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Is it worth expanding into Vinyl???

I've been kicking around the idea of going vinyl for awhile so I figured I'd post some questions. I understand the difference between Vinyl and Digital from a sound recording and reproduction standpoint and the pros/cons of it, but I guess real world opinion specific to my situation is what I seek.

I was born in '79 so by the time I got into music, Digital had already taken over. As such, I was never exposed to Vinyl as a child and have been raised on the digital "sound". At this point, I have a fairly substantial collection of SACD and DVD-Audio which serve as my primary listening material. Genre's are very dispersed including just about everything.

If I decided to venture into Vinyl, I would want to do so with a minimal investment up front (for the hardware)...perhaps around $500-$600. I also see that one can spend over $30k on a turntable with tonearm and cartridge, so that's a little intimidating to me. I don't want to waste even my measly $500 on getting into vinyl if I need to spend substantially more to get sound that exceeds that of my current all-digital setup.

Here is my current setup, so the only addition would be that of the turntable itself, played through these components. I suppose I'm just looking for opinions from anyone who has one regarding whether a ~$500 turntable on this system can yield sonic results that equal or exceed my current capabilities (realizing that the recording itself plays a tremendous role in the reproduction).

SACD/CD Player: Music Hall Maverick (stock)
DVD-A Player: Denon 3910 (stock)
PreAmp: Outlaw Audio 950
Amplifier: Outlaw Audio 750
Fronts: Axiom M80 v2 (Bi-Wired)
Center: Axiom VP150 v2
Rears: Axiom QS8 v2
Sub: Axiom EP500 v2
Interconnects: Outlaw Audio
Speaker Wire: Monster M1.4s BiWire

I should also mention that a nice, wide and open soundstage is the most important characteristic I look for in listening. The more "real" it all sounds, the happier I am.

Any opinions or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Turntable recommendations would also be greatly appreciated!
fatgh0st
newbee
4,767 posts
 
Johnnantias, One reason that 'vinylphiles' want to discourage 'new members' is that success would result in less competition for those few remaining great RCA Living Stereo's in the Goodwill bins.

However, I believe that many who may sound discouraging to you are nothing more than unvarnished realists faced with helping inexperienced folks who seem (to them) to be driven by the popular resurection of vinyl but have no idea of what the actual problems are in setting up and utilizing a TT system not to mention the acquisition of high quality LP's.

There is a lot of good music to be heard in vinyl over any system, but high quality software and sound is neither cheap nor easily acquired. As someone already said, Vinyl playback is a hobby within a hobby. If a fellow can be easily discouraged by a few 'reality' remarks, then it probably wasn't a pursuit to be pursued.

Audiofeil, No arguement about tossing LP's out for CD's...you are right! BTW, are these the same folks who now hawk the benefit of liquid based tweeks for CD's? :-)
shazam
205 posts
 
Paradoxically, nearly "everyone" regrets doing it [tossing their records].

You said it Audiofeil! I had a collection of abut 1,000 LPs at one point. Should have just stored them somewhere while I was moving around. Instead, I'm slowly rebuying many as I find them at my local used record store.
stickman451
553 posts
 
A few points to reiterate on all the above (cause some of it is really bull-hockey):

If you do not honestly believe that records sound better than CD, then; (1) you should go listen to a modest, well-implemented vinyl rig; compare for yourself, and then you will agree/understand that records do in fact sound best, or alternatively (2) Immediately sell all of your stereo gear and invest in a good IPod.

Of course records are more ‘trouble’ over-all; you don’t get something for nothing (that’s what we got with digital)… Most things well worth doing require a little extra effort.

In the final analysis, if the original recording was not well executed, then the end product whether it is a record or a CD will reflect that poor execution. But, on most days and in most instances, I would rather listen to a poorly executed record than a poorly executed CD…

Ericjcabrera Nope; I’m not a drummer…wish I were though… 
adam18
670 posts
 
This has been a very interesting discussion, and there have been many, many insightful comments and suggestions. I think that the bottom line needs to be simple.....it's all about the enjoyment of music !! With the proper synergy between audio components, both digital and analog recordings can sound fantastic, and there should NOT be a "which is better" argument.

Personally, I love both my CD and my LP collection, and I spend equally happy hours listening to both my digital and analog front ends. I started my "musical hobby" in the early 1970's, so, naturally, I have a large collection of vinyl. As I got into the mid-80's, through the 90's, and to the present day, I bought quite a lot of CD's. Now, my interests are going back to vinyl, as I'm discovering a vast and wonderful collection of my favorite albums (1950's -- 1960's jazz) getting re-issued by labels such as Blue Note. There are many websites where good re-issues (new vinyl) can be bought for around $10 each.

So, IMHO, the answer lies simply in enjoying equally the two main modes of recorded music. Both digital and analog, for my tastes and musical appreciation, are fantastic, and I am thankful that both formats are available. Some nights, as I sit in front of my Vandersteens, I only listen to the music made by the needle in the groove, and other nights, all my music comes through my CD player. Remember.....it's all about the music. Sit back, enjoy the tunes, and Happy Listening !!
04rdking's avatar
04rdking
178 posts
 
"Steveaudio
Like some others here have mentioned, you WILL need a good LP cleaning machine--I had a VPI HW16 that I paid about $400 for. Takes a few minutes to clean EACH Lp."

I have to disagree with this statement. While a vacuum machine MAY be the optimal way, I get very good results using the manual Disc Doctor brushes and cleaner. As a few others have said, this doesn't have to be a high $$$ adventure. OTOH, others that had said you won't stop at a 2K rig...... well, I think they're on to something..... Seems vinyl has the most addictive form of upgraditis......
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