Suggested entry path into vinyl...

Hi,
let me second Clio09 and of course MM Raul :-)
I'm currently listening to an MM in my system (Shure V15 III xMR) and it makes me and my phono-pre a lot happier then any MC managed to date.

Some would say it's due to the phono-pre seeing a more 'workable' cart output voltage and I think it holds some truth. The next best think (in my system) was a 0.3 MC but ONLY when using a step-up transformer, but note: I have NO need for extra gain, as my system can muster some 78dB with relative ease.

Please NOTE, that I say in MY SYSTEM. A lot depends on the performance level of the phono-pre when it is supposed to produce TRUE music like output from e.g. an <=0.3mV cart output. It is there where the phono-pre chaff separates from the wheat.

I think MCs are much overrated in the presents of 'general' phono-pre performance. I have not had the pleasure to listen to a $32'000.00 phono-pre like e.g. Boulder 2008 so all I can relate by is something more 'middle-of-the-road' (see my system).
My advise be also: Get the best MM you can afford when looking for a cart.
Greetings,

So Cmalak, have you actually gotten into vinyl?

My two cents, from personal experience:

I started listening to a great deal of music at a very early age, some years before the Compact Disc playback system broke into the scene. While all my school mates were still listening to some childish dribble, I was pestering my folks for Queen, Kiss and Rolling Stones LPs. My mom even got me one of those portable “suitcases” with an integrated turntable and folding speakers, so I could spin my own records.

When I was fifteen, while visiting family in NY, I had some money in my pocket, so I went down to Canal St. and got myself a Technics SL-1200 MKII turntable, the very same unit that is now spinning ‘Let It Bleed’ atop my equipment rack as I type this post, some 22 years later. I could go on and on about the table, its technology and its history, but the point is that I paid $400.00 for it, surely the best money I ever spent during my lifelong musical journey. My baby still sounds great tonight, has aged gracefully, it never missed a bit, it’s built like a tank and it will go on forever. If I had to choose between my table and my Wife, I’d be stuck between a rock and a hard place!

Along with my turntable I’ve managed to preserve a decent collection of LPs, some purchased by myself as a kid, some inherited from others. Whenever someone was “switching to CDs”, my home was the destination for their old records. I currently own some 3,000 pressings of all sorts of genres and artists. A few are in great condition, but most of them have either been moved too much, stored and handled poorly, played with shabby needles, or all of the above. You can say that I’ve kept all these records throughout the years mainly because I had enough space. One day I ought to filter them out, but for me those records represent a great, free source for musical discovery.

So, although I always had a vinyl rig, the quality of my LP collection never justified a hefty investment in equipment. Also, the limited availability of fresh LPs in my area makes it unviable for me to consider a costly rig. Whatever records come my way these days, they are usually second-hand copies which I snatch at flea markets for less than three bucks a pop.

In any case, I grew up during the proliferation of digital playback. My CD collection is far larger than my vinyl and it is more representative of my own musical preferences. Being the avid audiophile junkie that I am, I spin those silver discs in a high end CD player that retails for over $6,000.00.

You may think that a current $6,000.00 high end CD player with great associated equipment and cables would just smoke the old $400.00 table with its cheap Stanton needle… And you’d be right! Still, every time a mint LP goes for a spin on that old turntable, even through that rubbish cartridge I can absolutely hear why so many people defend vinyl as the best, more musically satisfying format.

I will go as far as to get a better cartridge at some point in order to enhance my system’s definition, but I won’t go beyond a reasonably-priced option.

This is a hobby, after all. So –finally- my two cents are:
- If you live in an area where fresh vinyl is readily available,
- If you are willing to spend considerable resources in analogue hardware, software and isolation, as well as all the cleaning, demagnetizing and calibration accessories de rigueur,
- If you have enough dust-free space to properly store LP records…
Then vinyl will probably provide you with the best possible musical reproduction experience.

However, if like most people you are likely to just get your hands on a few old records here and there, which may not all be in the best of shapes, then settle for an inexpensive vinyl rig which will still give you plenty satisfaction, and devote more resources to consolidate your digital front ends.

Thx Dressprmex. Great thoughts. I agree with the advice. The approach I am taking is to go with a moderate set up to learn the intricacies of table set up/operation and to test whether I have the temperament for vinyl playback (get up every 20 mins or so, clean LPs, constantly check cartridge alignment, etc...) and also to start doing the rounds at various used record stores in the greater Boston area to see the choice and quality of LPs that is available to me. If I find that I enjoy the process of spinning vinyl and I have good sources for used LPs, then I will upgrade into a more serious vinyl playback system. I am still in the research phase and trying to figure out what I mean by "moderate" starter vinyl systsm. I will come back to all you folks for advice and pester you with questions (either in this or a separate thread) when I start narrowing down hardware options. Thx again for your advice and enjoy. Let me know if you get a chance to hear the Rockport Miras and what you think of them Dressprmex. Take care.

Dressprmex should be complimented for his thoughtful and honest response. Bravo !! My experiences are very similar. My love of music started during the days of Woodstock, and I bought a ton of LP's during the 1970's and early 1980's. No CD's back then, so vinyl was the only way to go (oh yeah, I had a box of 8-track tapes for the car) to enjoy the tunes. I'm lucky that I still have a huge portion of my original collection, which I still enjoy.

I've collected about a thousand CD's from 1986 through the present day, and "digital" sounds really fine on my system..... but I've never given up on vinyl. In fact, I've been "re-discovering the total joy" of analog over the past few years, and have bought about a hundred Blue Note/OJC/Contemporary jazz re-issues during this time (~$10-12 each from various websites.) I'm finding that I spend more time firing up my turntable than I do playing CD's lately, but I simply love music, and feel really lucky that my system allows me to listen both ways. See my "system" for details........it's modest in cost, but is extremely musical, and true to the instruments and singers.

So....my two cents.......YES, analog playback is quite worthwhile, extremely enjoyable, and can be had without investing a ton of dinero. Good Luck, and Happy Listening !

Let me throw my two cents in......2 years ago I had an illness that damaged the hearing in my left ear. After much deliberation I decided that it was time to get back in to audio while I still had my hearing. This lead me to research audio which led me to Audiogon and many other forums. As you are probably aware, there arent too many HiFi shops left where one can go and sit and listen to different set ups. I finally got a basic system: speakers, amp, and CD player. I got good stuff even if it wasnt the most expensive. I kept reading about analog and how great the sound was. I looked at buying used here but was concerned about my lack of expertise with setting up a TT. There was no one that I knew of near me that could help me. Members of this forum advised me to try and find a dealer that I could visit. I found George Merrill in Memphis TN, about a 3 hour drive from me. George doesnt even have a CD player in his shop. He is all about analog. His own TTs were too much for my budget so he put together a Thorens that he highly modded. I cant tell you how worthwhile it has been to get his expertise. The thing blows away my CD player. I freely admit that I actually spend most of my time listening to the digital radio via direct tv. I work from home so I like low level music. But when I want to really listen I go to the LPs. Some of my ole Lps are beat up, but some with a good cleaning sound great. New music that I buy is mostly LPs. I find it great fun. My advice is to find some one you can trust to set your rig up. You will reap the benefits immediately. Good luck!