Analog First Timer.

To start up without dissapointment sufficient and enough to outperform on some records your digital setup will be:

inexpancive J.A.Michell Gyro SE MKIV,
inexpancive Shelter 501 if ordered directly from Japan,
inexpancive RB300 tonearm with Michell VTA,
and I would strongly recoommend BAT VK P5 phono.

I do not think that if you'll go for cheaper analogue setup(Rega P3/RB300/Rega Elys/... for instance)you will outperform your current digital setup.

My digital front end consists of ML #37 + Sonic Frontier SFD2 mk II with NOS tubes. I recently took the plunge and purchased the Michell Orbe SE (a step up from the Gyro) + SME V arm + Benz woodbody M2 cartridge. ($8000 retail total, about the same price as my digital setup) The setup costed me $5300 all brand new. Added the PH3 SE (used, another $1500) to my LS-2B mk II preamp.

The analog sounded wonderful! I've not turn on my digital front end for the past two months. The only catch is finding the software. Classical music are plentiful. You can find them at used record stores or goodwill stores for $0.50 per LP. But you need to learn about different labels to know what to get. Same album could be released several times, some will sound better and some worse than CDs. Jazz albums are harder to find. I just buy brand new reissues which cost about $10 - $18. I did find some original 60's LP. It's like collecting baseball cards, you have to really look to find them in good playing condition.

Oh, and there are accessories. Record cleaning machine is a must. Also record brushes, aligning tools, etc. And all the regimen of vinyl listening: Brush the LP, clean the stylus, then play, turn the LP over, etc.

Is this all worth it? You have to decide for yourself. I find all these pre-listening routines help me prepare my mind to enjoy the music more. And LP collecting becomes a challenging activity in itself.

You're right, Marakanetz.

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a fan of those glass and particle board turntables. You've got to get a decent platform and a superb MC preamp and cartridge. Otherwise, save the money and buy lots of CDs instead.

The Well-Tempered is a good recommendation, but I would also suggest the SME-10, which includes the arm as well, and also Tom Evans Groove or Mini Groove Plus. The SME-10 has world class quality, and the long history of SME, even today, will be able to provide parts for a 1960's SME tonearm.

Although many more 'tweaky' table/arm combination will sound better than the SME-10, you would waste too much time and put your focus away from music or building a useful LP collection.

Pick a cartridge of your fancy, a Helikon is fine, so as a Lydian Beat which gives very little. 3 years later and you have 300 records, you can upgrade the table or cartridge.

Personally, the RB arms are over-hyped, cheap no doubt, but it has no VTA which limits ability to work with various cartridges (after market Rega VTA kits are available but why bother ?) The SME 10 arm made with magnesium is a very nice arm that is not available separately.

www.extremephono.com

I just got my analogue set up to the level of the rest of my system, and now I listen to vinyl about the same as I listen to cd's.

You didn't say whether or not you are a big "record collector" type of person. I am, and the truth is there are bad sounding lp pressings just like there are bad sounding cd issues. So, it certainly isn't the case that any LP will always sound b etter than cd. Some lp's just plain stink.

But plenty of lp's sound great, and there are tons of great sounding records out there. These days, I buy all of my rock new releases on vinyl if they are released in that format, because there is a touch of body and warmth and stereo depth that is not quite there in my digital one.

No recommendations for specific analogue gear. Others who post here have more experience than me listening to a wider range of analogue gear. No dealer in my area has a turntable to demo!!!

pcanis