JSAND Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Hi,I am new to vinyl, and I could currently buy the following setup, and I wondered if anyone with more experience thought it a good idea. It's a Pioneer PL12D turntable (appears to be in good condition) with a new Audio Technica AT95e cartridge and stylus. Along with this comes a Technics SA5350 stereo receiver ( tuner and amp combined) and Wharfedale impact 15 loudspeakers. He's asking £180. What do you think? Or what would you suggest in my place? I haven't yet committed to the purchase. Thank you very much for all suggestions!!! Best regards,Jade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsonja Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Hey Jade, if it's all in working order I'd say snap his hand off, though you might want to get a better cartridge somewhere down the line. To be honest I wouldn't say that you could get a new system of TT, amp, and speakers (and phono stage) for much less than £1,000 if you want it to sound any better than CDs or even FLAC, so yeah, it sounds like a great deal! But I'm sure as Allen will tell you, try it first if you can!! (isn't that right, Allen?!?!). That's some good advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSAND Posted October 2, 2015 Author Share Posted October 2, 2015 Thank you for your response. It's reassuring. For 20 more, I could get a Marantz PM4001 amplifier instead of the Technics receiver. Do you think that's a good investment? Does it make much a difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Hi, I am new to vinyl, and I could currently buy the following setup, and I wondered if anyone with more experience thought it a good idea. It's a Pioneer PL12D turntable (appears to be in good condition) with a new Audio Technica AT95e cartridge and stylus. Along with this comes a Technics SA5350 stereo receiver ( tuner and amp combined) and Wharfedale impact 15 loudspeakers. He's asking £180. What do you think? Or what would you suggest in my place? I haven't yet committed to the purchase. Thank you very much for all suggestions!!! Best regards, Jade Jade On the whole yes that's a good deal although the other one you posted in the general thread with the Marantz amp and Mission speakers could be better depending on what you want from your hifi and what you listen to on it. The most important thing with 2nd hand hifi is condition and the next is being in the UK we made and make some of the best in the world so if you look hard enough there is some very good kit out there. As to the kit in your list It does depend which Missions they are as Mission made from average all the way up the tree. The Wharfedales are PA speakers so will sound terrible in a house and any Mission would sound better so if the missions are no longer available I'd see if they have anything else or know that you will need to replace the Wharfedales some time soon. The Technics receiver needs to be in good condition due to it's age but is from the golden age of Japanese hifi so when right will sound very nice. I'm not a fan of receivers as a rule as putting a radio tuner inside the same box as an amplifier isn't the best way to go engineering wise but it's still a nice thing. Ask the guy about the last time the power supply and output capacitors were replaced because if they haven't been the chances are they will need to be at some point. The Marantz will sound cleaner and be more reliable but the Technics will be more pleasing on the ear. The Pioneer PL12D was the entry into proper hifi for a lot of people in the 70's and 80's and still serves that purpose very well today, when it was current kit it was better than some of it's contemporaries and not as good as some others but it was a lot better than all of the black plastic crap that followed it and is as good or better than some of the more modern entry level stuff, that is of course if it's in good nick, the main and arm bearings need to be good as does the motor but a good one with a new belt and a decent Shure cart in will sing. It sounds like the person you are buying from is either a dealer or possibly a hoarder like me so Sonja is absolutely right get him to set it up for you so you can listen and buy the stuff you like the sound of best. Alternatively if you are Kent, Sussex, Surrey or SE London PM me I can probably build you a better system. Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSAND Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 Ah, thank you both Sonja and Allen, and especially for the very detailed response. He's coming over soon for me to look at it all. If I were to just take the turntable and the Marantz amp or the Technics receiver, what do you think this should be worth? I'll speak with him and see what I can do. We will set it all up, and have a listen. I'm really really thankful for all your helpful responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsonja Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Allen is best to advise you on the amp I think, but he'll probably say 'trust your ears', and that's about right so have a good listen with both amps and see which sounds best to you. Oh, wouldn't worry about how much it's worth and just concentrate on whether you like the sound Let us know how you get on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 The simplest answer for true values is look at the sold items on ebay. People ask very high prices for things like the PL12-D and that Technics receiver but you have to temper those asking prices with what that money can buy you in proper HiFi especially with the PL12-D. PL12's can go in a range anywhere from £30 to £130 but £30 to £70 is about right depending on condition. As to the Technics the closest I can find is a SA5460 which is a little later at £48 and a SA5250 at £35 so £30 to £60 again depending on condition. Obviously if you are looking at mint and boxed hardly ever or never used then factor a bit higher and the Marantz looks to be worth about a tenner more than the Technics. You do also have to factor in that ebay prices will need postage added unless the item is local and you can go and get it and that this guy is bringing this stuff over and setting it up for you which is worth something for his time and trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSAND Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 Ah, they turned out to be Celestion Impact 15 speakers. The Technics receiver had some problems (not connecting well with the second speaker and a loud knob), so I went for the Marantz which also has a nice remote. Probably I paid too much, but I went through the Pioneer, and it's all fully functional and looks great except for some small cracks in the plastic lid in the back. The speakers seem fine, it's hard for me to judge until I have my own music. He through in a couple of records. But in the end I paid him his 200. I thought as well, for him driving all the way over to Edinburgh, bringing the stuff up and setting it up for me, for a newbie like me, this would have been much more difficult. But I'll improve over time I suppose. What do you two think? Thank you so much for all the advice. You're wonderful help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsonja Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 If you're happy then it sounds like a good deal to me You're in Edinburgh? You should talk to Raye on here, he's near Edinburgh I think or a short train ride away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSAND Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 And if I can ask one more silly question. I have a small bookshelf where I had hoped to have everything. There is no back to, it's all open, but the shelves themselves are not deep enough (28 cm), whereas the feet of the turntable are about 31 cm apart. Is it a problem for the record player to be lying directly on the body (i.e. with the feet hanging off each edge)? I figure it will be just as level, but thought I'd ask you nice people. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 yes it would and I expect every time you walk past it when it's playing it will jump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSAND Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 Ah, that's a good point. It already skips sometimes when I pass by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsonja Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Are the speakers also on the same shelf? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSAND Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 They are right now, is that a concern? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsonja Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Most definitely, vibrations will cause skipping and you don't want that to happen! When I first got my setup I didn't have speaker stands, so I just stood them at the sides of my table on two dining room chairs until I could pick up the stands that I wanted. Having them that close to the turntable might also cause some sound or hum issues, so best to be safe than sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 where and how you mount this stuff is important so you want to look at some speaker stands and some form of better mounting for the turntable, amplifiers don't care that much just as long as they have enough air around them to keep cool so not places tightly between shelves but for anything that moves it's important so speakers and turntable. This all falls under basics like good enough cable and that sort of thing and by doing it properly you can make an average system sound at it's best and by not doing it make a very good system sound very bad. Celestion impact 15's are perfectly good and will mate with that amp quite well and £200 for the lot is possibly a little high but not that much considering he brought it to you and set it up for you. Do you know how old the stylus is in the Pioneer? They are pretty cheap if you think it's getting on a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsonja Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Did you go with the AT95E cartridge you mentioned? I forgot to ask! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSAND Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 Yep, it's a new cartridge and stylus. Thank you again for all the tips! Is it necessary to have free standing stands? Could they be on separate shelves on one unit? Like in a TV stand with the turntable and amplifier on top and speakers underneath on the lower shelf? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSAND Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 Thank you again for all your suggestions. I'd be at a total loss without you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsonja Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Definitely better to have them isolated if you can because it's the vibrations which travel through the surface that can cause skipping, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsonja Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Also, speakers really need to be at ear level, or off the floor at least, otherwise you're not really gonna get the benefit of music on vinyl. If you google speaker placement you should be able to find some good tips on how to set that up quite easily, there's not really a lot to it, just make sure they're not right next to your turntable and that they're off the floor, and preferably pointing towards where you're listening from! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arem Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 It's also really important to make sure your turntable is perfectly level with a spirit level or an app on your phone, if it's off the sound can be pretty badly affected, and it will wear your records and stylus much faster as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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