Turntables/Stereo/Audiophile Questions and Discussion

[elevated_u2_fan]

I'm kind of shocked that this sort of thread does not already exist on here. I admit my search skills are not the greatest but I can't seem to find anything close...

I am interested in upgrading my turntable and am genuinely curious as to what you guys currently use.

I used to have an old technics turntable but it died a couple of years ago and just recently I have decided to start collecting vinyl since CDs seem to be fast approaching the end of their life span.

My $500 budget and a large amount of positive reviews have lead me to the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon which sounds like a good investment. By the sounds of it I will have to purchase a preamp since my Yamaha receiver does not have a phono stage amp built in but it looks like there are inexpensive ones available that do the job.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Diemen]

I'm kind of shocked that this sort of thread does not already exist on here. I admit my search skills are not the greatest but I can't seem to find anything close...

http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f295/audiophile-opinions-on-headphones-216449.html

That would be the closest, I guess, but it's a bit too narrow in scope.

But to your question, this link seems helpful:

The Best Turntable for Casual Listening | The Wirecutter

Though it's geared more towards casual listening, they end up going with the Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB . The USB output seems like a pretty sweet option to easily digitize vinyl, actually. They do mention that the Pro-Ject Carbon sounds better and can accept better quality cartridges, so it sounds like you've made a good choice.

Not too sure about pre-amps. It seems like you can get ones for pretty cheap, though. This one has pretty great reviews and is <$50.

 

[gump]

Good idea for a thread - I always end up posting my questions in the B&C, but this is better.

I don't really have a turntable recommendation (my 10-year old technics is running strong), but I recently upgraded my pre-amp and couldn't be happier. I got this one after doing some research: Amazon.com: ART DJPRE II Phono Preamplifier RCA Type Input and Output Switchable Low Cut Filter: Musical Instruments

For cartridges, I like Grado's products a lot. I use the Grado Prestige Black Phono Cartridge, which cost like $70.00. They have higher-end models, but I was pretty happy with this one.

Edit: and Diemen just suggested the same pre-amp. You can't really go wrong with that one, given the price.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

interesting, if you don't mind me asking gump, did you buy your amp in NYC? I'm actually traveling there at the end of the month and was trying to see if there were any good stereo stores to look at while I'm there - I find the price difference between audio equipment in the US vs Canada to be pretty steep.

 

[gump]

I ordered mine through Amazon, as couldn't find it at a real store. I just checked, and unfortunately it seems to be out of stock at B&H (one of the biggest audio/photo stores here). J&R, another big audio store downtown, recently closed, so there aren't many options. Some other places you could look are Stereo Exchange and Sound by Singer, but they don't have online catalogs (and generally tend to sell really high-end stuff). So online may be the best way to go, unfortunately.

 

[gump]

They do have a similar model at B&H, though: ART USB Phono Plus Phono Preamp with USB USBPHONOPLUS PS B&H

It has added USB functionality, but I'm not sure if it's otherwise the same one as I have.

 

[u2popmofo]

Grados

 

[cobl04]

Now that I have a proper turntable (gotta buy an Australian power adapter though, stupidly totally forgot that it would be an American power cord grrr) I'm going to keep an eye on this thread. I don't know what a pre-amp or cartilage or any of that stuff is, I'm quite ignorant.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

What kind of turntable did you get again, Cobbler?

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i believe he posted on fb that he got one of these: http://iamthejeff.com/img/posts/turntable_cat.jpg

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

was the cat included?

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

customs seized it

 

[cobl04]

Haha! I got one of these. Numark TTUSB

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

ooh, nice. are you going to need a transformer (is that the right word? like a voltage converter) for it too? i remember when i was there, my laptop wasn't an issue but some other stuff needed one of those too or they would've been fried as soon as i plugged them into an outlet.

 

[cobl04]

I have no fucking idea.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

According to their website it has a built in pre-amp so you won't need one of those.

The Cartridge is the needle assembly - I'm assuming the instruction manual should tell you what kind it is so you could look into replacing it down the road. Apparently it is one of the easiest ways to get a noticeable upgrade in sound for a turntable.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

dude

i just looked it up (Numark TTUSB wattage and voltage specs?) and yeah you'll need a step-down transformer. iirc the ones i'd had to buy fit us plugs so i didn't have to buy two things. i found them at dick smith i think.

 

[gump]

i believe he posted on fb that he got one of these: http://iamthejeff.com/img/posts/turntable_cat.jpg

I used to have a similar one as a kid. My brother "brought it" for me when he was born (I know). I used to have a bunch of 45 RPM storytelling records.

I have no fucking idea.

Do not plug it in until you have the transformer. You could burn your record player depending on the voltage.

 

[gman]

I have a Rega Planar 3 turntable, with RB 300 tonearm. Its a really well respected and desireable vintage turntable. The Cartridge i have on at the moment, is an Ortofon 2M Red, which cost me about £100 ($168 US)

 

[gman]

I forgot to mention, that the phono stage i use is a Cambridge Audio 640P

 

[cobl04]

Do not plug it in until you have the transformer. You could burn your record player depending on the voltage.

I'm not even really sure what a transformer is... is it simply a plug that I can put the American cord into and then into the Australian power point? Or is it something different?

 

[gump]

I'm not even really sure what a transformer is... is it simply a plug that I can put the American cord into and then into the Australian power point? Or is it something different?

Electric currents are 120V in the US, and 240V in Australia. So the electric "engine" of your turntable is set for the US current, and the transformer will basically ensure that you can use it in the higher voltage current in Australia without damaging your equipment (I'm sure there's a better technical explanation, but this is how I make sense of it).

Some electronic equipment (computers, for example) are generally built to accomodate anything between 120V and 240V, but it may not be the case with your turntable (you can look at the specifications to make sure).

 

[cobl04]

Cool, thanks for the help. I think I'll go to an electronics store of some sort just to have all my bases covered before I fire it up. I need to get a US-to-AUS power adapter anyway. The guy at Amoeba did mention that I can upgrade certain parts of the turntable if I wish to, so that's good.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

I'm not even really sure what a transformer is... is it simply a plug that I can put the American cord into and then into the Australian power point? Or is it something different?

this is what they look like:

this is a us-uk one, but still, the only difference in looks will be the plug itself. it's still a big, ugly black box. i think the cost is maybe $30-40.

and yeah, if it turns out that you do need a step-down transformer, you can always choose to take it some place and they'll swap out the power supply so it'll run on the proper australian voltage.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Remind me why you people live down there again?

 

[The_Pac_Mule]

So I want to get a new receiver/speaker setup, but I'm fairly inexperienced with the technical aspects. So I wanted to make sure this receiver:

Yamaha RX V375 Home Theater Surround Sound System 5 1 Channel AV Receiver RXV375 | eBay

is optimal with these speakers:

Premium 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System with Subwoofer - Monoprice.com

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I'm not familiar with that speaker brand so I can't speak to quality but it certainly seems like they will handle that receiver.

 

[The_Pac_Mule]

Thanks! I read about them in this article:

A Good Surround System | The Wirecutter

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Is it really so bad to have a player that's weighted a little heavily? I have the low-end Audio Technica which seems to be the most well liked entry level player and it sounds great and plays things back flawlessly, but I also can't help notice that the arm is too good.

For example, I have a copy of Flashdance that is literally as warped as you could imagine to still be playable and it literally has no problem doing so without skipping which is something I figure most other players would crap out at almost instantly. Same for some other $1 to $2 records that turned out to be concave on one side. Obviously, there's the fear that having the arm bearing down real heavily will eat away at the records, but I haven't noticed anything similar to that of the naysayers of this player's warnings (audiophiles who don't even own it) who say that it will surely start flaking up bits of plastic on the needle. Obviously, I don't want to damage my records, but I also don't mind potentially risking it a little in order to have such great playback.

Thoughts?

 

[cobl04]

So this is more complicated than I thought it would be, but after visiting an electronics store today I think all I need to get it up and running is a transformer and speakers that have RCA sockets. It already has a pre-amp and a counterweight and a needle. The bloke at the store was telling me I needed an amplifier, but my housemate, who has a similar model, says I don't actually need one. Obviously I'll get one down the road when I've got a bit of money saved up, but I should be able to have it set up with my little speakers in my room this week which is cool