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Considering analog...but nervous

Well, I've been here before. Once again, I'm thinking of venturing into the Analog world, but before doing so, I wanted to pose a few questions to fellow agoners to make sure my head (ears?) are in the right place.

Some Background: My current setup consists of a Modwright Transporter, Musical Fidelity KW 500 (hybrid tube pre/SS Amp), and Focal/JM 1027be speakers. My entire current collection is digital and I have NEVER owned Vinyl before NOR have I ever heard a high-end Analog setup.

My Tastes/musical likes: I am all about soundstage and imaging. Vocal accuracy is hugely important and instrument placing (hence, imaging) are part of what I look for when listening. Genre wise, mostly rock, folk, acoustic and blues. Some jazz as well. I generally try to stick to labels that produce good-sounding material...not over-compressed garbage.

On with the questions:

1. One of the biggest things that has kept me from trying Vinyl thus far is the concern of excessive hiss and crackle/pop that vinyl is known for. Is it safe to assume that purchasing new Vinyl and played on a higher quality setup will reduce (eliminate?) the pops and crackle sounds? I have no problem purchasing exclusively new vinyl, knowing full well that the process of shopping used is what draws so many to this market...

2. If I purchase new vinyl, only play it on a decent player, and store it properly, will I still have to clean it? How expensive is a cleaning machine? Are there (reasonable), less expensive alternatives to a cleaning machine?

3. Based on my integrated (tube-pre,SS amp) and speakers, are these a good match for Vinyl? Does anyone know if the KW 500 Phono input is adequate for a good turntable? My digital system has a tendency to be on the bright side for a lot of material, but not everything. Strangly, even at 31 years old, I can still hear up to around 19Khz so I'm a bit picky about the highs...

4. How complicated is the setup of the TT? Being that I've never worked wtih it before, I'm somewhat intimidated by the "setup" requirements of the equipment. What are the core requirements/knowledge to properly setup a TT.

5. And finally, the most subjective question of all. If I had a budget of about $1,000-$1,500 for a TT, Tonearm and Cartridge, what would be a good starting place? I'd obviously be looking for used here from Agon.

I know this was a long post so thanks for hanging in and reading it all :-). Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

-gh0st
fatgh0st
manitunc
795 posts
 
I would absolutely get a vpi scout before a Music Hall anything if I was getting my first table. the arm that comes with the scout is superior and its resale value if you trade up is likely better. There are a lot of scouts out there used from people who are trading up.

That said, if you are going to spend the entire 2500, I would get the VPI Classic. Its about as plug and play as you can get, and has gotten great reviews from everyone who has heard it. I dont own one, since I tend towards suspended tables like Oracle and Sota, but the VPI is a decent product for the price.

You could pick up a very nice Sota Sapphire for that price, factory rebuilt or even a Star from a private seller. The Star adds a vacuum platter, which I find to be very effective.
But I wouldnt get the MMF or Denon.
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Calm down its only LP.
dev's avatar
dev
832 posts
 
Don't do it you might get hooked and like it and then we will have another compeditor looking for LP's. Ha! Ha!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,200 posts
 
Don't do it if its going to stress you out.

Unless there are old vinyl recordings you must experience (yes, there are some good and unique things worth experiencing from the golden age of vinyl), its not worth it these days. Better to max out the performance of what you have first.
fatgh0st OP
43 posts
 
OK, so I went to two different retailers today in the area and listened to two different tables. Needless to say, I'm in love :-). The sound is so much more natural than the digital I'm used to and guess what...the surface noise didn't bother me a bit. I listened to some new Vinyl that I picked up before I went out listening, and I listened to some old Vinyl (including a 1961 signed copy of Brubeck's Time Out that one of the reps had there). While the surface noise was certainly noticeable, I was instantly overtaken by the music and the sound and it didn't bother me a bit.

The first setup I listened to was a Pro-Ject 2 Xperience with the Pro-ject 9cc arm and a Sumiko Blue Point No. 2 HO MC cartridge. It was hooked up to an Audio Research Vsi60 Tube Integrated Amp and a pair of Vandersteens (can't remember the model). The sound was very alive and well placed. My only concern was that Electrostats also have a very different sound than my speakers so it's hard to say how big of an impact they made. The biggest standout for me was the incredibly accurate tonality in the instruments.

Music listened to on the Pro-Ject:

Ray Lamontagne - Trouble (Trouble, Jolene)
Nirvana - Unplugged in New York (Man Who Sold the World)
Neil Young - Greatest Hits (Old Man)
Steely Dan - Aja (Black Cow)
Dave Brubeck - Time Out / Take Five (Blue Ronda a la Turk)

My next stop was to listen to the Music Hall MMF5.1SE. This unit had a Pro-Ject arm on it and a Goldring MM Cart. The setup was entirely different. McIntosh Pre, McIntosh Amp and (exceptionally large) DynAudio speakers. The room was extremely cramped (at least 12 pairs of other speakers in the room, along with other equipment racks) and a much smaller space than the first place in general. The room was heavily treated with sound panels on the walls and ceiling and Bass Traps in the rear corners. This system sounded much "tighter" and less appealing. To be honest, it sounded more like the digital sound that I'm used to. Not quite as edgy, but not nearly as open and easy to just sit back and absorb.

Music Listened to on the Music Hall

Neil Young - Greatest Hits (Old Man)
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (Money for Nothing)

So beetween the two, my nod goes 100% to the Pro-Ject. However, I couldn't help but wonder if the supporting components/rooms were causing a big difference. Does the sound that I describe and the differences sound more like the different speakers' signatures than the TTs?

I really liked the sound of that Pro-Ject and I want to think that it's what I can expect from a table of that caliber or higher, but I'd hate to get one, bring it home, and end up with the sound that was similar to the MH that I heard as I was not nearly as impressed (although it was still nice) since my current speakers are more similar to that of the DynAudios than the Vandersteens...

I sure hope this venture isn't going to cost me a new pair of speakers as well!

As always, any responses/opinions are greatly appreciated.

-gh0st
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