Looking for some advice.

Basically I'm getting into buying vinyl over cds and I need to get a
new turntable to replace the decaying Kenwood stack I currently use.
I like the look of the Rega P3 so I think I'll get one of those.
However, I'm unsure of what I'll need to go along with it: do I just
need a simple amplifier and a set of speakers? what are power and
pre-amplifiers and will I require one of either of these too?

Thanks,

Stuart Fox

In message ,
Stu wrote:

Looking for some advice.

Basically I'm getting into buying vinyl over cds and I need to get a
new turntable to replace the decaying Kenwood stack I currently use.
I like the look of the Rega P3 so I think I'll get one of those.
However, I'm unsure of what I'll need to go along with it: do I just
need a simple amplifier and a set of speakers? what are power and
pre-amplifiers and will I require one of either of these too?


If you want freedom from audible tics and pops during LP playback, there's a
ready, working, relatively inexpensive solution, but it's in the digital
domain. Not a problem to anything but vinyl bigot ideology.

Youre probably deaf anyway. Who gives a rip what some semi-deaf tube/vinyl
bigot believes?

The technical facts aren't on the side of vinyl, and apparently
neither is technical expertise. When faced with a sticky vinyl player
setup problem, the usual list of vinyl-clutching suspects became
defensive, abusive and were at a loss to provide a viable solution.
Their final words: spend more money, and "STFU". I guess the latter
comment means that they are frustrated with suffering in silence and
expect everybody to affirm their code of silence relating to their
own personal frustrations.

Typical vinyl bigot luddite posturing.

One of these days you'll wake up to the superior sound of the CD, just like
most of the world did about 15 years ago...

This last firestorm was started by a vinyl bigot who obviously
was not content to just quietly enjoy his allegedly wonderful vinyl
system. He obviously wanted to rip his pound of flesh from the chests
of as many CD player owners as possible.

More vinyl bigot delusional posting. CD's sound better to anybody interested
in high fidelity.

Theres lots of ignorant false technical claims about digital from a
head-in-the-sand vinyl bigot.

What does "sound better" mean coming from a vinyl bigot?
Hype?
Enthusiasm?
Declining ability to hear flaws?

It would be really be a lot more fun if we could find a vinyl bigot
who really understood audio technology... ;-)


Thanks,

Dont thank us. Its like we held a gun to your head? ROTTFLMAO!


Stuart Fox

Got any proof?

LOL!

On 29 Dec 2003 05:31:36 -0800, (Stu) wrote:

Looking for some advice.

Basically I'm getting into buying vinyl over cds and I need to get a
new turntable to replace the decaying Kenwood stack I currently use.
I like the look of the Rega P3 so I think I'll get one of those.
However, I'm unsure of what I'll need to go along with it: do I just
need a simple amplifier and a set of speakers? what are power and
pre-amplifiers and will I require one of either of these too?

Thanks,

Stuart Fox

You need to either have a receiver (or preamplifier) with a phono
input, *or*, if your receiver or preamplifier doesn't have one, you
must buy a "phono preamp/adaptor/section (it can be called several
things)", which is an external box that interfaces between the normal
high-level inputs like tape, CD, etc. and your phono section, which
has a very low signal which needs to be amplified. Also, the signal
created on the vinyl has been eq'ed and needs the eq to be reversed
(simplest way to describe it). This is the RIAA curve. So, not only
are you amplifying the output of the phono cartridge, but you are also
eq'ing the signal.

If you go the preamplifier route, you'll need a stereo power amplifier
(you could use a mono amplifier and still get sound, but you won't get
stereo). Otherwise, you can choose either a receiver or an "integrated
amplifier", which is a preamplifier and a power amplifier built in one
case (it's like a receiver without the tuner).

You can go as cheaply as a Radio Shack preamp for about $20, or you
can get better units from companies like Creek and Grado.

If you know someone who's handy with a soldering iron, you can have
them build this tube preamp for you:

http://www.geocities.com/bobdanielak/phono.html

Here's a pretty simple solid state DIY project:

http://www.paia.com/riaa.htm

Here are some other options:

http://www.kabusa.com/phonpre.htm
http://www.zzounds.com/item--RLLVP29
http://www.zzounds.com/item--ARTDJRPRE
http://www.blazeaudio.com/products/xp201.html
http://www.avahifi.com/root/equipmen..._preamplifier/
http://www.rolls.com/rollsproducts/ (you have to look through the
catalog)
http://www.cdrecordingsoftware.com/preamps.html

Here's one for a paltry $29,000

http://www.avguide.com/product/Phono.../2008/2719.jsp

****-for-Brains wrote:

One of these days you'll wake up to the superior sound of the CD, just like
most of the world did about 15 years ago...

The problem is that over 80% of all music released on Vynil was not re-released
on CD. Since this changeover happened only about twenty years ago, there
is still a lot of good music that you require a record player to listen to.

My recommendation would be to get a program for your computer and transfer
it all to the computer and then to CD. The sortware will remove the clicks
and pops, clean it up(wow/rumble), and so on - it's amazing to hear the
before and after.

"Stu" wrote in message
om
Looking for some advice.

Basically I'm getting into buying vinyl over cds and I need to get a
new turntable to replace the decaying Kenwood stack I currently use.
I like the look of the Rega P3 so I think I'll get one of those.
However, I'm unsure of what I'll need to go along with it: do I just
need a simple amplifier and a set of speakers? what are power and
pre-amplifiers and will I require one of either of these too?

You need an integrated amplifier with a phono input, and some speakers

or

a receiver with a phono input and some speakers

or

a preamp with a phono input, an amp and some speakers

or

any of the above that lacks a phono input, and an add-on phono preamp.

Thanks for the help!

Aside from the table itself and a suitable phono stage, the thing to
listen to vinyl with is the same thing you already listen to other
sources on.

A vintage audio setup can have a certain charm of its own, which is
important to some people and "balls and farts" to others. I own a
vintage _style_ system consisting of a homemade clone of a Marantz 7B
preamp, Allen Organ power amps and Altec 604 Mutt speakers (Alnico
magnets and the Mantaray horn) with Doug Sax Mastering Lab x/o in
custom cabs built from a Japanese magazine. I don't represent it as
"the best", it's for my own amazement and I like it.

Notwithstanding the fact that a lot of great music-and other sounds-
are available only on vinyl, that vinyl UNLIKE CD is an archival
medium, and that vinyl has a certain satisfaction of use CDs never
will, The Undisputable Fact is that I find the sound of really good
vintage vinyl OFTEN more pleasant and apparently realistic sounding
than that of the reissued CD's of the same material. Many others do
too. I suspect that mastering has much to do with this but also that
the limited sample rate of CD audio has much to do with it also and
that SACD and DVD Audio may be much improved if used properly. It may
or may not be true, but I suspect it.

If I were starting from scratch and on a budget I would look at the
current crop of powered monitors intended for pro use. These have 600
ohm +4 inputs and multiple internal solid state amplifiers with
internal crossovers. I would then look for, or build, a preamp
specifically to drive them. High end audio with RCA connectors and
amplifiers the size of Frigidaires driving fourth order three way
crossovers is a masturbation exercise: if I were to "upgrade" my
system going to bi-amping (not "bi-wiring", that's even dumber) would
be Job 1.