[Roger Kulp]

On Oct 4, 9:11=A0pm, Audio Empire wrote:
On Tue, 4 Oct 2011 16:11:19 -0700, bob wrote
(in article ):

On Oct 3, 7:07=3DA0am, Scott wrote:

Or if they have a dealer who actually understands the basics of vinyl
playback. They are easy to find.

Seriously? Trust in the knowledge of the same dealers who think cable
at $100/ft. makes a difference? The last dealer I talked to about
turntables tried to sell me a green pen for my CDs.

If consumers are dependent on those clowns, they haven't a chance.

bob

You certainly have a point there. While there are retailers who know viny=
l
and are qualified to recommend arm/cartridge combinations (and can even
properly install them), my take is that they are few and far between. 'Je=
rry
Raksin's Needle Doctor' has the reputation of doing a good job at this an=
d
will professionally install a cartridge in a turntable package as can 'Th=
e
Audio Advisor', 'Music Direct', and 'The Elusive Disc', et al (at least w=
ith
the packages they sell), but these people are mail-order. From talking to=
the
folks at most =A0local shops, I'm not sure I'd trust most of them to prop=
erly
install a cartridge (or even suggest proper matchings), as I've seen no
evidence that they posses any special competence with record playing
equipment, if they sell it at all. In the SF Bay Area, where I live, ther=
e is
a dealer called the "Analog Room' who know their stuff, but they are abou=
t
the only dealer I know that exhibits any real vinyl expertise.

I think the average vinyl owner would do a lot better to either buy a com=
pete
manufacturer's ensemble, with cartridge preinstalled, or to learn the bas=
ics
and select and install the cartridge one's self.

=A0Of course, it would be nice if the manufacturers could make this selec=
tion
process easier with some kind of standardized matching nomenclature. 8^)

As usual, I have no connection with any of these aforementioned dealers, =
etc.

Fascinating thread.I've actually learned a good bit from it,but as you
say,there are a very limited number of dealers,who actually know their
stuff about analog and vinyl.Far too many people who want get into
serious listening of same,are often left to their own devices,and buy
a used,or vintage setup on the web,with no idea how to properly set it
up,align cartridges,etc.I don't know of anybody who is really into
vinyl,as an audiophile medium,who takes Fremer,or anybody Stereophile
seriously.I think at this point,most people just let him blather on
about whatever he wants,and completely ignore him.

Roger