2. analog
  3. 1179624584

Record wear

I'm tempted to get into analog, but have next to no experience. I'm considering starting with an inexpensive table, cartridge, etc. to test the waters. If things work out, I'll upgrade.

Some of the records can run fairly pricey, like the Analogue Productions 45s. In my inexperience, I'm concerned that a lower-end system may introduce a lot of record wear before I jump into a better system. Should this be a concern?

If this shouldn't be a concern, any recommendations for reasonably-priced components? Thanks!
bigamp
bigamp OP
219 posts
 
Great info. Thanks! Looking forward to this move...
french_fries
815 posts
 
buy some good record sleeves. the record player isn't going to damage your records as much as not buying a decent record rack and re-sleeving the records that come in ultra-cheap paper. outer sleeves are not expensive either, and prevent
records from slipping out of the covers. box sets, like all nine beethoven symphonies, do pose a problem however; dividers would be nice, but then the records aren't going to fit inside the box anymore... you really should transfer the vinyl to single-alblum covers- which for some particularly valuable records is probably a necessity. "bags unlimited" has a free catalog and has alot of useful stuff in it.
pbb
1,140 posts
 
Record wear is always a problem. Those who will not admit it are members of a cult.
Post removed 
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
If the cartridge/tonearm are reasonably high quality and aligned correctly, it is virtually impossible to "wear out" a record. Keeping your records clean is very important as well.

The gear I used 40+ plus years ago was hardly state of the art but the records still play quietly and without any significant problems. I

Those who espouse record wear being a problem probably need to upgrade their hardware. My opinion is based on a review of that system.
More to discover