hell, I’ve still got a milk crate or two of albums somewhere.  I’ll give them to you guys if you pay for the shipping.
Click to expand...
I don't know if it's better or more authentic, but it's different and interesting to me.

And more importantly, Mr. krista keeps buying albums so it seems like we should get something to play them on.  I know, that was a trap.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

rockaction
I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time
Replies
8
Views
426
wikkidpissah
wikkidpissah
Anarchy99
Ranking Led Zeppelin Songs - Request To Participate
16 17 18
Replies
861
Views
19K
rockaction
rockaction
G
Beatles album review....Part 1 Revolver
Replies
23
Views
449
Guido Merkins
G

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top