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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
adam18
670 posts
 
YES !!!!! It's definitely a good idea for you to add an analog front end to your system. You have some very good stuff, and I'm sure your music sounds real nice. An "easy way" into analog would be one of the "complete packages" where the cartridge is already mounted on the arm. In your budget, I'd seriously consider the NAD 555, Rega P1, Music Hall 2.2, and Project Debut III. Obviously, if you can spend a little more, the options will greatly improve.
Check out the popular analog websites (Music Direct, Acoustic Sounds, Elusive Disc, Needle Doctor, etc.) and you'll get some good ideas.
Good Luck, and Happy Listening !! Once you start listening to LP's, even on a "modest" turntable, you'll be hooked !!
simone
29 posts
 
I agree with Tvad. If you don't have the records already,
stick with what you have and buy more digital recordings. (I'm 60 with 1500 records)
fatgh0st OP
43 posts
 
Thank you all for your input. The truth is, my music preference is probably considered odd for my age, but I generally prefer music from the 60s and 70s and some 80s to today's music. I've also been completely turned off from the pop/rock that I grew up with and much more into the less-commercialized but more talented musicians and genres (ie. Jazz/Blues). However, this isn't to say that I don't still listen to content across the entire spectrum, both chronologically and genre-wise.

I hear what some have suggested RE: continuing to expand my digital collection, but the truth is, there isn't much out there in hi-res digital that I want that I don't already have. SACD, while still a WONDERFUL format, is more-or-less dead unless you're a huge classical fan. I enjoy classical music, but it's definitely not my first choice most nights when I head down to my listening room...it requires a special mood.

Modern day CDs, except for the few that come out on audiophile labels, are for the most part, garbage. Some very talented musicians with some very good music...but overproduced to the point of destruction and it literally angers me. You'll hear a song that you really like on the radio...which is low quality but understood as such...you buy the CD to bring home and throw into your setup and it's dynamically, flat as a pancake. Sometimes you get lucky and you'll find an artist that cares more about the sonic reproduction of his/her music than how loud it can be, but it's few and far between outside of the above-stated audiophile labels.

Anyway - I think I'll kick this around some more, but thanks again for all of your comments and feedback. If anyone has anything else to add, feel free as it's always much appreciated.
tgrisham
1,291 posts
 
Never leave it to me to give advice. Every time I do, I am sorry. Only you will know if it is right. Do you start off big and find out if it is right for you, or do you dip a toe in the water, never realizing the potential for vinyl? So here goes.....

Spend a $1000 on a turntable/cartridge, and at least $500-700 on a phono stage. I spent a $1000 on a TT, the MMF-7, and $900 on a phono stage, the Graham Slee Era Gold V. I enjoy finding pristine records at the store and bringing them home. I have better sound staging, more realistic voices and instruments, and feel like I am "there". On the downside, unless your records are new (expensive), there will be noise from the surface, including pops and static. CDs give you black backgrounds, great frequency range and zero noise, but they are more "clinical". For this to be successful, you will have to enjoy the discovery of records in stores, tolerate the surface noise, and go through the ritual of cleaning records, all to enjoy the sweetness and realism that digital hopes to achieve. In my limited experience, you have to spend $2000 on a record rig to better what you will get with digital. Once you pass that mark, you have to spend much more on digital to surpass that. My advice is worth what you paid for it. But, if the analog bug bites you, you will have moments of audio bliss. I guarantee it.
stickman451
553 posts
 
The answer to your question is a RESOUNDING YES! (IMHO). I too have recently re-entered the vinyl world after a 30 year absence; and man am I sorry that I wasted those years!

My first table was a VPI Scout ($1,800 retail) and it knocked my socks off. I used a $650 Dynavector 20xl as my cartridge. It took about ten seconds of listening to George Harrison strum the guitar on ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ on the Beatles Love album for me realize just how good vinyl can sound. There is just something about vinyl that digital (even very good digital) does not have. Vinyl has a more “organic”, warmer, richer, denser sound that I just don’t hear very often from vinyl.

My advice: try one of the entry level Rega tables or better yet, spend a little more and get a used or new VPI Scout; good deals on used Scouts can often be found on AudiogoN’s for sale site. Take a chance on one of these and you will never look back!

I have moved-on and “up” from the Scout and I am all the better for it! Vinyl still rules!!!
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