Moving into vinyl. Brinkman, TW Raven, GrandPrix??


Dear all,

I'm considering moving into vinyl as all my friends tell me it's the real deal and once you've got it, digital doesn't seem to appealing anymore.

I've being reading some threads on the various brands etc etc and have made a selection of a few players I'm highly interested in.

- Brinkman Balance
- TW Raven Black Night
- Grand Prix Audio Monaco turntable

Obviously the arm/cart has an impact on the sound as well, but which of these tables would to prefer and why? Any other tables I should consider?

I don't have funds for the really expensive turntables, the above brands are the price range I'm thinking of buying.

Appreciate your feedback.

Thanks.
maxx1973
.... once you've got it, digital doesn't seem to appealing anymore.

Beware of well meaning advice from friends.
Yes, I hope your friends also told you about how much work doing vinyl correctly can be. I'm all for anyone trying vinyl, but I'm not sure I would ever say that digital loses it's appeal if it is also done correctly.

As for tables to start with, I can only offer to buy the most that you can within your budget. And that could very well mean buying used. You can usually double your budget that way.

Keep in mind that the table is only one part. You also need to address the phono cart/phono stage synergy, cartridge alignment tools, cleaning supplies, etc. As I said, it takes quite a bit to do it right.
Thanks for your response. I do know is an expensive and time consuming part of hifi.

My comment about digital losing its appeal was maybe a bit to drastic. I basically meant that from the people I know that use vinyl, they all prefer the turntable sound over the sound of their CD player.

I don't have enough comparison but I like the sound of my CD a lot, but then, I'm (think many with me) always looking for improvements.

With respect to phono stages, there are 2 currently that has my main interest, it's the Boulder phono and the Lyra Connoisseur.

I'm extremely curious how for instance a Brinkman Balance with Breuer tonarm with a Boulder/Lyra phono would compare to a DCS Puccini/Scarlatti.