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If setting up your turntable frightens / confuses you, watch this video!
[media=]
[/media]It's almost 30 minutes, but it really is a complete, well-organized and comprehensive instructional video covering all the basics you'll need to set up your turntables. Normally these things suck, but this guy is on point and the video is clear and easy-to-follow.
Seriously, proper set up makes a world of difference in terms of getting the best possible sound from your records, and if you have no clue what overhang, tracking force or azimuth is, or how to do things like balance your tonearm, align your cartridge or adjust for the proper VTA, this video will help more than anyone on this board (including me) who tries to describe the process.

If setting up your turntable frightens / confuses you, watch this video!
[media=]
[/media]It's almost 30 minutes, but it really is a complete, well-organized and comprehensive instructional video covering all the basics you'll need to set up your turntables. Normally these things suck, but this guy is on point and the video is clear and easy-to-follow.
Seriously, proper set up makes a world of difference in terms of getting the best possible sound from your records, and if you have no clue what overhang, tracking force or azimuth is, or how to do things like balance your tonearm, align your cartridge or adjust for the proper VTA, this video will help more than anyone on this board (including me) who tries to describe the process.

If setting up your turntable frightens / confuses you, watch this video!
[media=]
[/media]It's almost 30 minutes, but it really is a complete, well-organized and comprehensive instructional video covering all the basics you'll need to set up your turntables. Normally these things suck, but this guy is on point and the video is clear and easy-to-follow.
Seriously, proper set up makes a world of difference in terms of getting the best possible sound from your records, and if you have no clue what overhang, tracking force or azimuth is, or how to do things like balance your tonearm, align your cartridge or adjust for the proper VTA, this video will help more than anyone on this board (including me) who tries to describe the process.

If setting up your turntable frightens / confuses you, watch this video!
[media=]
[/media]It's almost 30 minutes, but it really is a complete, well-organized and comprehensive instructional video covering all the basics you'll need to set up your turntables. Normally these things suck, but this guy is on point and the video is clear and easy-to-follow.
Seriously, proper set up makes a world of difference in terms of getting the best possible sound from your records, and if you have no clue what overhang, tracking force or azimuth is, or how to do things like balance your tonearm, align your cartridge or adjust for the proper VTA, this video will help more than anyone on this board (including me) who tries to describe the process.

I use the Belden stuff too (5000UE), but it's the cable they made especially for Blue Jeans Cables. 12 gauge, I believe. No difference really except the jacket color and the color of the inner conductors.
You can find it here: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm
62 cents a foot. I personally don't think you'll hear that much of a difference between 12 and 18 gauge, but for less than $15, why not get the speaker wire with better conductivity?
Honestly, if you're worried about how cables effect the sound of your system, focus on the ones that connect your turntable to your amp. You really want a pair with very low capacitance. Higher capacitance cables tend to contribute to the rolling off of the high end frequencies of your cartridge.

I think that the only other possibility is that for most of your life, the TT has actually been running at about 31 RPMs. Because it's the only thing you've ever known, your perceived reality has always been slightly slow music.
However, the other day - while your mom was cleaning your room - she accidentally bumped the table on which the turntable sat, knocking loose some jammed-up camshaft balls that operate the Steuerpimpel mechanism, thusly freeing the the spindle assembly / platter to spin at the appropriate 33 1/3 RPMs.
So now you're basically listening to records at the correct speed. Do nothing, sit back and enjoy!

Nice gear ... upgrading slowly? If that's the case, now you have to decide if you want to go with new or vintage. With the former you have the benefit of something that will most likely be trouble-free and last you for years. It's also easier to find new gear from respectable dealers who often can provide a lot more guarantees than someone on the secondhand market. It's probably a little easier to audition gear via a dealer as well.
The cons of new ... obviously, higher price. You might want to look for slightly-used newer gear.
As for vintage, the benefits are that your dollar can go a long way. If you're looking to build an entire system, you'll reach your goal much quicker going the vintage route. And generally speaking there really is some really nice-sounding, well-built pieces out there. Some people like the aesthetics of vintage over new as well.
In the minus category is the reliability factor, not to mention that vintage equipment is generally a lot tougher to track down. Obviously eBay and Craigslist are great resources, but no doubt there's a slight sketch factor with both. I would much rather buy from someone on Audiogon or Bartertown (on Audiokarma.com).
So there ya go. If I were you, I'd start visiting the audiophile message boards and if possible, see if you can make friends with local people who might be willing to let you listen to their stuff. That's really the best way to decide what you like.

Exactly!
And currently I'm using a vintage Luxman L-80V integrated that I bought for $210 (including shipping). It had been worked on by a professional repair shop just a few months before I purchased it.
I love it. Of course, I love the Luxman sound, as well as the beautiful aesthetics and build quality.
Now If you did a side-by-side comparison of my integrated with ajxd's, would you notice a huge difference? I don't know ... kinda depends on the rest of the equipment and which way your tastes lean. Plenty of other stuff to factor in, but I doubt that the two would be miles apart from one another. Like I've said before, I place a ton of value on buying gear that works well together. You could drop $1000 each on an amp, preamp and speakers, but it doesn't guarantee they're a good match for one another.
At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself what's important to you. Do you want the best possible sound and money is no object? Do you want nice gear but you plan on upgrading slowly? Are you looking for the biggest bang for your buck ... or do you simply want something that's functional? There's no right or wrong answer, but it will help us better guide you if you can give us a general idea as to your intent.

If you already own a vintage receiver and it sounds fine, keep on listening. If and when it starts giving you problems, there are knowledgeable people out there who will do the work. As long as you're not dealing with unobtainium parts, it's probably going to cost you in the $100 - $200 range. That's for a thorough overhaul: a good cleaning, as well as a recap and replacement for any other basic components (resistors, transistors, etc etc) that need it.
There are obviously exceptions and you'll never really know until you get a tech to actually take a look inside.
Of course, you have to ask yourself if the receiver is even worth restoring in the first place. If you can't resell it for the amount of money you dump into it, then think twice. If it's a high end vintage receiver or it has personal value to you - and it's something you can see yourself using for years to come - then rebuilding it might be okay. For example, I have a Sony STR-6065. I'm not even using it right now, but it's in pretty good shape. If it started giving me problems though, it would be a tough choice. It sounds terrific, it's well-regarded and it also has sentimental value, but I doubt that I could sell it for more than $200, if that.
If you're considering buying a vintage receiver / amp, then I would definitely look for one that has already been worked on. There are plenty out there and it's going to save you a lot of time and heartache in the future. You should be able to find something very nice in the $300 - $500 range.
If you can't find one, buy from a trusted seller who has obviously taken good care of his / her gear. Make sure it's working properly before committing to anything.
And just to be clear, I'm not knocking new gear either. As ajxd said, there's plenty of awesome new equipment as well. However, that doesn't usually include the Best Buy bargain aisle. Typically when audiophiles talk about "budget" amps, we're talking well north of $500. The reason I'm always suggesting vintage gear is because most VCers are young and don't have a huge disposable income. In no way am I saying that vintage is better than new, or vice versa. It's more of a "bang for your buck" thing.

There's probably quite a few reasons for Hydra Head's ultimately demise, but I'm almost positive that $20 LPs vs $15 LPs is not one of them. If people want an album, they'll buy it, and HH has worked with enough "big name" bands that selling records was probably the least of their problems ... even with all the smaller, extreme left-of-center outfits on the roster.
Running a label myself, I'm left thinking, "if Hydra Head can't make it, what chance do I have?" On the other hand, I've worked at (relatively) successful labels long enough to also wonder, "what the hell was HH doing wrong?"
Most of us will never be close enough to the situation to find out ... but damn - I sure do wish I was a fly on the wall in HH's offices over the past year.
Anyway, I always appreciated their aesthetic and uncompromising attitude. I just ordered the Oceanic 2xLP. It cost me $26 with shipping - and I already owned the CD - but whatever. Hyrdra Head undoubtedly forged its own path in the world and you gotta respect that, even if you didn't always respect all their decisions in regards to pricing, etc etc.

Hey everyone
I sent out my last batch of Dikembe pre-orders today (about 25 packages) and Will said that he's got about 20 more international orders to do, which will go out on Monday.
Thanks for your patience and support. All in all it took us about a week to assemble, pack up and ship out close to 300 orders. Not too shabby, but I'm friggin' tired.
By the way, as people have mentioned, the vinyl turned out pretty cool, but I think that the jackets look sick. I don't know why we didn't really mention it before, but we did a UV spot gloss / matte coating thing that just kills it.
Finally, if anyone pre-ordered the Tigers Jaw repress, that should be shipping to us from the plant on Monday, and the Restorations LP repress is supposed to be done at the end of the week. I suspect that pre-orders for those records will ship to customers in about two weeks. Then in mid-Sept, we'll launch pre-orders for the Run, Forever LP and the Jowls 10".
And yes, expect Chicago Bowls sooner than later!

"Bought one and couldn't figure out where to put the vinyl, so I'm using it for my cupcake display."

"Bought one and couldn't figure out where to put the vinyl, so I'm using it for my cupcake display."

It's a great deal ... if you're into $200 worth of crap.
Seriously, I'm not trying to be a snob and I'm all for you going the used route ... but the stuff in that ad is all pretty mediocre at best. Maybe the amp is okay, but I guarantee those speakers are lightweight trash, and while technics are usually a safe bet, that particular model is plastic garbage through and through. Honestly, I think you'd be buying yourself a lot of problems with all that 80s gear. There's a lot of cheaply made, mass-produced components from that era.
If you want to go the used / vintage, there are much better Technics turntables you could get for around $100 or less, and the same goes for the amp. I'm reluctant to give suggestions on speakers, but you could find a pair that easily bests those Fishers.
These Polk Monitor 7b speakers are a well-regarded classic vintage speaker: http://nh.craigslist.org/ele/3041889083.html
Here's a nice Sansui receiver that's a little more expensive, but it has been re-capped, which means the seller has probably worked on it, it's in good condition and you won't have to worry about repairs down the line: http://nh.craigslist.org/ele/3079519960.html
This Technics SL-D2 would need a new cartridge, but if you're buying used, I'd probably get a new cart regardless. This is a cheap Technics for $50 that's worth looking into: http://nh.craigslist.org/ele/2968860698.html
I mean, look at pictures of the SL-DS compared with that other one and you can just see how much better the build quality is.
Basically, there's a lot of better options out there, and maybe you'd spend a little more than $200, but not much, and I think you'd be much happier with the quality and overall sound.

Major props to the photo-bombing cat.

Not to confuse you any more, but your original post was correct. If your receiver has a phono input, you absolutely do not need a separate pre-amp. A receiver with a phono stage has all that stuff built inside of it.
Of course you can buy a separate pre-amp and connect it to one of your line inputs (aux, for example) on the receiver. Why would you buy a separate pre-amp? Well, depending on what you get, it could be an upgrade in sound compared to what's in the receiver.
All this stuff can definitely be tough to follow and there plenty of different configurations when it comes to setting up audio equipment. Here's the basic breakdown ...
* Turntable ---- > this is where it all starts. Unlike a CD player or mp3 player, your TT emits a fairly weak signal and needs an extra level of amplification.
* Preamp / Phono Stage ---- > exactly what it says. Your preamp is that previously mentioned "extra level" that pre-amplifies your TT's signal before it gets to the ...
* Amplifier (receiver) ---- > The last level of amplification and of course what powers your speakers.
* Speakers ---- > This is where music comes from, duh.
There are obviously other ways to get to where you're going, but if you have these four basic elements, you're off to a good start.