Vinyl setup advice
Discussion
Not quite sure why but I've just bought a selection of my favourites in record form, and would like something to play them on.
So, bearing in mind I know nothing about these things, could someone point me at a good record player/ turntable and a decent amp to go with it? I'm not looking to integrate it with anything else, it's just going to be standalone but I'd like decent quality without breaking the bank, and I don't need an amp with all the bells and whistles as this is all it'll be used for.
Speakers wise I've got a pair of B&W 686 going spare I'd like to see put to good use and don't really fancy buying any more until I get moved into my new place. Presume these would do the trick for a simple vinyl playing setup?
So, bearing in mind I know nothing about these things, could someone point me at a good record player/ turntable and a decent amp to go with it? I'm not looking to integrate it with anything else, it's just going to be standalone but I'd like decent quality without breaking the bank, and I don't need an amp with all the bells and whistles as this is all it'll be used for.
Speakers wise I've got a pair of B&W 686 going spare I'd like to see put to good use and don't really fancy buying any more until I get moved into my new place. Presume these would do the trick for a simple vinyl playing setup?
speakers should be the main spend on a budget system, and you've got great ones so no worries there.
personally i'd go with the project debut TT. they are a very unfussy design and well thought of. my first TT was a debut 1. for the amp i'd get on ebay and look for something older tech with a phono stage, pref. before the cd era. something like a silver series pioneer or a marantz receiver. there's something satisfying about VU meters and slide tuning on your vinyl kit.
something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-PIONEER-SX-650-S...
a project debut, new cartridge and leads and you'll be away for £150-200
www.vinylengine.com is also a great place to start, with a decent sales area and a forum that will elicit many better suggestions than mine. PH has never been a vinyl place imo.
personally i'd go with the project debut TT. they are a very unfussy design and well thought of. my first TT was a debut 1. for the amp i'd get on ebay and look for something older tech with a phono stage, pref. before the cd era. something like a silver series pioneer or a marantz receiver. there's something satisfying about VU meters and slide tuning on your vinyl kit.
something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-PIONEER-SX-650-S...
a project debut, new cartridge and leads and you'll be away for £150-200
www.vinylengine.com is also a great place to start, with a decent sales area and a forum that will elicit many better suggestions than mine. PH has never been a vinyl place imo.
Edited by shirt on Friday 22 June 23:23
Well the completely opposite view here! 
The front end is key 'rubbish in rubbish out' is the principal. Quality speakers will ensure you hear the weakness of your turntable. However turntables don't have to be horribly expensive, you don't have to buy an LP12. Take a look at something like the Rega RP1.
The front end is key 'rubbish in rubbish out' is the principal. Quality speakers will ensure you hear the weakness of your turntable. However turntables don't have to be horribly expensive, you don't have to buy an LP12. Take a look at something like the Rega RP1.
Thanks guys, lots of stuff to google - vinylengine looks a great resource so I'll take an hour or two over the weekend to explore my options.
Though I wish you hadn't mentioned LP12. Unknowingly googled it, saw a picture, read a review, fell in love with the look of it, then saw the price and left a Stu sized imprint on the floor
Also really like the look of the ClearAudio Concept. Both more than I'd want to pay to start with though.
I don't use e-bay as I've got a pathological fear of scammers and idiots, and I think I'd rather buy new, so I appreciate my options are a bit more limited. The Rega RP1 seems to be a nice starting point without breaking the bank.
Lots to investigate, I can see this becoming quite addictive for a relative newbie to vinyl. Cheers guys
Though I wish you hadn't mentioned LP12. Unknowingly googled it, saw a picture, read a review, fell in love with the look of it, then saw the price and left a Stu sized imprint on the floor
Also really like the look of the ClearAudio Concept. Both more than I'd want to pay to start with though. I don't use e-bay as I've got a pathological fear of scammers and idiots, and I think I'd rather buy new, so I appreciate my options are a bit more limited. The Rega RP1 seems to be a nice starting point without breaking the bank.
Lots to investigate, I can see this becoming quite addictive for a relative newbie to vinyl. Cheers guys
Something like an Ariston RD80SL with a Linn LVX or Basik Plus tonearm and an Audio Technica AT95E cartridge would be a good entry level deck (and it will blow a Rega RP1 out of the water).
These come up on EBay fairly regularly for between 120-170 pounds. A new AT95E is 39 pounds. Throw in a service from someone like Peter Swain at Cymbiosis and you will have a very nice set up, albeit not as good as an LP12.
These come up on EBay fairly regularly for between 120-170 pounds. A new AT95E is 39 pounds. Throw in a service from someone like Peter Swain at Cymbiosis and you will have a very nice set up, albeit not as good as an LP12
.NDA said:
However turntables don't have to be horribly expensive, you don't have to buy an LP12. Take a look at something like the Rega RP1.
I'd put it a bit more strongly than that. A second hand (or however many hands) LP12 is something to steer well clear of, unless you know what you are looking at, and how to set one up.I had one for about 15 years, and it was a pain in the arris.
I've had an SME for the last five years or so, and I wish I'd made the switch a long time before that.
That isn't a lot of help to the OP I know.
If you want a funky looking turntable, see if you can find a secondhand Michell........
Riff Raff said:
I'd put it a bit more strongly than that. A second hand (or however many hands) LP12 is something to steer well clear of, unless you know what you are looking at, and how to set one up.
I had one for about 15 years, and it was a pain in the arris.
I've had an SME for the last five years or so, and I wish I'd made the switch a long time before that.
That isn't a lot of help to the OP I know.
If you want a funky looking turntable, see if you can find a secondhand Michell........
I had an LP12.... I gave it away. Now I see the price of them, I should have kept it!!I had one for about 15 years, and it was a pain in the arris.
I've had an SME for the last five years or so, and I wish I'd made the switch a long time before that.
That isn't a lot of help to the OP I know.
If you want a funky looking turntable, see if you can find a secondhand Michell........
I didn't find it that tricky to set up, but I guess a few years ago there was a lot more expertise kicking around.... I had it Valhalla'd and Nirvana'd (remember all that?!)
I do think the Rega would be the easiest and best for the OP - they're such simple (and reputable) turntables.
NDA said:
I had an LP12.... I gave it away. Now I see the price of them, I should have kept it!!
I didn't find it that tricky to set up, but I guess a few years ago there was a lot more expertise kicking around.... I had it Valhalla'd and Nirvana'd (remember all that?!)
I do think the Rega would be the easiest and best for the OP - they're such simple (and reputable) turntables.
The thing is that some of the ones you see on places like eBay could be nearly 50 years old, and are more than likely well shagged. They are easy to bugger up.I didn't find it that tricky to set up, but I guess a few years ago there was a lot more expertise kicking around.... I had it Valhalla'd and Nirvana'd (remember all that?!)
I do think the Rega would be the easiest and best for the OP - they're such simple (and reputable) turntables.
Mine was a later one - post Nirvana - with a Lingo, plus Ittok (later Ekos) witha Koetsu cartridge. I could never get mine to sound as good as it did when fettled by the local Linn Guru, so I left it to him at £200 a pop plus bits.
The SME is a revelation. One drop of oil a year, and that's it. Plus a completely transparent sound.
You are probably right about the Rega, but it used to be the case that you could pick up an older Gyrodec quite cheaply, and they are funky!
Rega Planer 3 used to get a great rating as an entry level and good solid basis to work from turntable and I can't see why that would have changed any.
As has been said - if you're going for looks - Michell Focus One was lovely.
Don't be put off buying a second hand LP12, get it serviced and you'll be good to go - you don't need to do all the upgrades - some new rubbers and a couple of springs are you'll be enjoying those large bits of plastic.
As has been said - if you're going for looks - Michell Focus One was lovely.
Don't be put off buying a second hand LP12, get it serviced and you'll be good to go - you don't need to do all the upgrades - some new rubbers and a couple of springs are you'll be enjoying those large bits of plastic.
Ginetta G15 Girl said:
Riff Raff said:
some of the ones you see on places like eBay could be nearly 50 years old, and are more than likely well shagged.
Given that Linn Products Ltd wasn't formed until February 1973, I'm intrigued as to how you think an LP12 could be 50 years old!Edited by Riff Raff on Monday 25th June 15:14
For a record deck, depending on budget, a Projekt at the lower end or if you can afford it go for a Rega P3. Amazing deck, beautifully simple and beautfully made.
For an incredible amp with a great Phono stage, get over your eBay phobia and pick up a Pioneer A400. Fantastic amp, more power than you will ever need and just a great, great sound. A true HiFi classic and will work great with your B&Ws.
For an incredible amp with a great Phono stage, get over your eBay phobia and pick up a Pioneer A400. Fantastic amp, more power than you will ever need and just a great, great sound. A true HiFi classic and will work great with your B&Ws.
Phugoid said:
Sorry for the hijack but just got myself a spotless linn axis on ebay for £165 with the basik plus arm. Somebody mentioned the AT95 cartridge, would you recommend it for this set up?
I think that's a moving magnet cartridge.... would your budget stretch to a moving coil one?I've always been a huge fan of moving coil, for all sorts of reasons - speed, sensitivity etc. You will need an MC stage on your amp or pre-amp though.
EDIT: I've just seen the prices for coil. forget it!
Edited by NDA on Tuesday 26th June 12:33
New, you basically have two choices at the budget end of things - Pro-Ject and Rega. There's more, but they are likely to be re-branded or 'tuned' variants of either.
Second hand, there's loads you could pick up for the same sort of money (or less) that would be a significant upgrade compared to the former in sonic terms, but would require a bit more involvement in set up and keep it in decent fettle. OK Systemdek IIXs go for anything between 150 and 250 quid, about the same for Linn Axis' and Manticore Mantra. £350-500 could land you a decent original Pink Triangle, Elite/Townshend Rock or Roksan Xerxes with a good entry-level tonearm, however neither would be without its pitfalls. £5-700 will get you a Michell Gyrodeck of some description (sonically more or less at the level of the former two, better built though) or the two-motor Voyd Valdi. I've sometimes seen Audio Note TT1/TT2 decks (Audio Note bought the rights to the Systemdek IIx and brought out their own, significantly improved, versions) under the £500 barrier, too.
Re: amplifiers; there's not many with internal phono pre-amp about any more. Either you get a classic stalwart like the Pioneer A-400 (IIRC) or you go for something newer, like the new half-sized Rega units for instance with a separate phono pre (decent ones from £100 upwards, great ones can easily cost a couple of grand however).
Vinyl is something that you would want to do properly or leave it be - given the price of new LPs, the huge availablility of cd's that will either be sold to you for a couple of quid at most or become landfill, and the hassle involved with playing and taking care of vinyl records, if it doesn't sound great it's probably not worth the bother if you don't already have a big collection...
As said, vinylengine.com is the place to go for ideas, advice & classifieds.
Second hand, there's loads you could pick up for the same sort of money (or less) that would be a significant upgrade compared to the former in sonic terms, but would require a bit more involvement in set up and keep it in decent fettle. OK Systemdek IIXs go for anything between 150 and 250 quid, about the same for Linn Axis' and Manticore Mantra. £350-500 could land you a decent original Pink Triangle, Elite/Townshend Rock or Roksan Xerxes with a good entry-level tonearm, however neither would be without its pitfalls. £5-700 will get you a Michell Gyrodeck of some description (sonically more or less at the level of the former two, better built though) or the two-motor Voyd Valdi. I've sometimes seen Audio Note TT1/TT2 decks (Audio Note bought the rights to the Systemdek IIx and brought out their own, significantly improved, versions) under the £500 barrier, too.
Re: amplifiers; there's not many with internal phono pre-amp about any more. Either you get a classic stalwart like the Pioneer A-400 (IIRC) or you go for something newer, like the new half-sized Rega units for instance with a separate phono pre (decent ones from £100 upwards, great ones can easily cost a couple of grand however).
Vinyl is something that you would want to do properly or leave it be - given the price of new LPs, the huge availablility of cd's that will either be sold to you for a couple of quid at most or become landfill, and the hassle involved with playing and taking care of vinyl records, if it doesn't sound great it's probably not worth the bother if you don't already have a big collection...
As said, vinylengine.com is the place to go for ideas, advice & classifieds.
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