2. analog
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First Turntable - Direct drive or Belt drive?

First Turntable -  

Having no prior experience with a turntable, I need your help in understanding what are involved in setting up and playing a turntable. I’ve been contemplating an analogue front end that has a good synergy with my existing digital music playbacks and provides a music experience that excels what my current ARC CD-7 tube CD player could offer.

Here’re the components in my existing system:

Audio Research CD-7 Tube CD player (I much prefer a tube-based CD player than a non-tube based one)

Ayre K-1xe pre amp (without phono)

Pass Labs XA 30.5 power amp

Harbeth Compact 7ES-3 speakers (Sound Anchor stands)

Audience Au24e balanced interconnects

Audience Au24SE speaker cables

Kind of music listening to: symphony, chamber, strings, vocal, pop songs, jazz

FYI, I have no of collection of LPs.

 

First, where do I start collecting LPs? Buying new (expensive) or getting used? FYI, I’m in NYC area and I think there’re some LP stores around. Second, do I need a decent record cleaner to achieve a reasonable level of LP playback experience? Moreover, how do you store your LPs? Any suggestion for a good quality shelf/storage for LPs?

 Trying to understand the output from a turntable. I read somewhere on the forum that the output of a turntable is inherently balanced. What’re the typical output connectors off a turntable – balanced, RCA or other?  My pre amp has balanced input/output and power amp has balanced input. Should I get a phono stage that has a balanced input/output to take advantage of the pre and power amps?

If a turntable (i.e. Technics SL-1210GR) has a RCA output, how to connect it to a phono stage? Turntable RCA output > Phono RCA input > Phono Balanced output>Pre Amp balanced input?

 Any recommendations for a high quality, less maintenance First Turntable around $2K (new or used? Thinking about the Technics SL-1210GR? Is its playback more digital like than analogue?

Lastly, I need recommendation on a moderately priced, solid rack for a turntable. FYI, I currently do not have a rack and I put all components on the floor. A rack that will house a turntable, pre-amp and CD player would be ideal. Or, they could be 2 separate low-profile racks.

 

Thank you!


r0817
br3098
974 posts
 
Melm,

Hmm, I never really considered that I might be neurotic.  That explains a lot... 
melm
1,057 posts
 
@lewm 

The OP says he wants an LP system that "provides a music experience that excels what my current ARC CD-7 tube CD player could offer."

I don't know anything about the OP's DAC except that it costs about $9000.  [I also know that the correlation between DAC price and SQ is far less than perfect.] The OP's budget for a turntable is $2000.  Given that the DAC is worth $9000, or anywhere near that amount, the likelihood of equaling the SQ of his digital, never mine "excelling"  in SQ beyond it, is almost nil IMO.

And then there are the issues of software, particularly used LPs.

It seems the OP is missing something, something his current system doesn't provide.  I think he should look within.  A $2000 turntable will not give him more.  A $10,000 turntable probably won't either.

Anyhow, it's not your money so feel free to advise away! 
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I would say the problem is less that the OP is missing something, than that the OP is missing.

One post. That never did make any sense. Which by its very nature will now run on and on and on, let's see for how many pages. 

DD, lol, where do I buy records (in NYC!) lol!
lewm
12,610 posts
 
Yep.  Good old R0817 has apparently taken a powder.  I'll miss his wit.
r0817 OP
55 posts
 
Thanks for the feedback and suggestions so far. As I mentioned in my post, I had no experience with turntables but would like to give it a try. Obviously, I've asked too many questions at a time that turned out to be counter productive.

Let me clarify that I didn't mean to get a 'forever turntable' at the first attempt. Rather, I want to start experiencing LP playbacks and determine if it's what I expected. Direct drive or belt drive is not critical. I want my first turntable to be low maintenance and reliable.

BTW, I love my current digital playbacks and there's nothing missing in it. So no guess work here. We just live one life and want to try something new to keep ourselves interested. So here are the questions:

Can you recommend a turntable/arm/cartriage in the $3-4k range, new or used that is relatively easy to set up and maintain yet provide an excellent LP playback experience?

As for phono stage, it doesn't need to be balanced as long as it offers a good synergy with the turntable and pre amp. Tube or SS, which makes more sense?

Could you elaborate on the configuration of a turntable output? What are the typical connectors?

Thanks.
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