ErickSitter

As a jaded OG around here like flood, I have to agree wholeheartedly with him. Yes, I've been sometimes guilty of going in and perpetuating the assholeness that runs rampant around here, but the fact is that there are a few who make a sport of being assholes to others and create animosity.
 
Those days of everyone getting along and being nice are long gone. And that's kinda sad.  

VC is by far the friendliest board i've posted on.

The first couple of years, VC was a super nice place to be. It still has it's bright spots, but it's just not the same.

Looks like a toy but I guess the question is, how does it perform? 

I purchased the colored A7X Nightmare 2xLP and have been charged thus figuring with any other store it's in stock and will ship later today as I ordered it at 1AM Central standard time USA.  I joined placed the order around midnight received an email stating they got the order (checked my bank and was charged) and assume it ships today and arrives sometime tomorrow. hope it aint fedex otherwise I won't be home but will be for ups.
 
I guess I'm just used to amazon, and was not willing to pay $200 for the blood red vinyl limited edition and from what I read on the a7x hot topic.. topic that these are also limited at 600. the red vinyl was limited at 2000.  So are these from hopeless?  Which then these would come from the same lacquer master disk? But are these 180G? or standard?  Hail to the king was pretty thin but so was Metallica's black album (original pressing) from the UK but Master of Puppets from Music of Nations label is pretty heavy... 
 
Guess the question is, is hot topic a slow shipper?

The amazon or even the ebay world I guess, It was shipped and arrives tomorrow so I guess that answers my question.
 
Wow, your drunk if you can't read your own topic! But then again I was drunk.

Looks like a toy but I guess the question is, how does it perform? 

The amazon or even the ebay world I guess, It was shipped and arrives tomorrow so I guess that answers my question.
 
Wow, your drunk if you can't read your own topic! But then again I was drunk.

I purchased the colored A7X Nightmare 2xLP and have been charged thus figuring with any other store it's in stock and will ship later today as I ordered it at 1AM Central standard time USA.  I joined placed the order around midnight received an email stating they got the order (checked my bank and was charged) and assume it ships today and arrives sometime tomorrow. hope it aint fedex otherwise I won't be home but will be for ups.
 
I guess I'm just used to amazon, and was not willing to pay $200 for the blood red vinyl limited edition and from what I read on the a7x hot topic.. topic that these are also limited at 600. the red vinyl was limited at 2000.  So are these from hopeless?  Which then these would come from the same lacquer master disk? But are these 180G? or standard?  Hail to the king was pretty thin but so was Metallica's black album (original pressing) from the UK but Master of Puppets from Music of Nations label is pretty heavy... 
 
Guess the question is, is hot topic a slow shipper?

Looks like a toy but I guess the question is, how does it perform? 

Did they create the cartridge as well? Looks like an Ortofon. Also the word audiophile is used too loosely.

Beginner’s Guide to Hi–Fi
 
 
Created to hopefully aid anyone venturing into this stressful, beautiful hobby.
I will update this with more information whenever I have time to waste. Anyone is welcome to chime in.
 
 
 
Basic Hi-Fi Chain:
 
SOURCE -> AMPLIFICATION -> SPEAKERS
(click to jump to section)
 
The source component reads the recorded information and translates it into the signal that will be later perceived as sound. Amplification takes that signal and amplifies it (no, really?) in order to make it strong enough to move the drivers of the speaker. A speaker is a collective of drivers that are moved by the signal, producing air pressure in front of them which to us, mortal beings, means hearing sound.
 
When putting together a hi-fi setup, always keep in mind: The end result will only be as good as the weakest link. Buying an expensive turntable and a good phono preamp is useless if you're using cheap computer speakers. By no means should you decide to just get a shitty turntable then. Instead, think carefully how to ration your budget across all important components.
 
Jump to setting up & use: SOURCE, AMPLIFICATION, SPEAKERS
 
LIST OF RECCOMENDED EQUIPMENT FOR DIFFERENT BUDGETS

I. SOURCE
 
Turntable
 
Basic parts of the turntable
 
Cartridge
This is where the magic happens.
To the naked eye, there are two basic parts of a cartridge: the body and the needle. The needle is the part that reads the groove. It is attached to the body, in which the mechanical vibrations are converted into an electrical signal. When something goes wrong, it is usually the needle that suffered. It breaks easily, and though it is also easily replaced, it costs over 85% of the total cost of the cartridge, so it’s best to be careful.
 
How to spot a damaged needle?
Well, if you know how it should sound, and it suddenly doesn’t sound like it should, that’s a big tell. It’s not always this easy, though.
Inspect it visually – this is what it should look like: *PIC*
If the needle is broken, it is pretty easy to spot. If the needle is not broken, but the cartridge body is touching the record while playing (and the weight is set up properly), there’s likely no other solution than replacing the needle. If the needle is worn out it also needs replacing,
 
Damaged body? Unless you stepped… actually, jumped – repeatedly - on it, it’s fine and doesn’t need replacing. I’ve never even heard of damaging the cartridge body, so if you managed to do so, post here and you get an award.
 
MM vs. MC
I will go into detail about the differences, pros and cons at a later time. For now let's just say that buying an MC cart requires much more care in proper equipment pairing. MC carts are way "pickier" in regards to the phono preamp, and even the inexpensive models such as the Denon DL-103 will perform nowhere near their potential when mounted on an average entry-level tonearm on an average entry level turntable.
 
Tonearm
It is what holds the cartridge in place, making sure it reads the recording at the right angle and also providing enough mobility and stability. The cartridge needs to move freely, but also track with a constant pressure.
 
Platter
Records sit on top of it. It can be made from different materials, each with its specific characteristics.
 
Belt (belt drive turntables)
Used simply to provide as much decoupling between the motor and the rest of the turntable as possible, while maintaining an accurate turning speed.
 
Motor
I have no idea what that thing does.
 
Plinth
It serves an isolation function, and is what (usually) holds everything in place. Also known as the base. It supports the platter and the tonearm, and depending on the turntable design, the motor as well.
 
Buying a turntable
 
First rule: Don’t be cheap.
If you’re just getting into the hobby and would like to experience at least the minimum it has to offer, do yourself a favor and invest enough to get going without the constant presence of a headache. Sure, any supermarket pile of plastic abomination will “technically” do the job (the record will spin and some sound will come out of it), but if you don’t like music enough to want to hear at least a rough approximation of what the artist intended, then why even bother?
 
Stay away from Crosley
Stay away from Ion
Stay away from Stanton
Stay away from Audio Technica (at least the LP60 model)
Stay away from anything that looks like a Crosley, Ion, Stanton, Numark, AT LP60 or a combination of any of the above. A “USB” in the name is usually also a big giveaway, though Pro-Ject does make such a model, for some reason.
 
The entry level turntables worth considering are mentioned in this thread, but I’ll repeat them.
 
Pro-Ject Essential ($300)
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon ($400)
Rega RP1 ($450)
Music Hall MMF-2.2 ($450)
U-Turn Orbit (if it proves to be a worthwhile contender)
 
Many might not consider them “budget” options, but it is a worthwhile investment even for those that might end up deciding it’s not for them and will abandon the hobby altogether. The resale value is high enough to make these THE cost-efficient choice.
 
If you really, really cannot afford any of the above, the following aren't the worst choices you can make:
 
Audio Technica AT LP120 ($200)
Music Hall USB-1 ($250)
Numark TTUSB ($100)
 
Vintage vs. New
 
While it’s true that one can get far better sound for far less pennies spent with the right vintage choice, it is an educated man’s market. You might get lucky. The table in question might have been cared for properly, it might be one of those models that can stand the test of time, and the seller might have zero idea what it’s actually worth. A lot of might’s though. If you don’t mind a $20 gamble, by all means, go for it. But to really make the best of such a purchase, the buyer has to posses enough knowledge to determine value, quality and condition of the equipment. It can be fun, it can be tiresome, and it can be rewarding. Not my first suggestion for a newcomer though.
 
Buying a used newer model can be a two-sided blade as well. The turntable is a “delicate instrument”. If not used properly and with care, a lot of things can go wrong in a short period of time. An in depth conversation with the seller is crucial to determine, or rather, guess the table’s history.
 
Buying a new table is always the safest bet, but it comes with a heftier price tag.
 
For buying something under $100 however, at least in my opinion it's better to lose $20 with a vintage table that doesn't work than losing $100 for a cheap new table that, in all honesty, doesn't really work.
 
Required additional equipment/accessories:
 
Phono pre-amp
Some tables come with a built in preamp, so this does not apply to them.
 
The output signal, generated by the cartridge, is much weaker than the analog signal coming out of digital sources. Approximately 400 – 10,000 times weaker, depending on the type of cartridge. This is why an additional stage of amplification is needed in order to integrate the turntable into your Hi-Fi chain. This stage is called a phono preamp. It is a vital part of the setup, and should not be ignored when determining the budget.
 
When is there no need for a phono preamp?
 
If there is one built into the turntable.
If your amplifier/receiver has a phono input.
 
Recommended additional equipment/accessories:
 
Cleaning supplies
Covered in detail HERE, so no need for me to repeat everything.

You expect orders to ship same day and arrive the next? What kind of world are you living in? HT takes a day or two to process then a few days ship time. Hold your horses.

They email you your copy. Fast as lightning and the wave of the future. 

I always have my records emailed to me. So much easier. Than I can just listen to them on my turntable app.

I don't even really know what was being said in the OP aside from the last sentence, which I would guess completely negates whatever was said before it.

I usually get stuff from them in around 4-5 days, including the handling time. Which is pretty damn good. 

man, whats with this surge of shitty threads lately?

Pretty sure you're charged once it ships.
 
Every Avenged Sevenfold LP ever pressed except for Hail to the King has been pressed by Hopeless. Warner pressed Hail to the King.

are you drunk?  or euro?  because that was tough to follow.  you bought the record last night?  and want to know the shipping speed of a record you bought 12 hours ago?  gif of head exploding

Probably from the surge of shitty new users.

They are usually pretty quick just a few days.

I purchased the colored A7X Nightmare 2xLP and have been charged thus figuring with any other store it's in stock and will ship later today as I ordered it at 1AM Central standard time USA.  I joined placed the order around midnight received an email stating they got the order (checked my bank and was charged) and assume it ships today and arrives sometime tomorrow. hope it aint fedex otherwise I won't be home but will be for ups.
 
I guess I'm just used to amazon, and was not willing to pay $200 for the blood red vinyl limited edition and from what I read on the a7x hot topic.. topic that these are also limited at 600. the red vinyl was limited at 2000.  So are these from hopeless?  Which then these would come from the same lacquer master disk? But are these 180G? or standard?  Hail to the king was pretty thin but so was Metallica's black album (original pressing) from the UK but Master of Puppets from Music of Nations label is pretty heavy... 
 
Guess the question is, is hot topic a slow shipper?