limon132 Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 First of all, hello! My name is James and I am new to the world of record collecting. I just purchased my first vinyl and I am going to be getting my turntable along with speakers. I have a few questions. I am currently considering the Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB, is this a good choice? I also was wondering what I will need to get along with that since there is a built in preamp so I don't need that. Can I just purchase some speakers or do I need to purchase anything else? I see that the LP120 has no auto stop, what exactly does this mean? What would happen if I wasn't right next to my record player at the conclusion of the record? I'm sorry for all the questions, I am just new and was curious. If this is in the wrong section I am very sorry, I didn't see a rookie/questions section however I could have just missed it. Thanks for any and all help! It is greatly appreciated!Oh yeah, Also, does the Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB come with a stylus or is that something I would have to buy separate? I'm fairly certain no but I want to be sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billya Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Hi James, If you look in this section, there is a thread called Beginner's Guide to HiFi/Turntables. That should help you get started. Good luck! jerseydave77 and weinerdog 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limon132 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 Hi James, If you look in this section, there is a thread called Beginner's Guide to HiFi/Turntables. That should help you get started. Good luck! Thanks! That surely helped...It surely would have been intelligent to start there. My only question now is do all sound systems have RCA hookup? Are there any recommendations anyone would have as to a good $200-$250 system? In addition to this, do I need to buy my receiver and speakers separate or is it okay to just buy a system where the two come together? I am asking because I don't know if buying an entire system together makes the quality of the devices lesser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limon132 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 Alright so what I have been reading conflicts, I have seen some say in addition to the AT-LP120 I would need a receiver and others say because it has a built in preamp I only need speakers. Which is the case? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Alright so what I have been reading conflicts, I have seen some say in addition to the AT-LP120 I would need a receiver and others say because it has a built in preamp I only need speakers. Which is the case? You either need a receiver or power speakers. There is no speaker hook-up directly on the LP120. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limon132 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 You either need a receiver or power speakers. There is no speaker hook-up directly on the LP120. Which would you recommend? Active speakers or a reciever? Which will get me a cleaner sound? I have a budget of about $250 for the rest of my set so with that considered do you have any specific active speakers or receiver speaker combo you believe I should go for? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I'm not a fan of powered speakers, but that is just my personal preference and everyone is different. My amp/speaker combo is quite a bit outside your range, so I really recommend the same thread as above and picking something that fits your budget and giving them a listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turk99 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Which would you recommend? Active speakers or a reciever? Which will get me a cleaner sound? I have a budget of about $250 for the rest of my set so with that considered do you have any specific active speakers or receiver speaker combo you believe I should go for? Thank you! I'm a fan of powered speakers. I don't listen to CDs anymore, or the radio. I just listen to vinyl in my living room. Receiver would be overkill for me, and take up space. For good budget speakers, check Micca PB42x. They are listed on amazon for 120 now...I've seen the price drop to 100 buck 120 is still a good deal. In some respects, it's kind of a pain to have the volume button on the back. But for now, it's ok...I was on a budget too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacobMckinley Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Which would you recommend? Active speakers or a reciever? Which will get me a cleaner sound? I have a budget of about $250 for the rest of my set so with that considered do you have any specific active speakers or receiver speaker combo you believe I should go for? Thank you! If you're looking to get the most out of your remaining 250, it's in your best interest to scour craigslist, goodwill and any shop in your town that might have some hifi gear (Hell, even the local St Vincent's mission shop gets ok stuff from time to time). For 250 you could actually get into a pretty decent little rig if you sharp smart...................And right there is where i just turned into my dad. haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 If you're looking to get the most out of your remaining 250, it's in your best interest to scour craigslist, goodwill and any shop in your town that might have some hifi gear (Hell, even the local St Vincent's mission shop gets ok stuff from time to time). For 250 you could actually get into a pretty decent little rig if you sharp smart...................And right there is where i just turned into my dad. haha. This For 250 your money would definitely be better spent on used equipment but make sure you buy from somewhere you can take it back to if anything is wrong. Given the choice between active speakers and passive for me it's always a proper amplifier (not receiver which is an amplifier with a radio tuner built in) and passive speakers mostly for technical reasons but there are pros and cons to both. If you have a smallish room, sit close to your speakers, only use one source and don't mind leaning over to the speakers to adjust the volume or are in a studio environment with a pre stage and mixing desk before the active speakers then active speakers can work quite well but if not then an amplifier and passive speakers are better. Active speakers can be more convenient but as with pretty much everything in music convenient is generally a compromise in quality. The best advice is listen to what you are going to buy, there is good and bad in all types of hifi so the only thing to trust is your ears but generally you get what you pay for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Pee Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 The advantage of a receiver would be that you have greater control over the sound (you'll have volume and at least bass and treble control) and the ability to add more sources (and/or more speakers) in the future. It's usually the receiver or amp that is the 'heart' of the system as everything is connected to it. As mentioned above, with your budget look for used stuff. Craigslist/garage sales and thrift stores are great for this. look for something with a dedicated phono input as well. I know you don't necessarily need it with what you've got now, but there is a really good (really, really good) chance that the analog phono stage on a vintage receiver will sound better than the on-board, digital processor in a USB TT. Also, as you upgrade your TT, most don't have it built in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 I know you don't necessarily need it with what you've got now, but there is a really good (really, really good) chance that the analog phono stage on a vintage receiver will sound better than the on-board, digital processor in a USB TT. Also, as you upgrade your TT, most don't have it built in. I'd say there's a 99.95% chance of that, the on board phono stages and USB boards for that matter in all of these are just a little short of piss poor at best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tardcore Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 I'd say there's a 99.5% chance that the OP wandered off long ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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