Septoplasty. I actually appreciate the resolution in mono, which is why I opted to keep it simple and keep stereo out of the mix. The other thing is that the Thorens tonearm is the weakest link and installing only a mono cartridge means that I don’t rely on the Thorens tonearm for azimuth alignment. |
millercarbon, very funny. Of course, eventually I’ll be able to buy a better vinyl setup than what I have now but that will be a little while. Yes, you’re most likely right but I still think that vinyl is overrated. |
Thanks to all so far. I might wait to see how much I’ll have to pay out of pocket for surgery before I post for sale. |
Thanks Russ,
My digital rig is so much better sounding than my vinyl. Better soundstage, outstanding separation and position of instruments, tight and musical bass, rolled off high ends, rich midrange, superior detail and all while sounding analogue. As far as selling my vinyl rig, this will be the first time selling audio equipment. The phono amp I could post somewhere online. The Thorens is a different matter because of the shipping concerns. Then there’s the issue of pricing. |
To All,
I need to clarify that the only cartridge being used with this table is the AT mono. I do not own one stereo record nor any type of stereo cartridge. So that is special in some ways but also limiting. A possible alternative is to finish the anatomical sculpture I’ve been working on, get it to my contracted gallery and see if they sell it. But as you might imagine, the chance of this happening is precarious.
I’d rather keep my vinyl equipment than sell it so I still need to do some soul searching on this topic. |
Yes, lewm, the limitations of my cartridge, lp's and tonearm leaves analogue at a great disadvantage. It makes since however to prefer my digital set up to my analogue set up given the inequity between the two.
The surgery isn't life threatening but it would help me breath easier while I'm sleeping. My insurance will only cover a part of the procedure hence the need for an additional $1,000.00. |
Just to clarify a bit, I would to some degree regret selling my table and phono amp. Additionally, I'm not comparing mono analogue to stereo digital, rather I'm saying that the quality of my digital front end is so good, that I might not miss playing vinyl all that much. I am limited based on the quality of tonearm, cartridge, etc... If I had the flagship ASR phono stage, a six thousand dollar table and a three thousand dollar cartridge, the competition between digital and analogue would be tighter. Would I prefer to have something versus not having something; that answer to that would likely always be yes. |
Someday in the future, I may have the possibility of picking up a nice reel to reel in order to play those $600.00 Analogue Production tape releases. By the way, who is manufacturing reel to reel tapes anymore? |
reubent, I came across the name goofyfoot by a joke that I had made to my friend that involved Desonex. Hard to explain exactly but my friend named his band Goofyfoot and they played at the old Sudsy Malones in Corryville. I grew up in Hartwell and went to SCAP downtown. Then eventually moved to the Clifton gaslight area and now live in Northside. Send me a private post and I’ll get back to you. |
reubent, yes I still live in Cincinnati, though I spent a lot of time while growing up in Mass. |
I grew up visiting and hearing performances at the College Conservatory of Music, which my paternal grandparents graduated from. The Tokyo String Quartet in residence, the Juilliard String Quartet, student and faculty recitals, etc... I’ve also spent many an evening at Music Hall listening to the CSO. Also, I lived in Paris and Koln and made use of the cultural advantages there. From my experience, no recorded music, despite the format, sounds like hearing music played and sung live. I will say however that with my stereo and a recently recorded cd, that I can experience a performance that will bring me closer to that live experience than I’ve ever experienced before from a recording. Hopefully, it will just keep on getting better. |
Sorry, Carmen McRae for those of you who care. |
A small private record shop in Paris had a Carmen McRay “Alfie” mono pressing on Mainstream records and they were asking 45 EUROS. I pain 8 dollars for my copy here in the states. I asked the owner why the price was so high and he mentioned that it was a hard to find title. |
It appears that I’m getting hammered on about not collecting more records than the two hundred that I own. In my defense, the vintage vinyl that I own, which typically dates from around 1957-ish are all in very good to pristine condition. I have some hard to acquire mono vinyl that still have vinyl shards around the edge from when they were cut. It is difficult to grow a collection under these standards. I do own new vinyl reissues from labels like Analogphonic, Speakers Corner, etc... and while these are new and sealed when bought, more often than not, a vintage copy is all that’s available. I have the same standards whenever I purchase 7 inch 45 rpm’s. So yes, I don’t own two thousand records but where it comes to finding difficult, vintage, pristine vinyl, I think I have a respectable collection. That being said, I’m pretty sure that I’ll keep my collection and possibly the Thorens but sell my ASR phono preamp. When my trust fund kicks in, I’ll shop for the high end ASR phono pre amp and I’ll add a nice tonearm and mono cartridge to the Thorens. I’m just wondering how low I will have to go in order to move the phono stage. |
Most of what I listen to are recent classical recordings or remastered classical recordings. I would say that 95 percent of classical releases today are in digital format. I doubt that vinyl will gain traction in that genre. If I do listen to popular remastered reissues like MOFI, then I still prefer the digital release over the vinyl. But I doubt there are many art/classical music fans who purchase more vinyl than cd’s unless they are nostalgic for recordings from the 1980’s or earlier. Plus, the quality of most classical recordings from today are phenomenal. If I were to choose popular music and jazz as my primary focus, then vinyl would be more prioritized but it doesn’t make sense to focus on vinyl if nothing ever gets released that way.
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Those audiophiles who say they opt for vinyl over cd’s are not making classical music the core of their record collection. Choosing a Faces record from 1971 rather than a cd is an incomparable comparison to collecting the classical music repertoire recorded in 2021. |
I can check but classical titles are rarely all that valuable unless it’s a Johanna Martzy or something like that. The other problem would be selling that rare LP that’s worth $2,000.00. A record to me is only worth a lot if I’m able to sell it. Personally, if I were looking for a rare and valuable vinyl pressing in pristine condition, I’d look for a reissue from the Electric Recording Company. I know that many people really prefer an original but ERC is where I’d turn and they’ve reissued those $2,000.00 Johanna Martzy records. I’m obviously not in this hobby for the money so my thought is that if I were able to sell my phono amp, it would be at a noticeable loss. |
Anyway, I’m trying to find a way where I can come up with the extra money without selling anything. My power amp has been at the tech now for three months so once I get that back, I’ll probably reacquire my appreciation for playing vinyl. |
The thing about my vinyl collection is that it's very unlikely the majority of my pressings have ever been reissued. A lot of mono Archiv Produktions from the 1950's so getting rid of them would mean never hearing them again. They're not worth a lot but they're rare, especially in excellent condition. |
reubent, if you process the entirety of what I said, my comment was reflective on the point that 95% of new classical recordings are in a digital format. I'm sure that you have friends who love classical and collect classical vinyl but they are collecting vinyl from the 1980's and earlier with some exceptions. If recordings are only offered in the cd or digital file format and you insist on only purchasing vinyl, then you're not collecting newer classical recordings. As I said, there are a few exceptions where a classical label might release a recording as both a cd and as a vinyl lp but it's exceptionally rare. Additionally, some companies will remix and reissue vinyl but those recordings were made decades ago. Aside from that, go to the ArkivMusic website and see just how many cd releases are offered as compared to how many vinyl releases are offered. |
Thanks to all for the kind words. |
ghdprentice,
I understand your situation and I’m glad your experiences are as such. I could not come within a fraction of what you’ve invested in your analogue gear. My total investment where it pertains to equipment, including tweaks, cables, etc..is about $55,000.00 retail. If I were to spend $30,000.00 on a table, cartridge, phono stage, etc...then yes, my analogue rig could outshine my digital source in most situations with one clear exception, newer recordings. When I buy a new cd, the likely-hood that it’s available in any other format is about zero.
Currently, my cartridge is a mono MC cartridge and my record collection dates from that golden age mono period of the mid to later 1950’s. I prefer the denser resolution of mono to stereo vinyl and this also allows me to focus on the more arcane, older pressings that most other collectors don’t own nor even know about. With $30,000.00, I’d buy a table with multiple tonearms and both stereo and mono cartridges but I would still be selective to insure that I’m getting the most from budget.
Anyway, my current digital front end is excellent and when I play a quality, recently recorded file, I’m not left wanting for anything else. So at this point, the question is whether or not I’d miss not having my table or phono amp and the answer to that is that I’m still not sure. Of course, I would rather have than not have. Maybe I’m just materialistic but that rule pretty much applies to anything I hold valuable. Would I rather have a German dictionary than not; yes, I’d rather have the dictionary. But I was recently told by my doctor to get an exam regarding surgery to correct a deviated septum and if I can’t afford the surgery without selling my gear, then unfortunately I may have to sell. My exam is this Friday. |
Eventually I will invest (inheritance) in a better analogue rig. The ASR Basis Exclusive phono stage is on my radar. Maybe a top off the line VPI from Audio Classics. I do like the Tri Planar tonearms but not sure what tables they fit well with. The Lyra cartridges are a solid choice. But it's all speculative at this point. Really hope I can find a way to keep what I've got. |
Not getting the surgery, too many risks. |
