A cool turntable, even if you don't use it, will impress others
it's way cheaper than an Alfa Romeo, so yes, a pretty compelling argument
Would I be wasting my money to get a turntable?
I am thinking about getting a turntable but I have a Class D amplifier (Nad M33) which digitizes all the analog inputs. If the amplifier is just digitizing the source is there going to be any difference between the vinyl and just listening to lossless digital streaming sources? Is there any benefit to me, given my current amplifier with has no analog pass through capability, to adding a turntable to my system?
Whathifi rates the internal phono section highly, though it's not clear as to what deck and cartridge (MM/MC?) they used. They mention "Thorens" but when I clicked on their various test rooms/systems I could not find a Thorens listed. https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/nad-masters-m33
DeKay
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garbage in = garbage out no matter the source. Just like there are garbage LP's, there are garbage streams as well. Sometimes they are the same thing. So your m33 converts everything to digital, so what? Vinyl will sound like vinyl, just with a digital edge? Don't know until you try it. Might be awesome. Vinyl is what got me back into audio a couple years ago. Have always had a stereo, but it turned into HT a couple decades ago, was always ok with music. My girl is into records, we decided to get a dedicated 2ch setup. Got the standard $500 TT, upgraded that all the way, including a $400 cartridge. Then splurged on a $2000 TT with a $700 cartridge. It's been blissful. Except for when I destroyed the new cartridge needle after getting it caught on a towel after cleaning the TT, that was a $500 ouch. My point is, TT is all analog, it requires a lot of maintenance, attention and setup. Now we move on to records, yes, they are expensive and going up! 2 years ago, new records were $20-25, used would be $10-30 (on average) Now all new records are $30-35, used start over $20. They take up a LOT of space. Now you got all these records, you got to keep them clean (lots of time and money) get a ultrasonic cleaner $1000, then get new sleeves for the outer and inner record, you are not going to put clean records in dirty selves. expect to spend about $2 per record for that. Records are a labor of love, they take a lot of time, effort, and dedication. They change how you listen to music. As you tend to spin a record, and listen to the entire album. Oh, you get up every 20min to change it. We haven't even touched on sound quality, on my system vinyl sounds better over streaming, but I have a vintage setup, with a lower end streamer. Feel you got to spend at least the same or a little more on the TT setup to get the same level as your digital.
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Some of the responses on this thread are wild. $50-100K to build a good vinyl collection?! That's 1000 albums at $50 each! That certainly could be an enviable collection (depending on the music) but is not required to enjoy having a turntable. I just got back into analog and am greatly enjoying myself. I certainly have not spent anywhere near $100K on my vinyl collection. Even though, IMO, I think a turntable analog system almost universally sounds better than digital, that's only half of the joy for me. Collecting the vinyl, enjoying the album art, the tactility of playing the album, all add to the experience for me in a positive way. I stopped listening to music often in my system and was basically just using it for videogames or movies for a long time when streaming was my only source. Analog has me excited again to listen and enjoy. I would say, with your amplifier, while you may or may not experience a jump in SQ, the connection to the physical media and music might be worth the money. There's something special for me when removing a favorite album off the shelf for a listen. YMMV. |