Good Record Player?

[[email protected]]

Hello,

I have a question, I'm going to be going to college soon and I am in
the process of getting rid of my cd collection in order to switch to
vinyl. I have no comments to make about the quality comparison debate,
because, well it's a debate and it probably will never be solved. I
prefer vinyl because I think it sounds better, I happen to enjoy the
pops and fuzz (if they aren't too bad). I've never used quality
equipment, right now I have an old Pioneer turntable that has been
sitting in a closet or somewhere at my girlfriend's grandparent's house
for probably 20 years. Any way, I digress, I just wanted to upgrade my
stereo system and I only wanted to spend a few thousand. Right now the
only part I am pretty much convinced on buying is the Harman Kardon HK
3480 stereo receiver, if only because it has a phono input. And it
looks cool. I just want to know what else is out there, here is what I
want and maybe someone can suggest the products that would be awesome:

Reciever, two fairly big floor speakers, subwoofer, and an awesome
turntable. thanks

Hopefully, someone can suggest some good products that work together
well to reproduce music from vinyl. I really don't want to be convinced
that some other medium is better, I just want suggestions on equipment.
thanks.

[[email protected]]

Getting rid of the CDs is insane unless you only want to listen to old
music that no one else wants. Otherwise the LPs will eat you out of
house and home. I would keep both. However...

Tube amps are the coolest. If they are obviously homemade they are
even cooler still.. However, even a lowly Dyna Stereo 70 will impress
the less than intensely knowledgeable. The stock one does need
modification and there are several ways to go. Avoid ****ty EL84 or
similar Scott or Fisher or Lafayette amps except to turn them into
guitar amps.

Receivers are for losers. At the very least you want a integrated amp
and a tuner, or a power amp and a preamp. Ironically if you wanted to
play CD's only you wouldn't need a preamp. but you do.

Many good DIY tube preamp designs exist. I prefer to copy a Marantz 7
however. I don't know what factory preamps are good now without being
very expensive although there must be some.

Any of several turntables are good. i would get the least expensive
halfway decent cartridge because being in a dorm it will get ****ed up
anyway.

As for speakers, the kind I am partial to are not appropriate for
dorms.
You want something reasonably efficient and not too big-which are
mutual tradeoffs. I would buy used ones or get a pair of good cabs and
stuff them with Madisound components.

[Margaret von B.]

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I have a question, I'm going to be going to college soon and I am in
> the process of getting rid of my cd collection in order to switch to
> vinyl. I have no comments to make about the quality comparison debate,
> because, well it's a debate and it probably will never be solved. I
> prefer vinyl because I think it sounds better, I happen to enjoy the
> pops and fuzz (if they aren't too bad). I've never used quality
> equipment, right now I have an old Pioneer turntable that has been
> sitting in a closet or somewhere at my girlfriend's grandparent's house
> for probably 20 years. Any way, I digress, I just wanted to upgrade my
> stereo system and I only wanted to spend a few thousand. Right now the
> only part I am pretty much convinced on buying is the Harman Kardon HK
> 3480 stereo receiver, if only because it has a phono input. And it
> looks cool. I just want to know what else is out there, here is what I
> want and maybe someone can suggest the products that would be awesome:
>
> Reciever, two fairly big floor speakers, subwoofer, and an awesome
> turntable. thanks
>
> Hopefully, someone can suggest some good products that work together
> well to reproduce music from vinyl. I really don't want to be convinced
> that some other medium is better, I just want suggestions on equipment.
> thanks.
>

My quick reaction:

Technics 1200 is your turntable. It is the most likely to survive through
graduation and still sound good. Just put a nice Shure moving magnet or
Grado moving iron cartridge on it. High output is the key. In their
respective ranges, the more you pay the better it sounds, more or less.

Do NOT get big floorstanders if you want them to sound good in a typical
dorm setting. Get some *cool* high quality satellites and a kickass sub.
This way you are almost guaranteed a better sound. If you have a few
thousand to spend, I cannot think anything better than a pair of Mackie
HR824 professional monitors with the matching Mackie sub. They have built in
amps and will blow your neighbors' Cervin-Vega, JBL, Infinity and Klipsch
out the window. They sound sweet and clean and when needed, they get LOUD.
And spend most of your money on the speakers. The Mackie combo will cost you
about $2.5K but will sound like $5K. The best thing is that, for starters,
you won't even need the $1.2K sub. Your local Sam Ash or other pro audio
store should be able to help you.

I would use a nice tuner/preamp from NAD with this setup. Not exactly cool
looking but a great value.


Cheers,

Margaret

[jeffc]

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> I just wanted to upgrade my
> stereo system and I only wanted to spend a few thousand. Right now the
> only part I am pretty much convinced on buying is the Harman Kardon HK
> 3480 stereo receiver, if only because it has a phono input. And it
> looks cool. I just want to know what else is out there, here is what I
> want and maybe someone can suggest the products that would be awesome:
>
> Reciever, two fairly big floor speakers, subwoofer, and an awesome
> turntable. thanks

Well you're not going to find an "awesome" turntable, let alone entire
system, for a few thousand. But you can find some good sound, especially if
you buy used. Personally, if I had a few thousand, I'd spend at least a
thousand on the turntable cartridge. I'd probably go with a non-suspension
turntable like VPI HW Jr. with an arm (they sold quite a few with the Rega
RB-300 I believe) and add the best Grado cartridge you could afford after
that. Remember, cartridge setup is very important to get best sound.

[dave weil]

On 16 Jun 2005 17:36:58 -0700, wrote:

> Tube amps are the coolest. If they are obviously homemade they are
>even cooler still.. However, even a lowly Dyna Stereo 70 will impress
>the less than intensely knowledgeable. The stock one does need
>modification and there are several ways to go. Avoid ****ty EL84 or
>similar Scott or Fisher or Lafayette amps except to turn them into
>guitar amps.

You've obviously never heard the Fisher X202. Of course, it's not an
EL84 model. And the 7189s that power it aren't all that easy to find
these days. But the X202 is a really nice unit. You should check one
out sometime. Especially if you can find one that has a matched quad
of RCA tubes like mine does.

[Sander deWaal]

said:

>Right now the
>only part I am pretty much convinced on buying is the Harman Kardon HK
>3480 stereo receiver, if only because it has a phono input. And it
>looks cool.


In addition to what others recommended; it's not necessary to buy a
receiver or amplifier with a phono input.
You can add an external preamp, preferably build it into the turntable
as close to the cartridge as possible.

That way, your choices are broadened, as the only thing you'll need is
an aux. input.

A nice, affordable phono preamp is the NAD PP-1 or PP2, the latter
capable of handling MC cartridges.

--

"Audio as a serious hobby is going down the tubes."
- Howard Ferstler, 25/4/2005

[[email protected]]

Anyone who would recommend a really expensive cartridge for a dorm
system has to be from another planet. I guarantee it won't last a year.
Get the best cheap one, not even the cheapest good one.

Given the construction of most dorm rooms, a suspended table would be
better if you have the patience to set it up. You may find a Linn
Sondek used reasonably with the older power supply. These are very
amenable to DIY upgrade measures, indeed besting the high dollar
(Lingo?) supplies is not a big challenge. Linn is very difficult to
deal with as are most Linn dealers, who believe the sun shines out
Ivor's ass. Ivor is a copycat with big balls. Tell them I said so.

I am not familiar with the model of Fisher amp mentioned here but if
it uses the same output section as the big receivers I can say that its
opt's do a great job in Fender and Ampeg guitar amps. The receivers
would develop problems RF-wise and the shops were too fugnorant to fix
them so the consumos would dump them. If it doesn't have collector
value one could gut it and build another amp on its chassis with those
opt's-I just don't do 7189's (or similar high gain output types). I
think the Fisher 500 was the most common and used 7591's. I saved a
big pile of those tubes from the Fishers (and similar) I dissected-I
must have had enough to fill a common milk crate 3/4ths to the top.
Gave them all away when I moved in the mid-90's! Could have tested and
sold them for good money on eBay, but there was no eBay then.

Would I do that today, no. But back then a WORKING Fisher was fifty
bucks.

[jeffc]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Anyone who would recommend a really expensive cartridge for a dorm
> system has to be from another planet. I guarantee it won't last a year.
> Get the best cheap one, not even the cheapest good one.
>
> Given the construction of most dorm rooms, a suspended table would be
> better if you have the patience to set it up.

Now this makes no sense. A dorm environment is bad, so don't get a good
cartridge. But then get a turntable with a suspension that's difficult to
setup and maintain. Uh, ok. If he wanted something easy to take care of,
he'd just get a CD player!

[[email protected]]

jeffc wrote:
<<snip>>
>
> Now this makes no sense. A dorm environment is bad, so don't get a good
> cartridge. But then get a turntable with a suspension that's difficult to
> setup and maintain. Uh, ok. If he wanted something easy to take care of,
> he'd just get a CD player!

The suspended tables are not that hard to set up, and incorrect setup
of the suspension merely leads to poor performance. The resonant nature
of college dorms built as most such buildings are makes a suspended
table very advantageous.

An inexpensive cartridge is often more rugged and with a proper phono
section will do better than expensive ones will with lesser ones.

This is called "The Voice of Experience"!