Looking up your integrated amplifier I see you can use it as an amp only and run a separate preamplifier. I also wanted to add some analog natural to my system (Parasound P6 preamp and Bryston 4b3 amp) and switched to an upgraded tube preamp, the Primaluna Evo 400. I don’t know your budget, but you could obviously spend more or less on a tube preamp and countinue to stream or play your cds without the expense (and hassle) of vinyl . I think vinyl is great, but assuming you get a decent turntable and love the sound, think how agonizing it will be when you want an album you love to sound it’s best (on your system) and have to decide whether or not you want to spend the money to buy the lp?
Possible purchase of the first turntable
Good morning everyone,
I have the following systems:
Source: Marantz SACD 30n
Amp: Arcam FMJ A32
Speakers: Self-built
The Marantz SACD 30n player, I bought it recently as an upgrade from an old Marantz NA8005 player.
When lately I did various listens between speakers and amplifiers, I noticed as I already knew that as the price goes up, the improvements start to feel exponentially less and less.
I think now that we have reached a point where spending double or triple to feel differences happens to change not a single component but at least two, this means that by now there are obvious bottlenecks.
I am convinced that in my case the bottlenecks are 3:
1) Listening environment not acoustically treated and location of speakers with tradeoffs although acceptable
2) Digital masters are sometimes of lower quality than analog vinyl (or vice versa)
3) Digital sound despite its superiority, lacks that touch of naturalness that distinguishes analog. There is no real winner
Even spending several tens of thousands of euros, there would always be these trade-offs that alone would make it almost pointless to even spend crazy figures.
Then I thought a theoretically crazy thing:
Why do I necessarily have to choose between owning digital and analog ? Can't you have both?
Making some rough estimates, a figure came out not recently that may not be enough.
The basic idea is to have two sources: a digital (like my Marantz SACD 30n of which I am very satisfied) and an analogue not of inferior quality but equivalent, to be used in a complementary way and not in replacement.
To the cost of the analog source I should also add the purchase of discs since I practically do not have and therefore at least fifty should buy them as a minimum.
To try to equalize in qualitative terms Marantz thought of something like:
//
Turntables: Technics SL-1300G
Cartridge: Nagaoka MP-500
Pre-Phono: Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL
//
To save money, I'll buy it at the used market, but one piece at a time when I get the right opportunity, I'm not in a hurry.
But I have some doubts that a source of this type can not compete with the Marantz SACD 30n that costs 3000 Euros and has a sound very close to a vinyl, even being digital.
The last time I listened to a vinyl was over 30 years ago was the famous Technics SL-1200 of that era, so I do not know how much it takes economically to have an analog source of a certain level to human figures.
The question is: is it right for me to go this way ? or not because to get what I'm looking for I should spend more and not less ?
What do you think ?
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@marco777 you just took us all on a self examination of our opinions of vinyl and records, and then concluded it’s not for you. Kinda funny. I digress here a lot, but this thread made me ask this question: why do some people like listening to vinyl records over digital files? Here is what I came up with in a search: 1. Some people think it sounds better 2. Some people grew up with vinyl and are nostalgic for the format 3. Some people are collectors 4. Some people like the experience of handling media and enjoy the 12 inch format, liner notes, photos and artwork 5. Some people are drawn to modern vinyl record culture, small labels, self production 6. Some people are intentional Luddites 7. Some younger people are embracing vintage culture 8. Some people are into rituals and getting up every 10-20 minutes to flip a record IS the attraction 9. You own your content (same for CDs) And why to some people prefer streaming? 1. Available content/easy access 2. Cheap 3. No scratches 4. Convenience 5. Improving quality 6. Playlists 7. Simplicity 8. It is the latest technology I grew up with vinyl records in my house and had a functioning turntable till my toddler daughter’s visiting friend trashed the stylus and I put it away for a decade and survived on a steady diet of CDs. After that break I resurrected my table and have been listening to vinyl again with different systems for the last 20 years. I actively curate my record collection which has been joined by select pressings from at least five different family members who have opted out, and I buy an even split of new vinyl and hires files and the occasional used CD for $5 bucks. All my CDs have been ripped to files and I find that I slightly prefer listening to files (any resolution) from local storage or vinyl to streaming. And for some things, like drums and piano for example, I usually prefer analog reproduction. If I didn’t already have analog gear and records now, would I go down this road? I don’t know. My son in his late 30s has a better system than I do including a proper analog front end. He has a fairly large vinyl collection and I would guess listens to streaming and vinyl at a ratio of 80:20 respectively. My daughter now has toddlers of her own and my son and I set her and her family up with a respectable streaming/vinyl system, and I bet she rarely plays records. Turns out I like to fiddle with things, and there is noting in this hobby as fiddly as vinyl records, a turntable, a cartridge and a tube phono preamp. And sometimes it all comes together and sounds fantastic. You pays your money and you makes your choices. kn |
@marco777 Why do you consider getting into vinyl? - Just to try something new? Then keep it cheap/simple. Many $/E500–1000 decks like uturn can get you a taste of the experience. - Better SQ? "Better" is a loaded term. It will be different, and you may like the difference or you may not. Only experience can tell you. - Nostalgia? Start cheap to see whether that nostalgia is holding up. -> Whatever then reason, keep it cheap and very affordable, at a level where you will not loose any sleep if it a complete failure. Like trying a caffè or a biscotti at a different place. Based on pure Baysian prior probability, if you are not sure, it is unlikely you will like the experience/trouble. If you go ahead and try it, identify the areas you like and dislike. Then adjust accordingly. If you like the physicality of the medium, great. But if inconvenience of getting up is driving you crazy, there is nothing that will help with it. If Sound quality is not ideal, then upgrade in gear may address that. If looking for records is fun, enjoy; if you find it a PITA, then there is no point. |
I took a break from vinyl a few years ago, for basically the same reason Knowknothing did... my kids snapped off the cantilever of my cartridge. Fortunately I kept my records so when I bought a new table in '22 I was off to a good start. I was going to do some upgrades on my table but I ended up trading it up for a Sota a few models up the line I like the ritual, finding used LPs , occasionally buying a new one. I agree with what others say about the "loudness wars" it's the reason I prefer the LP over the CD in many cases. The problem with "cheap" entry into vinyl is that good players aren't cheap. Same with cartridges. A cheap player could spoil what could be a good experience.
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- 33 posts total