Intro to Vinyl Records
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- sofakingback
Hey guys, quick question for you experienced vinyl guys.
I would like to get into buying some vinyl and getting a nice little set up in my place...
nothing crazy expensive, but a nice setup that brings out the sweet sound of old school records.
I'm a super n0ob and wont really know where to start, I don't know much about the brands of players and speakers, is it best to buy new or vintage?
What are some does and fonts to buying old records?
Thank you for any and all advice!
- Gnash1
(love that you autocorrect don'ts with 'fonts')
- ha crap, I was writing this as I ran out the door. :)sofakingback
- lvl_131
as far as turntables-look no further than the mk12's
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_…as far as audio/speaker setup-i'm sure others will have some valuable insight :)
- These are the only turntables I know of, but is this overkill for what I need? I thought these were for DJ use?sofakingback
- ben_0
Many people opt for the Pro-ject tables because they're pretty great value for the money and to some extent they're customizable. They let you dip into the audiophile thing without selling a few vital organs.
I'd easily recommend my setup which is a Rega RP6, audiolab amp and a pair of LS3/5a's from Falcon. I have some other stuff as well, but nothing completely necessary to get sound out of a record. It's really all about what you want out of it, the types of music you're mostly listening to and prepared to buy on vinyl, it's pretty personal so go audition some setups.
I'd stay away from vintage until you know what you're looking for or potentially getting into - they can be great, but also a rabbit hole of misery and money to fix.
You'll have fun no matter what you get your hands on though.
- mmmm... pricey but beautiful!sofakingback
- I'll second the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon 3, but whatever you do, upgrade to the acrylic platter.mg33
- ^DRIFTMONKEY
- pr20
You will need either:
-- turntable
-- amp
--speakersOR:
-- all-in-one solution like this one:
http://www.ionaudio.com/products…Honestly i prefer all-in-one solution because a.) my room is small and b.) i don't listen to music that loud (thus no need for super powerful amps). Moreover even with a small all-in-one set up the sound will have a warmth that you never would get even from a pristine MP3 playing through high end speakers (many LPs today come with free MP3 download - those MP3s no matter how well mastered never sound as the LP, never).
- sofakingback0
Awesome, thank you for the info!
My place is on the small side and I won't be playing loud music. The type of records I would like are: Bob Dylan, Cash, Joy Division, Bowie, Clash, Beatles, Some Blue Note, etc
I love old school hip hop, thats what I grew up listing to, but don't need to go heavy into that type of music. The speaker set-up is different for those types of music right?
Im not a big audio guy and will be happy with something basic to be honest... but who knows it sounds like this is one of those hobbies that takes a hold of you, hahaha.
- I'd love to have all that on vinyl!MrT
- Shit, am I dreaming? Is that stuff hard to find? Dude, Im greener than green on this. lolsofakingback
- Longcopylover0
MK2 are great. But like a SUV downtown: a bit too much.
I have a Rega RP1. They are simple, solid, great value for money. And look good.
I only listen to old hip hop, so can confirm they can handle this. But that mostly depends on the speakers.
- hans_glib0
if you listen to a lot of hip hop you're going to need some decent speakers to handle the bass.
the problem with hifi is that you tend to get sucked into a vortex of continual upgrading as you become dissatisfied with the sound.
the standard advice would be to start with some basic decent stuff - something like the denon turntable, which is ok, and an amp for around £100-£150 (arcam, cambridge audio, pioneer) and then try out speakers to suit your taste.
i'd maybe look at something a bit more left field though - get a phono preamp and stick it into a bose companion system - they have adjustable sub bass unit making for a sound that's ideal for bass-heavy hip hop.
the only health warning i have is that you need to check that the output from the phon pre amp is enough for the bose unit. if it worked you'd have a great sounding system for a fraction of the cost.
- In regards to sound / bass / hip-hop. I think classic hip-hop the only thing I would buy, but it would be very very limited. Actually I would bypass it...sofakingback
- if it meant a better set-up for rock/punksofakingback
- make sure whatever you get has a subwooferscarabin
- i wouldn't trust simple speakers with my low-end freqsscarabin
- monoboy0
Worry less about the kit to begin with and spend your money on the vinyl.
Go to record fares, car boot sales and charity shops. Most folks are savvy these days so it's harder to pick up gems but it still happens from time to time.
I wouldn't waste your money on rare pressings of popular classics.
- https://www.quora.co…monoboy
- ok, I'll start looking at ones I would like to get, I shoulda started grading those years ago as i've wanted to do this for a while now.sofakingback
- Also, any tips on avoiding damaged vinyl?sofakingback
- Just give them a look over for scratches and warping. Most enthusiast are honest enough and grade quality. Mint - Near New - Well Worn - Scratched etc.monoboy
- kingsteven0
For speakers, it kinda depends on how much space you have, but you can find second hand floorstanders going real cheap these days, and they generally give the most smiles per ££
Good / cheap amplifiers aren't as hard to come by these days, 'Class-T' amps can be picked up for about £40 and they often beat the mid-range Class-D 'hifi' amps (like the ones mentioned above) in reviews.
Keep an eye on the extras you'll need with mid-range turntables... I picked up a second hand Project debut 3 for £50, but then another 300 on a new stylus, preamp & speed selector...
- Small to mid sized speakers. I can't play loud music here anyway, its more of a low key thing for my personal enjoyment while I chill.sofakingback
- Would it be better to buy new reliable equipment? Im not that picky... for now. hahahasofakingback
- I just spunked a grand on some tannoys from 1978, so I'm probably not the one to ask... some speakers are just more enjoyable to listen to than others...kingsteven
- I have a set of Q Acoustics 2020s in the kitchen which are modern bookshelf and the they sound amazing *for the size*. but a decent pair of floorstanders wouldkingsteven
- destroy them in a blind test...kingsteven
- microkorg-3
My suggestion would be a standalone record player that has audio and headphone out ....
That ION MaxLP one is only £69.00 in the UK
It's a decent suggestion and looks quite premium.
I'd then pair it up with a good portable speaker.
Can thoroughly recommend the Bose Soundlink Mini
One of my friends who is a bit of an audiophile and hiphophead and has some high end speakers, amp etc was raving about the little Soundlink Mini he got. I had a chance to listen to it at New Years and it sounds great for its size and can fill a small room with good sound. Even the bass for the size of such a box is surprising.
£250 would get you both of these and connector cables and a few vinyl records too.
The soundlink can be used for this turntable and also for playing digital music too via computer or smart phones.
- that tonearm looks pretty shit. in fact the whole deck looks pretty ropeyhans_glib
- I second the Soundlink. My girlfriend got me a Soundlink Mini II for Xmas. As microkorg says the sound is impressive for something this size.Raniator
- I've got a Soundlink as well. Fantastic sound, a little bass heavy, but I use it around the house and on our roof quite a bit.mg33
- how can anyone call themselves an audiophile but compromise with bose or beats for audio is beyond me... seriously.Miguex
- that's like calling yourself a runner while rocking skechers pushup shoes...Miguex
- Who called themselves an audiophile, Migs? I have some Bose speakers and they're pretty good, but obviously not the bestIanbolton
- Miguex - on the same budget what would you buy rather than bose? Certainly wouldnt vote beats.microkorg
- Raniator0
Check out WhatHiFi for some turntable reviews. You'll get cheap through to insanely expensive and everything in the middle. It's a good place just to see what is out there, but take their pretentious reviews with a pinch of salt:
http://www.whathifi.com/products…
Maybe find turntables you like the look of (not necessarily from the above link) and go and get a demo of them. People in hifi shops love demo-ing stuff. Go indulge.
- OP311
Turntable Lab has some nice packages.
- section_0140
Get all your shit cheap and used. Cheap head unit and speakers from a pawn shop. Then, some sort of belt driven turntable made in the last 20 years with RCA's out.
You definitely don't need a 1200.
- DRIFTMONKEY0
Detailed starter guide, with price tiers here:
- sofakingback0
Awesome thank you for all the great info!!!!
Looks like I got some research to do, most importantly I gotta see some in person and hear what they sound like.
- sofakingback1
What do you fellas think of this, its fucking super expensive but I might be able to get it much cheaper with a rega rp1
Symbol Stereo Console
- fucking beautifulutopian
- it fits one month's vinyl purchases, how quaint ;-) ... nice, but really the only thing you listen to is the speakers, and you can pick up a decent pair for £50kingsteven
- why the fuck would you want to put your deck on top of the speakers? no to mention the flimsy construction.hans_glib
- all manner of feedback issues await. leave that shit to the arseholes of hoxtonhans_glib
- hah, it's 6w per channel and 'full-range' 4" drivers... n/m feedback, you won't be able to hear it over the stylus!kingsteven
- So I don't know about this stuff: those all sound like good bits of experience tips i should know. lol. So setting it up this way will cause vibration from thesofakingback
- speakers to the turntable? Obviously messing with the sound. I saw they sell some bases to keep vibrations away from the TB. Would that help?sofakingback
- I know I should be weary of all-in-one solutions. Thats why I asked you fellassofakingback
- TB=TT (turntable) sorrysofakingback
- needs to be more deskyurimon
- That kind of power is fine for a small quiet sports car not to fill a room with sound. Looks nice yes but has all problems mentioned above. Get something solid.microkorg
- Hunt down a classic G-Plan sideboard and convert it.microkorg
- or just buy a proper systemhans_glib
- you can order this from me for 2k+shippingsted
- I have one available for less in California, thank you though. Do you have one? or have experience with one in person?sofakingback
- I have a friend who wants to sell, because it's a "poor construction". but he is quite audiophile, and bought this for his wife who's barely using it.sted
- sofakingback0
heres a video of it: start at 1:57
- Longcopylover0
Ask yourself: Do I want to buy furniture or a turntable?
- Yup. Turntable > integrated amp > proper speakers.DRIFTMONKEY
- sofakingback0
Good question.
So right now a have a small space that I would like to put a sideboard or credenza. Which would hold a turntable, some records and speaks to the side (depending on the design)
The footprint area is about 2.5 feet by 7.5 feet.
So the area is not big and i don't want to fill the area edge to edge either.So buying something like this would fit in that area and wouldn't mess with any plans i have. actually might be cheaper than getting a credenza, equipment, etc
There 2 main things to keep in mind:
1: its not only a small area/ smaller place, I can't be very loud here. If I do listen to music its gonna have to be pretty chill anyway so I'm not too concerned with it covering a large area
2: I'm probably better suited for simpler/basic equipment. I'm no audiophile and would like something to play as chill ambient music while I work or chill.
The reason I reference this console is I have a chance to buy it much cheaper than its advertised for, but if its one of those things that will just be a disappointment later I can just put together my own setup.
- kingsteven1
the reason you'll see people talking about big amps and big speaker cabinets is that they sound better... no ones suggesting that you need to play music loud...
a powerful amp will drive your speakers harder, transferring electricity in to lateral vibrations with greater accuracy... bigger speaker drivers/ cabinets will support lower frequencies negating the need for a subwoofer/ probably actually saving you a few complaints from your neighbours.
you can also pick really good 80s/ 90s/ 00s amp and speakers for £100 if you look around. The speakers are what you listen to... work back from there... if you don't have a good system, you may not even be able to tell if it's an mp3, so why would you bother with vinyl?
tbh. there's a multitude of reasons not to... with the vinyl industry being as it is (low quality pressings/ plants killing indies through prioritising major label's shitty £30 reissues of albums you can pick up in any charity shop/ a multitude of idiots digging for absolute trash and reselling preorders like they're the gatekeepers of discogs) we're all barely hanging on... i've been DJing for 20 years, my house is full of vinyl, expanding by about 20/month. I'm no audiophile... i have my dj turntables going through my studio monitors and 2 mid range hifi systems. i've sold almost all my vinyl twice but it's basically addiction (or cerimonial significance to listening like rolling cigarettes is to smoking) DON'T START!!!
- Many good points here. But yeah, it's a stupidly expensive hobby, so if you're gonna do it...DRIFTMONKEY
- spend the money to justify it so you can actually hear what you're paying for.DRIFTMONKEY