Turntable

[GSTim]

To be honest, I was shocked at how good this sounded when we gave it to him at Christmas. I think the biggest thing is that most of us are primarily listening to music over crappy Bluetooth speakers now, and they just don't compare to the real thing. It really is a different experience listening to an album side that you have to make a conscious decision on what to play next vs. a "playlist" where everything blends into the background.

 

[Patrick]

Uhh, missing the point? 😁

Next he'll be building an amp with tubes from a Russian submarine.

 

[GSTim]

Some pics from a slightly better potato.

P.S. For the $150 they also threw in a whole box of about 50 very lightly used records, a real eclectic mix ranging from old Andy Williams Christmas albums to Beach Boys to Rolling Stones to the shown Def Leppard.

 

[JimN]

I can play over 90 million songs in any/every room of my house without getting off the couch.

 

[GSTim]

When I had this thing apart cleaning it up I couldn't believe the craftsmanship, all of the knobs are actually machined aluminum with set screws holding them on to the pots. Would probably cost hundreds now just for those.

 

[mattybfat]

I can play over 90 million songs in any/every room of my house without getting off the couch.

We see how you take care of your bikes and cars so your doing it right.

 

[jmanic]

The other thing I've found is that some albums sound better then others. I guess it depends how they were recorded. A well recorded album really pops with great sound separation.

The point is, you could spend $$$$ on audio equipment but garbage in, garbage out. Some vinyl recordings are disappointing.

With that, playing records is nostalgic for me since I grew up with vinyl.

Yeah, this is the next rabbit hole after you get the equipment settled.

Most pressings are fine, but different releases can be very different, ranging from crap to religious experience.

When I’m buying something important, I’ll dig down a bit to find which are good pressings in a reasonable price range.
Often times the “definitive” pressing is out of reach price wise.

 

[Norm]

Santapez’ MTB analogy is pretty spot on.

You can buy a crap MTB for 1/20 the cost of a real good bike. So is it really?

 

[pooriggy]

You can buy a crap MTB for 1/20 the cost of a real good bike. So is it really?

I'm not good at maths but you can buy a Walmart turntable or a Crutchfield.

 

[serviceguy]

Yeah, this is the next rabbit hole after you get the equipment settled.

Most pressings are fine, but different releases can be very different, ranging from crap to religious experience.

When I’m buying something important, I’ll dig down a bit to find which are good pressings in a reasonable price range.
Often times the “definitive” pressing is out of reach price wise.

What about original equipment (and vinyls) from the 80s? Do the records have an expiration date and what could have been done to preserve/extend their life? I remember ripping the MP3 version of about the only vinyl I could not buy the CD version of (I've been down that reverse rabbit hole) back 15 years ago, just cleaning the thing from the paper dust of its own cover was a nightmare...

 

[JimN]

We see how you take care of your bikes and cars so your doing it right.

A clean car doesn't work any better than a dirty one 🤷‍♂️

 

[jmanic]

You can buy a crap MTB for 1/20 the cost of a real good bike. So is it really?

Yeah, I think that was the point.

 

[jmanic]

A car with 4 spark plugs doesn't work any better than a car with one 🤷‍♂️

Ftfy

 

[JimN]

Ftfy

I still had three working spark plugs, and one didn't fall out because my car was dirty.

 

[MissJR]

I think I'm about to piss off some audiophiles....

For me, I don't need the top of the line... Like sure. I can spend $10k+ on a mountain bike but what does that get me? Will my experience riding be that much better than a $3k bike? Of course, you go the other way and $3k on a bike is a WAY better experience than a $200 Walmart bike.

I feel the same (at least right now) with the turntable (two turntables and a microphone)... I don't want the lowest crappiest stuff but I don't think I'll benefit from the highest end stuff either.

Right now, it's fun. It's the experience of listening to full albums... What the artists intended... Not just skipping to your favorite songs. It's the crackle of used vinyl. It's the artistry of the album covers (Sticky Fingers with the working zipper, Physical Graffiti with all the little photos in the windows, etc etc). It's the smell of the old cardboard covers. Also a little nostalgia remembering listening to vinyl as a kid.

Anyway... That's my two cents.

 

[Norm]

I'm not good at maths but you can buy a Walmart turntable or a Crutchfield. View attachment 212651
View attachment 212652

Fair enough. Point conceded.

 

[JimN]

It's the experience of listening to full albums... What the artists intended...

You don't need records and a record player to do this.

It's the artistry of the album covers (Sticky Fingers with the working zipper, Physical Graffiti with all the little photos in the windows, etc etc).

That's fair, Led Zeppelin 3 with the spinny wheel was pretty cool. I bought some old records once on the cheap because they were cool looking, but I also had the CD's and no record player, so I never actually listened to them. I think I gave them to someone, maybe @jmanic? Otherwise they're in my basement somewhere.

 

[JimN]

Led Zeppelin 3 with the spinny wheel was pretty cool.

Lol, if you have Apple Music, check this album out. You can't tell from this screenshot obviously, but the cover image is animated.

 

[jmanic]

What about original equipment (and vinyls) from the 80s? Do the records have an expiration date and what could have been done to preserve/extend their life? I remember ripping the MP3 version of about the only vinyl I could not buy the CD version of (I've been down that reverse rabbit hole) back 15 years ago, just cleaning the thing from the paper dust of its own cover was a nightmare...

Records do not have an expiration date per se, but they do require care.
And they do degrade every time you play them so...

They should be clean-
I have a disc washer I use on any used discs I buy, and then every so often.
Brand new records also can be filthy from production.
Bonus: water bath kills static.
Amazon product ASIN B07H93BYM5
Then ditch the paper sleeves for new inners.
Paper sleeves scratch, cause static and leave lint.
Rice paper inners solve all this.
New releases may have plastic lined paper sleeves, those I’ll keep.

Before every play, I hit my record with this brush/solution.

Also keep your needle clean, and make sure it’s set up properly (tracking weight, antiskate)

This is what you can do to preserve/prolong the life of the vinyl.

Also consider storage:
Standing upright (not stacked flat)
In a stable room temp environ (not attic)
Out of direct sunlight.
And don’t feed them after midnight.

 

[MissJR]

You don't need records and a record player to do this.

True... But who does that anymore?

I mean, when I used to get cds, my first few listens were very serious business. I'd play it thru from start to finish... Examine the cover... Read along with the lyrics if they were included. Take note of who played on what song... Etc.

Now I don't even own CDs and I just hit shuffle on my YouTube music list and that's that. The experience got lost somehow... And vinyl is bringing back that experience.