Turntable advice?

[dknightd]

My opinion is that unless there is music that you want that is only available on vinyl, that you do not invest money in it. A 22 year old should be looking toward the future, not toward the past.

[twitch54]

My opinion is that unless there is music that you want that is only available on vinyl, that you do not invest money in it. A 22 year old should be looking toward the future, not toward the past.

dk / newbie, Although I tend to agree somewhat with dk's statement I must ask....what IS the future ??? CD's ?? me thinks not, SACD, DVD-A ?? for jazz and classical that is about it. Possibly the further evolution of the "Squeezebox" type of technology, but certianly not the MP-3 type of crap that is prolifirating young peoples ears !!

To an old fart like myself viynl has always been part of my soul, keep in mind for people like Sparky, myself and others our record collection alone exceeds what the majority of folks have in their entire system. So of course were going to give it the best we can afford.

newbie, if you are serious about getting into viynl, I like VPI for a couple of reasons, first off they are upgradeable and it's a very good product , IMO. Also as Sparky mentioned read up on as many forums as possible, rent or buy Michael Fremers DVD on analog, keep an eye out on 'AudioGon' for used pieces and what their pricing is, for paitience is good and hopefully will reward you with a nice find.

remember you wil be budgeting for TT, Cart, phono-preamp (if your existing preamp doesnot have this), plus cleaning supplies.

As for the future.....make mine 'Black Pizza' please !!

[dknightd]

I must ask....what IS the future ???

That is a very good question. One I can not answer. I suspect it will
be digital in one format or another. I also have way more invested in LP's than I do in reproduction equipment. And nearly the same invested in CD's.
I guess my point is that for somebody starting out I'd suggest putting money
into a good cd (or universal) player and speakers, rather than spending
it on a turntable and LP's.
But that does not answer the OP's question. I think that question has already been answered on may threads in this forum.

[Alaric]

A question for the "experienced" guys

"Experienced" sounds better than "old". As an old guy myself,I have to ask-isn't digital music the end result of economic theories , as opposed to SQ? A CD holds a lot more data than an album,and is probably cheaper to make.
Having said that,I bought my only decent TT in 1983 and I wish I still had it.I have a SACD player I like very much,and I can't remember what nuances are missing from dig music,but I know I enjoyed the sound more than any CD or SACD I've heard. Is the future over-compressed MP3-type dreck that downloads to a phone conveniently? I hope not.
It seems turntables of a certain quality level have skyrocketed in price since vinyl went "obsolete". As soon as the word audiophile is affixed to something it gets pricey. In that respect,I sympathize with newbiemex-but a $1000 CD player will now probably provide better SQ than a $1000 TT.In that respect I believe Karma is right. On the other hand,I hate to think what the $1200 1983 dollars I spent on a TT would equate to now!
Ok,I'm rambling.I'll stop now.

[Karma]

HI Alaric,
I originally intended this reply for this thread. But, I decided that it may have a general audience that would get lost in a 50 post thread like this one. Thus, I made a thread out of the reply. It can be found at:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=25218

Thanks, Sparky

[Alaric]

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1177211711

anybody seen this?

[Brandon B]

Like Kauri wood. Picked up some nice turned pieces on our last trip to NZ.

BB

[Alaric]

J A Michell Focus One turntable

I moved back to this thread because I'm asking advice again...Anybody here have any experience with the above TT? All the JA Michelle stuff I've seen previously seemed way out of my budget , so I'm suspicious of a "bargain" . Would the above be a good deal at $625? Thanks for your patience , guys.

[David Meek]

Focus One or Focus One S?

The Focus One came out in the mid-70's IIRC. An acquaintance in college had one and I thought it was terribly cool. There was an upgraded version called the Focus One S which came out a little later, had a heavier platter and other improvements which this same acquaintance moved on to. I remember (30 years, yeah I know) that it sounded even better than his first. If it's not an "S" I'm thinking $625 may actually be a bit high unless it's in pristine shape and comes with a reasonable cartridge.

[Alaric]

It's the Focus One , and oddly enough , comes with no cartridge! Thanks for the heads-up.

[wkhanna]

I am paying close attention to your journey, as I am planing to go vinyl by the end of this year, too, for my next adventure in this hobby. In the price range of $600 -$700, this is one I might consider for my first TT.


pro-ject RM5

[Alaric]

I've been looking at the RM5 myself. Still leaning towards a mmf-7 for under $900 , but the way things are going lately I may have to lean a little further! I laughed out loud at the suggestion of a Technics 1200 , but they seem to have a following out there. The SOTA Moonbeam also looks pretty interesting. http://www.ttvj.com/index.php?main_p...products_id=47

Of course , if you really want to go bat$hit http://www.ttvj.com/index.php?main_p...roducts_id=444
Check the price on that critter! 8O

[Alaric]

The Focus One came out in the mid-70's IIRC. An acquaintance in college had one and I thought it was terribly cool. There was an upgraded version called the Focus One S which came out a little later, had a heavier platter and other improvements which this same acquaintance moved on to. I remember (30 years, yeah I know) that it sounded even better than his first. If it's not an "S" I'm thinking $625 may actually be a bit high unless it's in pristine shape and comes with a reasonable cartridge.

David , this is the TT in question http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....abl&1180919717

Figured I'd add to this post , in case anybody cares , rather than post again.I've now found a Marantz TT15 for the same money as the $900 mmf-7. I think the TT15 is a rebadged Clearaudio Emotion. Shipping from Hawaii could be a sticking point , but as far as SQ goes , does anybody have a preference ? Clearaudio seems to have a pretty decent reputation. Also found a great deal on a mmf-5SE with a Cruise Control speed box , a decent mat , and an upgraded cartridge. ($595) :scratchhead:

[David Meek]

It isn't an S-series, but I think I remember that the orginal had a "bent" arm on it, so that may be an upgrade? Possibly? Off to the 'net I go. . . .

[David Meek]

Here's some photos from the JA Michell site that may be of interest:

Older Michell Turntables

I didn't realize that John Michell had passed away. That's a loss.

[Alaric]

Any opinions on this? http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....abl&1181501929

[Alaric]

I did it....

I found a great deal on a Music Hall mmf-5SE. With shipping and ins. I still saved $300. It was on my original short list so I don't feel I've compromised too much. Thanks , everybody! As soon as I get it , and my neighbors are gone for the day , I'll give a report. :T

[wkhanna]

Woooo Whoooooooooo!!!!

[Alaric]

Yeah , I'm excited. I think I got a pretty good deal on a new unit (he said 'unit'") . I missed out on a couple deals because I couldn't decide so I figured 'What the heck'. This should be fun!

[David Meek]

Good turntable Lee. Definitely give it a week or so of playing time to break all the pieces in, and then let us know what ya' think. Congratulations. :T

FWIW, that looks like a pretty darn good deal on the VPI, too. :yesnod:

[Alaric]

I liked that VPI , as well. I had to get a little more realistic about my budget than I wanted , but the mmf-5SE has some nice features , and I'm getting a new-in-box unit for a good price. Also , I don't have to save as much for an upgrade now. I can play around with cartridges and maybe a tonearm down the road. First option will probably be a speed control , as my ACV runs about 123 ACV at the outlets. I'm really looking forward to hearing some of my old albums again. My first release Dark Side Of The Moon heads the list. Also have some MF 1/2 speed masters I'm salivating over. 21 years is a long time between listening sessions!
It will probably be a couple weeks before I get the TT , and a week or so of break-in , but I will definitely be reporting back on things like my amp's phono stage vs. the Bellari , copper vs. Kingcat vs. Silvercat ICs , headphones and floorstanders. Maybe some noobs (like me) will benefit from the results. I'm still trying to reconcile how much I've spent so far with the 'mid-fi' status of my rig! Money well spent , mind you , just scared of how much more to come!!! :E

[wkhanna]

Come on Lee!!!!
We are far past the edge of commonsense AFA this hobby/passion/addiction is concerned!
The excitement your feeling is as close to being 9 years old on Xmas morning as you have just descended the stairs and take that first long look at all the beautifully wrapped packages under the tree that santa has left just for you as we will ever get.

I say, indulge your self, we have earned it!

[twitch54]

Lee, congrats on the new 'Black Pizza' spinner !! Hopefully it will allow you to re-kindle your analog spirit !

[Alaric]

Thanks , twitch! I'm excited about it. Now it's time to start looking around for new vinyl to add to my collection. I still remember how good Led Zep sounded with decent equipment and-waitaminnit , I have to spend more money? Never ends , does it!? I also want to find some Alison Krauss on vinyl. I also seem to recall Guns N Roses first album sounded a lot better than the CD I have of same. *sigh* Back to domestic beer and Hamburger Helper.

[dyazdani]

At least you can enjoy the HH while listening to some sweet tunes!

[tyler]

imagine that :rofl:

so what are the few upgrades that can be done

You can find upgrades for the Technics 1200 here http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/index.htm
One of the best mods they have is the turntable clamp which replaces the stock bearing and shaft. Also, regarding any noise, the 1200 has a rumble figure of -80dB, Speed accuracy of 0.005% and Wow & Flutter of 0.01%. There are various articles available on the site regarding this as well.

If you would like to take it one step further change the arm board and tone arm. You can find the arm boards here http://www.tonearm.co.uk/dj-technics-arm.htm. I would recommend the Rega arm or the OL1 arm from Origin. The arm upgrade to this table will make a significant difference.

[Alaric]

My TT is scheduled for delivery Tuesday (5/1/07) WOOHOO!!! :dancenana: (any excuse for a dancenana!)

[collectslps]

I suggest a P3. The other model isnt worth the extra $

[fauzigarib]

Choices choices!!

Hey all,

To keep a long story short, I"ve been slooooowly gettiong into my analog journey over the course of the past two years almost by reading, researching, studying, buying lps that I would like to own, and eventually getting an oooooold Pioneer Direct Drive TT up and going, loaded with a Shure Mx97e cartridge.

It's really not much of a setup, but I tell you, from what I've been hearing over the course of the past few months, my love for music has been reawakened...

... and with it, a need to upgrade!

I know i know... another one of those posts. I normally wouldn't ask brand recommendations from anyone.. it's just that I've run into a brick wall of sorts, because i live in Pakistan, and auditioning is just not an option.

So I've narrowed it down to basically two choices: The first: is a lower priced TT, with the idea that i would get a step up from my existing setup. A Pro-Ject Audio Perspective. This doesn't come fitted with any cartridge, but I'm getting a good deal on a Linn Addikt, their MM cartridge.

The other option is by far the more expensive one, but I seem to be getting a pretty good deal on a Thorens TD-2030, the second from the top of the line. It's a looker, I tell ya! The idea behind this step would be to NOT upgrade any time in the near future... I would be pairing this with the Addikt also.

I don't know if this is enough information, but what seems like the better option?

Any help is appreciated!

-Fauzi

[meltdown]

Thorens

Iam using the Thorens along with a Rotel RB1090 and Paradigms, Its a great TT for the money, you wont be dissappointed. Also use a Pro-ject Debut in another analog setup with a Phase Linear. Swapped out the cartridge which was a Ortifon 5 for a Sumiko Pearl. It too is a good performer.