• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Vinyl spinners club

#81
I've started collecting/playing vinyls lately, too. I had an old Sears-brand system of my parents, but it didn't work very well, and too many of the components needed to be replaced, so I just said bugger it, and got a new system (thanks to some hand-me-down parts from relatives).

Table: Technics SL-Q200
Receiver: Yamaha HTR 6130
Speakers: Bose 301 series IV

I need a preamp, though, since the Yamaha doesn't have a phono in on it.

My collection is a little all over the place. I've got classic rock (some original Beatles pressings), classical, jazz, modern rock, post-rock, etc. I just enjoying listening to vinyls.

I like buying them sporadically, too. If I'm in a store, and I'm picking up a couple of other albums, I might pick up one that I've never heard, just for the heck of it. Last night, I bought a vinyl from one of the bands that was playing at the bar. Not even sure which band it was, but for $10, I wasn't going to argue. :p

I've only for maybe 20 albums right now, but I'm looking to expand that.
 
#82
I've given up on CD. I'll be buying LPs for anything I can from here on out. I have a good quality sound card (Same EMU 1212m that hbarcat has) and I can make CDs from needle drops that sound better than most mass produced CDs.

Here are some examples using SoundForge to demonstrate:

Metallica "The Memory Remains" from ReLoad:

Here's what my rip of the CD single looks like:
Link Removed
And here's a rip of "The Memory Remains" from the CD I made from the vinyl:
Link Removed

Heinous.

Paul McCartney's "Dance Tonight" from "Memory Almost Full".
Link Removed
This is the record that put me over the edge. This whole CD sounds horrible, it is one of the worst victims of the "loudness wars" I've ever encountered. Nothing but horrible noise, fatiguing to listen to after a minute. And I'm a huge Paul McCartney fan. So I bought the record, the same track looks like this on the CD I made from the record:
Link Removed

The Latest record I've gotten is U2's "No Line On The Horizon". I didn't buy the CD, the rips are from a CD burned through Itunes from the Itunes version of the cd. This CD is actually not that bad, it's compressed to hell, but it's not nearly as brickwalled as the others. U2 must care, and their last record is often cited as a victim of the loudness wars.

Itunes "Get On Your Boots"
Link Removed
LP "Get On Your Boots" (with the next track a little also....)
Link Removed

Itunes "No Line On The Horizon"
Link Removed
LP "No Line On The Horizon"
Link Removed

Nice, huh? We have this great format CD which is capable of really good audio when it's done well. I have a lot of well mastered CDs which sound really wonderful. And I'm reduced to an archaic noisy format of LP if I want better fidelity. The "No Line On The Horizon" disc brings back all the things I didn't like about vinyl. It claims to be a 180 gram disc which I suppose should imply that it's well manufactured. The discs sure are heavy. However, while side 1 sounds wonderful, sides 2,3, and 4 have fairly distracting sibilance problems, most apparent on Bono's voice. Other than that it does sound very nice.

So there you have it. Spin it on. My mid-90s Denon DP7f with Audio Technica cart:
Link Removed
 
#83
I'm 'a bump this with a pic of my (not so) new setup.

5.jpg


Come on people. More vinyl porn!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Seth Miller
#84
I'm in the process of buying some more vinyl. I've got about 10 records and a Sanyo GXT-300 all in one type record player. I love it though :D

The records still play just a tad too slow...Personally, I think it's because of the crappy idler wheel. It's made of plastic. I mean plastic, there's no rubber on it!
 
#85
dragon574444 said:
The records still play just a tad too slow...Personally, I think it's because of the crappy idler wheel. It's made of plastic. I mean plastic, there's no rubber on it!
Click to expand...

OTOH, before I got my semi-professional turntable with strobes and speed adjusters, I never found a turntable that ran "a tad too slow". All of them were a tad too fast (All of my life I was very picky about it).
 
#87
I've been here for awhile now...and I didn't even know there was a vinyl club.

I'm not a vinyl snob...but I do prefer the warmer, fuller sound of vinyl over any other format.

I have some excellent sounding cd's and DVD's...but my ears tend to tire from listening to digital formats after a while.

I use a Sota Satellite table fitted with an Audio Quest PT7 arm and Denon DL-160 cartridge. I recently got a Jolida JD9 Tube Phono Stage...and after about 1/2 an hour of listening....the sound just melts into your brain. The rest of the gear is Outlaw Pre/pro, Rotel and Adcom amps into Mirage 1295is loudspeakers.

hard to pick out a absolute favorite LP...but if I had to....I guess it would be the Speakers Corner pressing of Supertramps Crime of the Century. Pure Bliss!

Cheers,
BT
 
#88
I got lucky, a friend of mine cleans out foreclosed homes and he called me one day to ask if I wanted any albums. I went to where he was and saw the most magnificent collection of 60's and 70's albums, most were first pressings and all were nearly mint. Some were not even opened yet! Every record I pulled out looked like it was never played, not a scratch, not a particle of dust - I grabbed the whole lot!

I have tons of Janis Joplin, Bob Dillian, Hendrix, MC5, and Frank Zappa just to name a few. I don't even allow others to touch the albums, they can look at the covers but only if they wash their hands first, only I put records on the turntable and take them off, and I clean them before playing without fail.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 47th Street
#90
Brick Top said:
hard to pick out a absolute favorite LP...but if I had to....I guess it would be the Speakers Corner pressing of Supertramps Crime of the Century. Pure Bliss!
Click to expand...
I'm not familiar with the "Speakers Corner" version of this record, but I recently picked up the "Back To Black" 180g release and it is a huge dissapointment. Sounds like a popcorn machine's going off when I'm playing it.
 
#91
Philbiker said:
I'm not familiar with the "Speakers Corner" version of this record, but I recently picked up the "Back To Black" 180g release and it is a huge dissapointment. Sounds like a popcorn machine's going off when I'm playing it.
Click to expand...

Yea....some companies have jumped on the band wagon and started pumping out the vinyl to cash in on a trend that has come back. "Pressed on 180 grams" doesn't guarantee a great sound. There are some very good companies out the remastering and pressing vinyl. Classic records does a wonderful job as well as Speakers Corner.

I don't mean to promote any particular site, and I am in no way affiliated with them...but MusicDirect dot com is a good place to start for quality vinyl...and then expand your search from there to find more selection and possibly better prices.

Buyer always beware.

Cheers,
BT
 
#93
I think I know the answer to this one, but I'll ask anyway. I did a little google'n and didn't find anything.

Is there such thing as a wireless phono preamp or a way to make one wireless without getting to elaborate or expensive?

I'll bet I just tore a rift in the force that is the audiophile with that question. :D

The biggest reason I haven't hooked up my turntable yet is the fact I have no place to put it. All my AV equipment is in an HT style TV stand. Wireless would mean I could put the turntable on a nearby bookshelf.




EDIT:
Looks like this would work in addition to a preamp.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#94
I have found flea markets and used record stores to be much more fun and prolific for vinyl than any online site. I've been on such a vinyl kick lateley I've picked up so many gems. Often times you can find the original analog sourced pressing in mint condition for $2 and it will better the new $25+ "audiophile" pressing (all modern pressings are done from digital masters). I'm listening to a needle drop CD of the "Boston" debut right now - I got the original Epic pressing - the vinyl is absolutely mint like it's never been played - I daresay it loses nothing to the modern heavyweight "audiophile" vinyl.

Boston.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 47th Street
#95
I stopped buying records in the early 90s, around the time the first Grunge band appeared, but I started collecting again after I bought a new turntable this year: a Technics SL-10. They are a lot more fun to collect then CD's, and I really like the dynamic, and warm sound. I'm especially keen on collecting early prog rock artists like Camel, King Crimson Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons Project, Brand X, Goblin.

I hope I will build a massive collection someday.
 
#97
I never listened too much to my CDs, and usually it was in the car. Since I've been playing bass more, when I'm putting stuff together (music sheets, binders, learning, etc.) I tend to play music a lot more lately. I've listened to mp3s but found I tired of them after a while. Having read about the loudness war and other mastering issues I can see why.

A little while ago I visited my nephew and his dad got a bunch of LPs and a turntable at a garage sale. He hooked it up with an amp and some old speakers. When I walked in the room he was playing a Van Halen tune and what struck me was how nice it sounded, compared to the CD version I've been hearing all this time.

I still have my small LP collection at my parent's place (I started with RUSH, then bought some other stuff). I'd love to re-listen to them, but I don't have a turntable. I'm not sure what to get, but I don't want to spend too much money on one.

I was also wondering if the modern turntables allow you to plug headphones directly into them? I listen to almost all my music now with headphones, and there was so much I missed when I didn't use phones.

Maybe I’m getting nostalgic, but I miss buying LPs; it was an 'event' just to hit the record stores in the mall or downtown with friends, getting the latest release, opening up the album (I still remember opening my first album A Farewell To Kings, reading all the lyrics, about the band, etc.). Also with vinyl I was forced to pretty much stay and listen to the whole thing, and I’d go visit friends and we’d all sit around and listen and talk about whatever album anyone had just picked up.

The social aspect of vinyl was really cool; lots of great memories listening to Supertramp and Alan Parsons Project with some school friends, another of listening to Wish You Were Here on another friend’s stereo. One friend had me sit on the floor and listen to the Dark Side Of The Moon track On The Run which pretty much blew my mind. Or hearing Cygnux X-1 for the first time.

That's something everyone may want to talk about here; the memories, the social aspects of sharing LPs, etc. I'm sure there are some great stories out there of hearing stuff or holding and LP for the first time, where you bought it, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 47th Street
#99
the_hook said:
I still have my small LP collection at my parent's place (I started with RUSH, then bought some other stuff). I'd love to re-listen to them, but I don't have a turntable. I'm not sure what to get, but I don't want to spend too much money on one.
Click to expand...
I would start with your local craigslist. Old turntables are fairly easy to find on craigslist these days. Lots of times if an old belt drive turntable needs a new belt people will think it's broken and sell it for next to nothing. Places like Link Removed and www.lpgear.com sell belts for peanuts, and they're easy to install. Replacement styli, cartridges, phono premaps, etc. are readily available.
the_hook said:
I was also wondering if the modern turntables allow you to plug headphones directly into them? I listen to almost all my music now with headphones, and there was so much I missed when I didn't use phones.
Click to expand...
Ugh. I don't know of such a beast. I don't like headphones much, they are a "necessary evil" as far as I'm concerned. You'll have to use a reciever with a PHONO stage and run headphones out the front.
the_hook said:
Maybe I’m getting nostalgic, but I miss buying LPs; it was an 'event' just to hit the record stores in the mall or downtown with friends, getting the latest release, opening up the album (I still remember opening my first album A Farewell To Kings, reading all the lyrics, about the band, etc.). Also with vinyl I was forced to pretty much stay and listen to the whole thing, and I’d go visit friends and we’d all sit around and listen and talk about whatever album anyone had just picked up.

The social aspect of vinyl was really cool; lots of great memories listening to Supertramp and Alan Parsons Project with some school friends, another of listening to Wish You Were Here on another friend’s stereo. One friend had me sit on the floor and listen to the Dark Side Of The Moon track On The Run which pretty much blew my mind. Or hearing Cygnux X-1 for the first time.

That's something everyone may want to talk about here; the memories, the social aspects of sharing LPs, etc. I'm sure there are some great stories out there of hearing stuff or holding and LP for the first time, where you bought it, etc.
Click to expand...
Nice reminisence. I've been picking up used vinyl by the dozens at community yard sales, used record stores, ebay, and the like. I've probably bought 50 or more LPs in the last six months. I've also picked up some new releases as well, which sound great.
 
#100
Thanks for the info Philbiker.

I walked into a vinyl shop near work yesterday. I was reminded of that scene in High Fidelity with Jack Black working at the record store. A dad walks in to buy some modern stuff for his kid and Black explodes! Haven't seen the movie in years, must check it out again.

I remember walking into two of our biggest record stores downtown 30 years ago. It was always an excursion and experience. As naive suburb teenagers we were not exposed to the city dredge dwellers that would line the smelly streets. It was like walking into a post apocalyptic scene.

The record stores were massive, with rows and rows (and even other floors) of vinyl. And there were always funky looking dudes (and girls) that had entire catalogues in their heads of albums, songs, bands, and upcoming concerts.

Now kids sit in front of their computer, detached from everyone (or on MSN) and download iTunes for their iPod. Welcome to the 21st Century...:eyebrow:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Seth Miller and 47th Street

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back