Suggested entry path into vinyl...

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!

if you are within driving distance to memphis, it would be a good trip to go talk to george. He is one of the pioneers in this venue and will talk for hours on the merits of vinyl and will work with you to put together a system that will fit your budget. I came to him knowing a little and already having an old denon player and he showed me what an old modded AR could do and thus i started my quest for the "ideal" sound that i am still working on. However, he gives solid advice and is not tied to just his new equipment. He will also help you understand the tuning and tweaking of the system which is critical to get the most out of your vinyl experience. Also, this forum and the one at audioasylum can help also

Thx Catfishbob and Oilmanmojo. Appreciate the thoughts.