Hi Fi - Vinyl content

Tone71

Been meaning to do this for ages and so as not to derail any others I thought a HiFi thread to argue the merits of analogue v digital, vinyl v mp3 etc etc and also to share set ups:

Mine is currently:

Pioneer P112d TT - Cheap Ebay buy, stripped and serviced and now working perfect, plan now is to build a new plinth as the old veneer is peeling, no big deal just need to find some nice oak fit for purpose. It looks the nuts, smells of the 70`s (which will probably be lost with a new plinth) and really is aesthetically pleasing.

Onkyo A9010 Amp - Excellent reviews and rightly so, good at low volume, which I really wanted.

Phillips CD624 CD - Courtesty of @Bidley and sounds pretty bloody good to me.

Rotel RT-830AL Tuner - Nice freecycle find in perfect condition complete in original box with instruction manual.

Wharfedale 9.1 Speakers - Superb for the money.

Having grown up with vinyl and still having all my childhood LP`s (which were always really well kept and looked after) and after firstly resurrecting my old 90`s stereo from the loft then being bought a bluetooth TT which really disappointing, I quickly realised that the sound I wanted to hear from my LP`s was not achievable with them it was a matter of building the current set up.

I personally think vinyl sounds superb, not compressed and "open" and love the pops and crackles. I have it in my office and can shut the door to family life and get lost in my 70/80`s nostalgia.

The scary part is looking on vinyl forums and seeing the extent of this madness, it has me worried !

Will get some pics in due course but really interested in others set ups.......

Funkfingers

Tone71 said:

I personally think vinyl sounds superb, not compressed

Strange. One way or another, the dynamic range of all recorded music is compressed.
 
http://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/q-how-does-mastering-differ-vinyl-and-digital-releases

Bidley

Glad it's doing the biz for you!

My setup is;

Pro-Ject Elemental TT (saving for a Rega though)
Marantz 6000OSE CD player
Arcam 8R amp (the phono stage in this is fucking awesome).
A pair of Celestion 5s.

strumjoughlamps

love listen to records, it is my main pastime.

My setup is..

Pro-Ject Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Blue and Acrylic platter

Pro-Ject phono stage

Cyrus 6a amp

KEF Carina II speakers (1983 absolutely bloody stunning they are) on  Heybrook HSB1 stands 

Gramofon box for Spotify and Tune In

blobb

Numark TT1250 record player - this is part of one of those 'I want to be a DJ' kits that were popular a few years ago. based on a Technics I think? Beside the point. Good thing is that I have two of them because for some reason, DJ's need two record players at the same time, God only knows why. This means I use one and have a second for spares. Result.

AT95e cart - £30, can't go wrong

Rega Planet 2000 CD

QUAD 44 pre into 405/2 AMP - excellent, although it can be made better with some upgrades. I like the 44 although some would say QUAD pre amps are nothing special.

B&W DM602S3 speakers - simple and effective, based on a tried and tested design.

I find the quality of the Rega makes CD's a joy, vinyl has some limitations but I listen to old 70's records a lot. They didn't have 24bit DAC's back then. It was designed to be listened back on simple gear.

I've also got some Arcam gear (which is great, but lacks soul) a monitoring setup with Acoustic Energy speakers and various headphones........ and a walkman.

oh and a mini disc player. Loved Mini disc, still use it now. Stuff your iPads.


;-)

not_the_dj

For when I get the vinyl out:

Project Debut Turntable 
Cambridge Audio Azur 640 Amp
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers in the living room and Dianond 9.0 in the dining room. 

BloodEagle

Ive gota faily modest setup but it sounds fantastic to my ears at  least -

Rega Planar 3 TT with Rega Elys 2 cartridge (this made the biggest difference to my listening, which went from 'yeah that sounds good' with my previous turntable to 'holy shit theres a band in my mancave' with the Rega
Rega PSU Power Supply
Marantz PM6005 Amplifier
Marantz CD6005 Cd Player
Bowers & Wilkins DM 603 S3 Floorstanding speakers
Big stack of vinyl albums
Bottle or two of IPA


As far as vinyl sounding less compressed, its because in the main it is - the CD masters of most releases are significantly more compressed than the vinyl ones

Alterlifeson

strumjoughlamps said:

love listen to records, it is my main pastime.

My setup is..

Pro-Ject Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Blue and Acrylic platter

Pro-Ject phono stage

Cyrus 6a amp

KEF Carina II speakers (1983 absolutely bloody stunning they are) on  Heybrook HSB1 stands 

Gramofon box for Spotify and Tune In

How are you finding the Acrylic platter? I have the same TT (albeit with a 2M Red) and have being think of either getting the cork-it or splurging on a whole new platter.

strumjoughlamps

Alterlifeson said:

strumjoughlamps said:

love listen to records, it is my main pastime.

My setup is..

Pro-Ject Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Blue and Acrylic platter

Pro-Ject phono stage

Cyrus 6a amp

KEF Carina II speakers (1983 absolutely bloody stunning they are) on  Heybrook HSB1 stands 

Gramofon box for Spotify and Tune In

How are you finding the Acrylic platter? I have the same TT (albeit with a 2M Red) and have being think of either getting the cork-it or splurging on a whole new platter.

I tried the cork and leather mat before I settled on the acrylic, much more suited to me, it isn't a life changing upgrade but it has tightened the sound, its a good upgrade for reducing static and adding a bit of detail mainly noticeable in the highs.

 moving from the 2m Red to Blue on the other hand was a massive difference, you could really tell you have 'moved up' on the stylus scale. Not that I was unhappy with the Red but the Blue just made you go 'WOW' when I tested them.

beed84

When I get my own place, the first thing intend to do is treat myself to a new hifi of some description. Housesharing truly blows. It's incredibly frustrating not being able to play my records. This thread is making my mouth water :-(

viz

strumjoughlamps said:

love listen to records, it is my main pastime.

My setup is..

Pro-Ject Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Blue and Acrylic platter

Pro-Ject phono stage

Cyrus 6a amp

KEF Carina II speakers (1983 absolutely bloody stunning they are) on  Heybrook HSB1 stands 

Gramofon box for Spotify and Tune In

Have you got the phono rs and power supply?

viz

Double post basically

robgilmo

Vinyl is better cos its bigger. Bigger is always bestest. Logic DM101 / Logic Datum II / Goldring 1012GX / Marantz PM6010 KI / Yamaha NS 670 and a few other bits, bestest thing is a Revox G36 MKIII. I used to sit in a sweet spot and criticize my HiFi, the recording or my room acoustics , now I just listen to music instead.

strumjoughlamps

viz said:

strumjoughlamps said:

love listen to records, it is my main pastime.

My setup is..

Pro-Ject Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Blue and Acrylic platter

Pro-Ject phono stage

Cyrus 6a amp

KEF Carina II speakers (1983 absolutely bloody stunning they are) on  Heybrook HSB1 stands 

Gramofon box for Spotify and Tune In

Have you got the phono rs and power supply?

No, if I was to stump £600+ on a phono stage it wouldn't be that one.

viz

strumjoughlamps said:

viz said:

strumjoughlamps said:

love listen to records, it is my main pastime.

My setup is..

Pro-Ject Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Blue and Acrylic platter

Pro-Ject phono stage

Cyrus 6a amp

KEF Carina II speakers (1983 absolutely bloody stunning they are) on  Heybrook HSB1 stands 

Gramofon box for Spotify and Tune In

Have you got the phono rs and power supply?

No, if I was to stump £600+ on a phono stage it wouldn't be that one.

Fair enough. I've got it and am thinking of getting the psu. 

Tone71

Some nice set-ups there, Rega does appear to be the TT of choice for a lot of people, had a google http://www.harrowaudiohifi.co.uk/rega-planar-3 £550!! Will it make my LP`s sound 550 quid better?

Also out of interest does anyone have old LP`s which sound "thin"? I have a couple of 70`s originals that simply sound not as full as others.

richardhomer

Tone71 said:

Will it make my LP`s sound 550 quid better?

Assuming your amp and speakers are good enough - the short answer is 'yes'.

Rega decks give a taste of true 'high-end' performance at 'real world' money.

One of the things you are paying for are tight engineering tolerances where they matter - like the main beating, motor pulley, arm bearings, etc. To extract detail from a record groove where movements are measured in microns, this stuff matters.

'Real' high-end decks, like Linns and Roksans cost thousands - for what they do, Regas are cheap.

Reverend

Mine

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/fr/cp0/e15/q65/19702854_10154463461341883_696441842970824741_o.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&oh=2e1655892a8142c23866d373449ce14c&oe=59FF5081

Regs rp1. 
Rotel CD player. 
Technics double tape player
Trio ka-74 amp 

Rocker

I don't have a vinyl player any more. In my time I had five different turntables, a Trio (exceptional), Rega Planar 2 (very good) and three Linn LP12s (the first one was the best by far). The one thing they have in common is the need for an isolated wall mounted stand, the platter absolutely level and properly setup. The wall mounted shelf is essential...

boogieman

I've had most of my set up for nearly 30 years. Still sounds fine to me. 

Linn Basik turntable with an Akito arm and Linn cartridge. I replaced the drive belt and changed the bearing oil recently and its given it a new lease of life. 
Creek 4040 amp.
Linn Index speakers. 
Yamaha CD player recently purchased from Strum. My original Marantz one and its Cambridge Audio replacement both died. 

robgilmo

I had a Rega 3 for a while, I think they are overated to be honest. I hat a TD150 that blew the Rega clean out of the water, but taste is a personal thing, that old Thorens (after I restored it) was one of the most musical decks I ever owned, it was a joy to spin records on.