I've finally lost it


Dear Fellow Audiophiles,

(This greeting sounds so much like the one in Signal Cables’ ads)

I heave a heavy cry for help hoping sane audiophiles, if any exists at all, can come to my aid.

(Looking at recent threads such as the one by Rick Schultz, I fear there’s few out there)

In the past few months, I’ve been in a terrible turmoil: a sickness, a disease.

I don’t understand it at all. So, I beseech your guidance, knowledge and, most of all, a good ass kicking for I fear I am that far from adopting a new religion to save my damned shoe horn.

Until a few months ago, I casually avoided all things analog as I perused through the audio pages be it web or hardcopy. I was only interested in monitors, quaint looking amps and redbook non-os cd players and dacs. But, as of these few months, I can’t get analog out of my head.

I have purchased a total of THREE LPs in the past month. I have maybe 200-300 LPs in a box that I purchased before CDs became prevalent to me in 1989. And, I hardly and ever will hardly listen to any of them ever again. Yet, analog hardware are hopping around my head like Daffy Ducks swimming around Elmer Fudd’s head after he sufferes a great accident.

I can’t keep my eyes off my laptop’s screen as I search for more and more information on turntables. What makes them tick? How do you make them sound better? Which brands are good? How much should I spend? MC or MM?

I’ve leaned towards the VPI Scout or Aries at first. But, I have a dreaded pet peeve against MDF as one of my speakers is made completely of MDF which I thought sounded awkwardly unnatural. I looked to Michell Technodec and Gryo SE which I still think are worthy choices. However, lately I found a review of Positive Feedback’s review of Bluenote’s polyvinyl Bellavista package which includes the Bellavista turntable, the Borghese tonearm and the Boboli cartridge.

I read the review with complete concurrence with every paragraph. Usually, I think Positive Feedback is just that. They have positive feedback for every product they’ve reviewed. However, somehow I felt this review has more journalistic weight than usual. I started researching all things Bluenote.

This isn’t the first time I became hawkish on one particular brand. I did fall heads over heels for 47 Labs as their Gaincard demonstrated to me a new level of resolution through the application of simple materials and set up. I still have the urge to get a Pitracer once I hit the lotto. However, this Bluenote thing doesn’t make any sense at all.

I have a total of THREE LPs that I want to listen to.
I am planning to buy the Bellavista Signature table, the U3 Singature tonearm, an Ortofon Kontrapunkt A or B cart as I read the Bluenote’s arms like heavy carts, and I want Bluenote’s own Phono1 MC phono preamp. I haven’t started nickel and diming the dealers yet, but I think I will spend close to $4000 by the time I am done not including wires and accessories. This means, at current time and purpose, it will be costing me $1333 for me to to play ONE LP.

Atleast with the 300 or so CDs that I listen to and about 200 CDs that are boxed up, the marginal return on investment on a Pitracer will be about $500 per CD. Still INSANE but not as INANE as the turntable investment! Nevertheless, I want a turntable!! I don’t know WHY. Maybe they LOOK sexy. Maybe I just want a new toy. Maybe I have some shortcomings that I want to emotionally supplement. I can’t figure it out!!

Anyways, I am posting hoping for moral or analog support. Even if I do end up splurging on this stupid turntable, at least I hope I spend my money intelligently as stupid as this whole ordeal seems to me.

My GF says I just want to spend money. Either she is making sense, or she’s turning into one of those controlling wives that has problem with the hobby of HIFI which I will need to hit the dating scene again if that is the case.

Thanks,

Ed
viggen
Okay, so you've been bitten by the vinyl bug. It happens to us all at one point or another, and there ARE worse things in life that could happen....

If you are serious about spinning records, I would suggest a modest start. I know of several people who commited to vinyl in a BIG way, and found out after about two months use that they could stand it no longer (using records really is not for everyone). Problem was, of course, they had brand new expensive gear that they had a hard time selling, and only regained partial cost.

My suggestion FWIW, is to start with something simple, effective, and relatively inexpensive to see whether you like both the sound, and inconvenience of vinyl playback, and then move up to a more substantial rig if and when you decide to make the "big commitment". Finding a few more records to play might not be a bad idea either.

If you dig around carefully, you should be able to come up with a more than adequate vinyl system for under $1500. I would try to choose some common and popular components so that resale would not be an issue when/if the time comes. Some of the possible component choices:

Rega RB 250 or 300 arm - not a wallet buster, commonly used on a wide variety of turntables, and readily available for purchase; hell I think I have one in good shape if you want to haggle :)

Basis 1400 turntable - two available this week with Rega arm for less than $1000.

VPI Scout turntable - available used with arm for less than $1500.

NAD PP2 phono stage - gets you going for about $100 or so...

Blue Circle BC27 phono stage - a real winner for about $500.

All sorts of good cartridges available - my choice would be an inexpensive Dynavector, or an Ortofon Kontrapunkt A. Check the Needle Doctor, he usually has a few dandy specials on.

Add your choice of interconnect (simply too many to mention) and you should be good to go, without incurring a small motgage.
I got my immunization booster shot so I don't have to worry about such things. You know they inject you with a little bit of some of the virus in order to build up your immunity. A few hours after getting the shot I went out and scavenged garage sales and flea markets buying about $600 worth of used LP's before it wore off a few days later. Now I have all these old musty LP's and no turntable to play em' on, and no desire to hear'em either. Oh well, better than dropping 4 grand on a rig I guess. It may not be too late for you either. See your physician.

Marco
Hi Ed,

Dump GF, buy VPI!

“There are no ‘repeat signs’ in our journey. Play all the notes the first time.”

(I think it was Confucius that made that remark, or maybe it was Arthur Rubinstein. Without doubt, both of them analog fans.)

Best wishes,
Santiago
Wow, I didn't think my ludicrous endeavor will illicit so many responses. I do feel a lot better since lastnight when I wrote these dialogues. Ofcourse, when I finally went to bed at 2am, I took my laptop with me and continued researching analog stuff until 5am. I seem to have a flavor of the day everyday. And, lastnight about 1am, I discovered Origin Aurora and Graham Slee...

No doubt a lot of you have been through this and thanks for sharing your own experiences. I think this is exactly what I needed. To get some senses knocked into me and to hear other people's horror stories to make me feel better about my own problems. Please keep them coming. I still haven't heard from anyone who dumped their spouse or significant others for their analogue though. Anyone come close atleast? Anyone?

I think Lakefront, Sean and Eso touched on something regarding actual application of analog... I day trade for a living at the moment, so I sit in front of the laptop all day long in my stereo room while blaring some CD. I listen to the same CD 3-4 times in a row because I am too lazy to get up to change the CD. I just put it on repeat. Now, if I am using a turntable I'd have to get up once every 20-30 minutes to flip that sucker over. Something to think about...

On the sane side, I did tell Dean that I WILL NOT buy anything until December. December really has no significance. It's just a date. A date I hope my will power can reach. In the mean time I will keep on researching until I've perfected my system in my mind then actually try to acquire it for real. Sort of like my Kelly LeBrock in Weird Science... But I do feel much better already.