melikecheese Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I've been buying old stereo receivers and turntables for awhile now and I really don't think anyone who has a budget should buy all new stuff. The older stuff looks better, tends to be more powerful, and often times sounds just as good. The best investment I made in the last year was a big fat Kenwood GE-1000 12 band EQ. The ability to tweak the sound made a huge difference, and that points stays true with any of the 5 receivers I have had it hooked into. No need to buy a $400 turntable to get better highs. It can take some time, but at this point in time all my stereo pieces cost me the following: Technics recevier / amp = $10 (thrift store, perfect condition, all works. 50W per channel w/ quartz tuner) Turntable = $5 (Garage sale, vintage Fisher) Speakers - Sony 3-way floor speakers, 5 feet tall = $6 (Garage sale, all in perfect condition) EQ = $50. (eBay land) Then I have a stack of amps I paid as little as $2 for (a sweet Denon A/V) up to $20 (Nikko NR-1000 65W per channel sexy beast). I trade receivers for records, I works out well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickydenim Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I started my foray into vinyl 2 years ago with a Sherwood PM-9805. I upgraded the stock cartridge to an Ortofon 2M Red pretty early in. I'm running it through a Cambridge audio phono preamp (640p) and then into my Onkyo 807 avr. Been pretty happy with the quality so far. I was thinking of upgrading the deck to the Rega RP-1 and been doing a bit of reading on it. Do you think I would get some noticable improvement on this deck and cartridge? I am a pretty picky person and the Sherwood definitely has some pitch/timing issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 anyone have any suggestions on portable record players? i'm moving to go to college soon and wont have room to take my current set up with me, i am wanting something small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_Boring_Story Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Hi guys, I bought a Crosley table about a week ago, and a part just broke. Now the records sound warped and horrid. Anyone know if this happens often, or if Crosley is known to be bad quality? It's my first table and I know pretty much nothing about players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faceghost Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Hi guys, I bought a Crosley table about a week ago, and a part just broke. Now the records sound warped and horrid. Anyone know if this happens often, or if Crosley is known to be bad quality? It's my first table and I know pretty much nothing about players. I had a similar problem. My first player was a Crosley and it was shit from the beginning, records sounded faster than what they should and the cover part was broken. Crosley's suck. I want a turntable too but also know nothing about them or what is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillho Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 anyone have any suggestions on portable record players? i'm moving to go to college soon and wont have room to take my current set up with me, i am wanting something small. here are a few options: http://www.needledoctor.com/Ion-IPT-USB-Portable-USB-Turntable?sc=2&category=43 http://www.amazon.com/Numark-PT-01USB-Portable-USB-Turntable/dp/B004M1MHMM and if you dare: http://www.amazon.com/Crosley-CR6002A-RE-Revolution-Portable-Turntable/dp/B004FK004M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nashuo Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 hey ThrillHo, I see you talk a lot of smack about ION USB turntables in this thread - probably for good reason. which brings me to this: I just started my vinyl collection on record store day this year (Omar Rodriguez Lopez's Telesterion was my first purchase, couldn't help myself), and I've been using a hand-me-down ION Profile LP USB turntable. my roommate "upgraded" and blessed me with the Profile LP :-/ I'M GRATEFUL THO, DON'T GET ME WRONG I'm into music production, so luckily I've already got a couple sweet monitors, which are hooked into an apogee duet. I plug the RCA outs of the iON straight into the duet (via RCA>1/4" adapters, came with the Duet), audio is fed into/captured with Propellerhead's Reason/Record software, which is sent out to the monitors. the ground noise and pops of the iON table going through my system is extremely noticeable, more so on quieter records. but my ultimate question for you is... is the needle on the iON so terrible that it may have damaged my records permanently?? I hope not :-[ I should mention that I'm using a new needle that I bought off amazon. (the stock needle for crappo iON Profile LP's) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_Boring_Story Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Can anyone honestly recommend this table? If not, anyone have a good starter table that'll be a step up from a shitty Crosley? http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATLP120-Professional-Turntable-USB/dp/B002S1CJ2Q/ref=pd_cp_e_1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillho Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Well I don't think it's so much smack as it is differentiating between lower and higher end tables. regarding your ground noise problem, I had the same sort of problem, not exact, but I found that it was more an issue with the wires and connectors than the record. as for the needle question, spinning your records on a table with a bad needle will not destroy or alter the sound quickly, from what I have read, it takes a long time with the same (read: un-replaced) crappy cartridge. I used to have one of those shitty combo players with a bad needle, I used it for about 2-3 years when i first began collecting, and I notice no reduction in sound or quality on my older records when played on my current b&o table. overall, it's not terrible to use the ion needles, you just don't want to use them forever. if you care about the long term care and wear of your collections, just try to save up for quality products, but don't be ashamed to use what you have to in the mean time. records are meant to be played, so play them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madtired Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Can anyone honestly recommend this table?If not, anyone have a good starter table that'll be a step up from a shitty Crosley? http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATLP120-Professional-Turntable-USB/dp/B002S1CJ2Q/ref=pd_cp_e_1 found this link on usb turntable info: http://www.knowzy.com/Computers/Audio/Digitize_Your_LPs/USB_Record_Player_Turntable_Comparison.htm Haven't used a Stanton in a while but I saw a TT55usb on ebay for $165 w/free shipping. I think there is a cheaper model if the USB is not that important.. Numark TTX would be a real good option as well (w/no USB). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nashuo Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Thank you for your words, ThrillHo. I'm reassured enough now that I will continue to spin my precious albums on a not so precious table! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I just skimmed through that turntable "buying guide" and it is so full of misinformation and complete nonsense that my head started to hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickydenim Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I've decided to get the Rega RP-1 but I can't decide on color! Opinions? There is the cool grey that looks black, titanium and white. Kinda leaning to white but I don't know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tattoomike Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I've decided to get the Rega RP-1 but I can't decide on color! Opinions? There is the cool grey that looks black, titanium and white. Kinda leaning to white but I don't know! Keep in mind that it's a flat white on the Rega. I also was leaning towards the RP1 (the gray) based on recommendations as an upgrade over my old Sony. I ended up getting the Pro-Ject Debut III only because Insound had a nice sale on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickydenim Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I've decided to get the Rega RP-1 but I can't decide on color! Opinions? There is the cool grey that looks black, titanium and white. Kinda leaning to white but I don't know! Keep in mind that it's a flat white on the Rega. I also was leaning towards the RP1 (the gray) based on recommendations as an upgrade over my old Sony. I ended up getting the Pro-Ject Debut III only because Insound had a nice sale on them. What do you mean by flat white? Like you can't see the wood-grain like the others? Heard great things about the Debut III too. I read a strange thing today. People were saying to place a CD under the mat and then put your record on and then weight/clamp. I tried it but it lifted the record off the mat towards the outer grooves. That can't be good yeah? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I read a strange thing today. People were saying to place a CD under the mat and then put your record on and then weight/clamp. I tried it but it lifted the record off the mat towards the outer grooves. That can't be good yeah? Definitely not. The clamp is used to maximize the contact between the record and the platter to minimize vibrations/resonance. Placing a CD under it counters this effect, so I see no reason why anybody would want to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duranimal Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Hi everyone, I have had a small vinyl collection for some time, but only recently decided to purchase a player and start listening to my records. Because of my budget and inexperience, I bought a used Technics SL-23 on eBay. It was very cost effective, but when i plugged in my speakers I found a big problem. I've been looking through this thread and found the reason why (or at least I believe I have): using the aux setting on your speakers isn't the correct way to use your turntable. So, my question (and maybe I have missed the answer on this thread) is does anyone have any suggestions/instructions on what i need to be looking for when i go out to buy some speakers? What should I avoid? And what specifically will my speakers need? Your help will be greatly appreciated, even if it's to point out that I've made a huge mistake and need to start over. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tattoomike Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 What do you mean by flat white? Like you can't see the wood-grain like the others? Heard great things about the Debut III too. Was just saying that color is a flat white, not glossy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lungfutang Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Looking for some minor advice. Birthday is coming up in a week, and i'm planning on purchasing a lot higher quality record player than the shitty Crosley CR49 i have now. Am looking to spend up to $500. Would really like a player that has an automatic arm and that i can hook up to my external speakers. Any recommendations? Many thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Pro-Ject RPM1.3 is $500 and worth every penny. Don't worry about automatic arms, those are stupid and eventually break. Simplicity is key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Looking for some minor advice. Birthday is coming up in a week, and i'm planning on purchasing a lot higher quality record player than the shitty Crosley CR49 i have now. Am looking to spend up to $500. Would really like a player that has an automatic arm and that i can hook up to my external speakers. Any recommendations? Many thanks in advance! What kind of speakers do you have? Are you looking for a brand new turntable, or are you willing to buy something used? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewc Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Plug the turntable directly into speakers? I assume they are powered speakers (have a built in amp, like PC speakers or some studio monitors). You'd need to buy at least a pre-amp, as most decent turntables don't come with built in pre-amps (there are some exceptions, and some really cheap IONs come with built in pre-amps). Turntables don't output at line level, so you need the preamp to boost the signal. Also, due to the way full bass would take up groove space, records are mastered with a certain EQ curve (RIAA) to cut down on that, and you need a specific phono preamp in order to correct the EQ. So the short of it, you shouldn't plug a turntable directly into speakers, unless it has a built in pre-amp (and I can't think of any entry level audiophile turntables in your pricerange that have built in pre-amp). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lungfutang Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Will definitely look into the Pro-Ject RPM1.3. Just trying to get an idea as to what's out there. Speaker wise, i have two giant towers that each have a built in amp (can't think of the brand right now). What exactly does a pre-amp entail (and how much does one cost)? Also, don't really care if it's used or new... just looking for better sound quality, and something I know won't fall apart on me after years of use. Thanks for the comments so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewc Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 phono preamps can be as small as a little box, or as big as a stereo component with tubes coming out of the top. They can be $20-$$$$. You could start off with something like this for $20: http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-PP400-Ultra-Compact-Phono-Preamp/dp/B000H2BC4E/ref=cm_srch_tsr_rtr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickydenim Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Will definitely look into the Pro-Ject RPM1.3. Just trying to get an idea as to what's out there. Speaker wise, i have two giant towers that each have a built in amp (can't think of the brand right now). What exactly does a pre-amp entail (and how much does one cost)? Also, don't really care if it's used or new... just looking for better sound quality, and something I know won't fall apart on me after years of use. Thanks for the comments so far! A decent preamp to look at is the Cambridge Audio 640p. It powers both MM and MC cartridges and has a flat response. Very quiet unit too. I run my TT into this and then output to my Onkyo 807 receiver and it sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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