Newbie Analog High Expectations??

Definately get a used table of some sort. You've got good equipment, get a good TT. Otherwise vinyl will not live up to your expectations.

It can be a pain - cleaning records is a real headache - but the sonic benefits are there.

Also, as someone stated above, there is a lot of stufff on vinyl that has never been reissued on cd. Those are the best ones.

If you're looking for suggestions, I've got a SOTA that I love (and will never part with)and they can be had relatively cheap. Bulletproof build quality and you can call the factory and speak with the owner. You can't go wrong. Figure out which one you're looking for, post a 'wanted' ad here on a-gon and you'll get lots of offers.

I grew up with vinyl but had not listened to it in years. I liked SACD's quite a bit and since inferior downloaded music killed all disks and I went to the server-DAC set up, I only recently bought a new turntable, and.... Huge difference.

To be honest I let the turntable sit for a few weeks before I set it up because it all seemed like such a hassle, but I have to say, it's more than worth it.

I laugh at some of the critical reviews of individual pressings. They all sound better than any disc/dac combo I have had, and I have had some good ones. The ritual of cleaning and playing the record is really fun too.

Buy used, buy a good cleaning machine, and be ready to buy and sell some older albums til you find ones you want. Many of the new pressings are just fantastic.

You won't be dissappointed, guaranteed.

If you are a mechanical engineer that likes to tinker, then vinyl should have its appeal. Record players are great machines for tinkering. That's how I got interested in music and audio as a young kid...tinkering with the phono.

I learned how to avoid electrical shocks eventually along the way also.

Personally, I love the physics behind record playing and still find the whole experience fascinating. And it can provide many sonic epiphanies as well as disappointments on a regular basis.

The short play time per side with vinyl is the biggest negative for me. If you just want to listen to music for extended periods without having to muck with anything, set up a music server with a decent DAC.

Also I am partial to Linn tables, but that's just me. I owned a Rega table years ago. It was just OK compared to the Linn.

If you can pick up a used Linn Axis table in good working order for a couple hundred as a start, you would not regret it. I've had mine for 20 years and still going strong with never a thought of changing.

The fun part is going to garage sales or antique marts and scoring older out of print recordings from the 50's and 60's for a pittance. Here is where you can find the great sonic epiphanies from the golden age of vinyl when sound quality mattered to many...recordings that sound like nothing you can buy today.

ahh, if you are certified gear head, you need to get an old Garrard or AR table and modify it yourself. Go to soundofthewood.com and look around, you will get hooked. You are have the perfect background to become a vinyl-phile.