2. analog
  3. 126824-33947

Where is the significant point of diminishing returns on hi-end turntable?

For those that don’t know me I am newish to this game. Yes, I believe this chase for perfection in sound reproduction is a game. There are endless variables affecting the sound of every system and 100x that in opinions on each of these variables. I love cool $hit as much as the next guy but I am looking for an analog rig and I keep getting drawn into the seemingly endless "what about this option that costs tons more?". I started with a $6 to $10K budget and now I am considering a $25K setup (Table, cart and phono stage) after talking to a local retailer. I will be blunt, I want to be that guy in the Memorex ad from the 80’s that is getting blown away by his system (my impression is he is overwhelmed by the amazing sound coming from that speaker not the volume). Now that I have acquired some pretty descent stuff I am spending 15 plus hours each week listening and really enjoying this hobby. I don’t want to have any regrets and just be marginally satisfied with my setup but where do I draw the line? Back to my initial question; what is a reasonable amount to spend on an analog setup to achieve the best bang for the buck? I may be somewhat unique in that I don’t want to constantly be upgrading my equipment, I just want to buy great products the first time that are very satisfying and spend hours listening to great music. I don’t want to be the guy always chasing the next great thing.
128x128mmporsche
wrm57
1,043 posts
 
I just don’t want to spend more time preparing to listen than actually listening.

Me neither. Who does? I typically clean an album once, use a brush before each play, and keep my styli clean. But you will want to fine tune your set up, play with various cartridges, etc., hence my statements about tools and activity.

To your Clearaudio question: I owned an Innovation Wood with a Universal arm for 18 months and never really cottoned to it, finding it somewhat hard and thin. I didn’t like the DC motor being built into the support pillar, either, as it was noisy and clearly audible on the armboard through a cheap stethoscope. I replaced it with a Brinkmann Oasis, which is much better, IMO. Each on a Minus-K. I did like the Clearaudio’s capacity for two arms, though (my other was a Phantom II, now a Supreme in use on the Oasis), and it was speed-stable.
dgarretson
2,598 posts
 
I'm with Raul on this one.  If you have been racing I assume you are familiar with gifted builders and machine shops and the hands-on set-ups that win races.  If there is one area of hi-fi that is analogous to that sport it is TOTL vinyl replay.  It's very much a hands-on thing.  Clue: in TTs and tonearms there has been little progress since the best from Micro Seiki, Luxman, Technics, and Kenwood. You can take these decks, add a few tweaks, and be done with it.                     
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,801 posts
 

mmporsche, the number of LP’s one owns, and the frequency with which one anticipates acquiring more of in the future, should be taken into consideration when deciding how much to spend on a record player. It is my opinion that the greater the number of LP’s a listener owns, and the greater the number of hours a week that owner listens to them, the more $ spent on a player can be justified, and should be allotted.

There is the old joke about the audiophile who has a high-priced player, upon which he spins his very small collection of audiophile LP’s, listening to them only for their great sound quality. Building an awesome music library on LP is, to me, a very noble endeavor. It takes years to assemble a collection of LP’s containing great music, rather than just great sound. You may already have such a collection, but as that was not mentioned I thought the subject should be brought up.

mmporsche's avatar
mmporsche OP
144 posts
 
@bdp24 I have access to over 5000 albums.  I disagree with your quantity over quality, I much prefer the latter.

@dgarretson Yes, I know how to rebuild a motor and repair anything on my race car, however, that doesn't mean I always do the work myself.  I usually leave that to the experts and I focus on the driving-the part I enjoy the most.  I believe the same is true with setting up a turntable.  I can understand how to do everything but that doesn't mean I am going to do it.  I am seeking out the local experts and will have them setup my table.  If I need to adjust something than I will certainly have the knowledge and tools.  

I am sure I will upset many of you but it appears that a good number of you seem to enjoy working on your setup more than listening to music.  That is certainly your choice but not mine.  

Back to the car analogy; there are many people that love to build their car and constantly tweak the setup in the paddock before a race.  Some were successful, most were not.  I focus on the driving and the race craft and believe I had more fun.  That is my strategy for listening to music.  
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,801 posts
 

You disagree with my "quantity over quality"? What quantity over quality? It appears my point was misconstrued. 5000 LP’s is enough to justify ANY table!

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