Am I assuming too Much?

Craig above mentions the objectionable surface noises of LP's; certainly a valid concern. I shared this view for decades, until recently setting up my first high quality turntable. I went straight from mid-fi analog to digital years ago, & then only rarely played my old records.
The first time that I dropped a needle into the groove on this VPI TT, initially I thought that I had forgotten to plug in the interconnects because even with volume control turned up it was very very quiet, until the music began playing. And does it PLAY! I was, & I am still amazed at how good quality analog actually sounds. A couple of minor surface-dust pops were my only "analog complaint" but I'm told that if I only washed my records then even those will go away. I'm now buying records again; something that I haven't done in nearly 20 years!

In response to the "noise" aspect of vinyl, I have found that "clicks and pops" are reduced when you have a properly designed phono stage input section that does not overload on the wideband splash that the "pop" creates. This is a major step in vinyl noise reduction. You then hear only a minor "tick" on light scratches and the like. An excellent player/arm/cartridge combination also helps by remaining in control when it hits a "pop" and not careening out of control and sending all manner of oscillations into the phono stage. The best players and phono stages make vinyl listening a pleasure with minimal noise, but they can't compensate for the wear of used records that were played on some "vinyl lathe" that carved the high freq's off. Unfortuately, this is all too common on used records today.

Artemus 5,

I don't agree with your assumption. I don't really believe, at least from my experiences, that you can get the LP to sound better than CD's without investing a substantial amount of money in a good LP playback system. However, your response surprised me because you seem to feel that your current turntable setup gets you 98% there. Maybe I sould re-examine my setup.

Please keep in mind that at this point this is just a theory I have based on my experiences. I may go out and invest more money in a Playback system and be disappointed with the results. One of the risks of being an audiophile.

If I were to compare my old system that is no longer operational to your setup, I would say that your phono stage is definitely better, but on the TT and cartridge I think we are even or I may have the edge. I have a DENON DP-45F table with old DENON cartridge. Its nothing special, but its a good Direct Drive TT. The cartrige needs to be replaced and I would have to go out and but a phono stage and record clamp for it to put it back in operation. After what you just said, I may do that.

I don't recommend the Music Hall MMF-7. From what I hear they have inconsistent build quality and their TT's don't have a suspension system. There not bad tables, but I hear its hit or miss whether you get one thats well built.

The REGA tables have been around much longer and have more consistent build quality. I would not consider them high end tables. The REGA's are more mid fi tables. They don't have a suspension system, but I would buy a REGA before a Music Hall at this time.

For the money the best buy would have to be a Michell Gyro SE version II. Its a very well made suspension table that offers exceptional bearing and motor quality for the money. You would have to spend twice what this table sells for to do better. The newer models are supposed to be much easier to properly set up. Thats another bonus.

From what I hear, the Linn tables are exceptional, but require serious knowledge of TT's to properly setup. I myself was scared away from this table as a result. Also, if you buy one used you never know if the bearing will need replacement. Maybe I am just paranoid. Its supposed to be an excellent table with a top recommendation from everyone I talked to about it. It requires knowledge and patience to set up and maintain.

I am currently looking to get a serious TT setup just like you. I would recommend that you invest as much as you can justify in the turntable. You can always upgrade tonearms and cartridges later down the road. It gets very expensive to replace TT's evertime you get the upgrade itch. If you by a real nice one now you won't have to worry about an upgrade a few months down the road.

Take you time making a decision. You may find that a few months of research can save you money down the road. In the long run you will end up spending less if you buy on value and not just on price.

Any questions, just ask. Perhaps we can help each other out.

Taz

Taz, if you want to get a Linn, don't let the setup scare you off. I have been trained in Linn setup at a dealer I used to work for and would be happy to assist you by e-mail. It is not that hard to do. I'm sure there are others here on the goN that also know how and would help you too.

TWL,
Thanks so much for offering your asssistance. I am leaning towards Michell turntables at this time. I want to set one up, but funds have been delaying this. I figure that I will get the Denon table back up and slowly make the transition to a Michell table.

I do think the Linn is a great table but my research indicates that the Michell tables are easier to set up and keep tuned then the Linn tables. It's suppose to be somewhere in the middle in terms of setup difficulty. Some effort is required, but its not that difficult. The New Michell tables are suppose to be even easier to setup. Being a novice, I feel more comfortable with this approach.

I notice that Not many vinyl enthusiasts mention the Michell products. I hear a lot of people recommend Music Hall, Rega,Basis, VPI, and Linn tables. Not many mention the Michell tables. I think they are better then most of the tables mentioned above with the exception of the Linn. I think the Linn is on par with the Michell products. Although, I don't think its as good as the Orbe SE II. To be fair, the ORBE SE is more expensive.

I realize that I still have a lot to learn and everyone has a bias towards their favorite table manufacturer. Perhaps I am leaning towards the Michell products because I like the way they look. I don't feel this way since when I started my research I had never even heard of Rega, Basis, Michell, VPI, or Music Hall. I think that the Michell products offer the best performance value/dollar. I also believe that Michell's Motor/Power supply combination is better then the other manufacturers mentioned above.

Just my research results.

Thanks,

Taz