Considering going Vinyl--Please talk me out of it


I'm standing here on the vinyl cliff,peering over the edge...I had a TT in the eighties & nineties, an AR with the Underground Sound mods by George Merrill from Memphis, TN. It got destroyed in a series of moves, and my vinyl disappeared. I have a perfectly good CD player(Denon 1650AR),EAD PM2000 amp & EAD Ovation plus prepro, & thiel 2.3's. I would need a phono preamp before I could run whatever TT I obsess over enough to buy, as the Ovation has no phono stage. Push me over, or save me! mb
michaeljbrown
Harder to roll a fat one on a CD jewel box versus a lp. There was a lot of proven research on the subject in the mid-70s. Sadly, it is a little foggy in my mind.

But seriously, CDs and MP3s work great if you are mobile, on the road commuting or airbourne as a road warrior. I am amazed I have my entire record collection fitting in a 80gig iPod which can stay with me EVERYWHERE. Newer CD players are able to dig out greater detail than before, and I expecially like the new players I hear out of the UK by Rega and Leema.

Records are great for casual listening around the home and there are some great deals on turntables. The Pro-ject 5.2 and Rega P1 and P3-24 match some of the best turntables from twenty years ago and can be had for a few hundred dollars. Quality in vinyl has never been great. Two records of the same title by artist rarely sound the same, so you have to be very careful when collecting used records. Be careful of newer releases. Reissues rarely match the original issues in master tape quality.
I'm stepping back from the precipice for awhile. Whew. That was close. You guys are fascinating. Thanks for the shared experience and excellent advice. I can't believe I generated such a long thread. I'll start another one when I fall off. thanks to all....mb
Oh come on, do it!

I was in a similar spot about 3 years ago. I bought a Scout, upgraded to a Scoutmaster and am now close to pulling the trigger on a Raven AC. I didn't "need" to upgrade beyond the Scout but I'm loving the tweeking and buying new and old records. It's been a blast and I don't regret any of it for a second. You don't have to spend a fortune if you don't want to. Good luck in your decision.
Viridian,
Well said.
Please come over for some serious intervention!

Happy Xmas! John Lennon
OK, I rested for awhile and then snapped and bought a modded AR AX from david at vinylnirvana.com. He's adding a Rega 250 arm and Ortofon OM 30 cartridge. Now I'll see if I can find some vinyl, and join you guys for awhile. Just like an alcoholic, right? A few beers won't hurt, just a couple...........