2. analog
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Considering analog...but nervous

Well, I've been here before. Once again, I'm thinking of venturing into the Analog world, but before doing so, I wanted to pose a few questions to fellow agoners to make sure my head (ears?) are in the right place.

Some Background: My current setup consists of a Modwright Transporter, Musical Fidelity KW 500 (hybrid tube pre/SS Amp), and Focal/JM 1027be speakers. My entire current collection is digital and I have NEVER owned Vinyl before NOR have I ever heard a high-end Analog setup.

My Tastes/musical likes: I am all about soundstage and imaging. Vocal accuracy is hugely important and instrument placing (hence, imaging) are part of what I look for when listening. Genre wise, mostly rock, folk, acoustic and blues. Some jazz as well. I generally try to stick to labels that produce good-sounding material...not over-compressed garbage.

On with the questions:

1. One of the biggest things that has kept me from trying Vinyl thus far is the concern of excessive hiss and crackle/pop that vinyl is known for. Is it safe to assume that purchasing new Vinyl and played on a higher quality setup will reduce (eliminate?) the pops and crackle sounds? I have no problem purchasing exclusively new vinyl, knowing full well that the process of shopping used is what draws so many to this market...

2. If I purchase new vinyl, only play it on a decent player, and store it properly, will I still have to clean it? How expensive is a cleaning machine? Are there (reasonable), less expensive alternatives to a cleaning machine?

3. Based on my integrated (tube-pre,SS amp) and speakers, are these a good match for Vinyl? Does anyone know if the KW 500 Phono input is adequate for a good turntable? My digital system has a tendency to be on the bright side for a lot of material, but not everything. Strangly, even at 31 years old, I can still hear up to around 19Khz so I'm a bit picky about the highs...

4. How complicated is the setup of the TT? Being that I've never worked wtih it before, I'm somewhat intimidated by the "setup" requirements of the equipment. What are the core requirements/knowledge to properly setup a TT.

5. And finally, the most subjective question of all. If I had a budget of about $1,000-$1,500 for a TT, Tonearm and Cartridge, what would be a good starting place? I'd obviously be looking for used here from Agon.

I know this was a long post so thanks for hanging in and reading it all :-). Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

-gh0st
fatgh0st
amandarae
512 posts
 
You should know by now or at least have a notion that, after filtering all the bullshitters reply to your post, the post above by hotmailjbc sums it all:

education generally costs time and money. get a turntable and some records

Consider your $1500 a tuition fee. After the end of the course, you will not ask the same questions anymore and rely on people telling you what you can and what you cannot have.

Vinyl playback is simple, if you use your brain. You will see, it is not that difficult. Start with a decent system as the biggest mistake of some hobbyist like us who jumped into vinyl uninitiated was to buy a cheap table/arm and convinced themselves that it will perform magic.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

01-24-11: Stanwal
BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID! Don't get into anything you have reservations about. If you don't feel deep down that analogue is the superior medium and you can't do without it stay with digital.
My personal experience is the opposite. After growing up on analog, I listened to digital exclusively for 20 years--from 1987 to 2007. Then I bought a turntable from a yard sale for $2 and even with that, I heard a continuity and musicality I wasn't getting with digital through my multi-thousand-dollar rig. I took an SACD and LP of the same recording to a high end shop to give each format a fair shake. The LP sounded lush and full; the SACD threadbare. The next day I bought a decent turntable and didn't even listen to another digital source for 8 months.

What I'm saying is you never know until you try. Some people hear and feel the difference from the beginning. Some don't. If it speaks to you, the "bother" of analog--damping, aligning, cleaning, balancing, isolating, etc.--is simply part of forming a good relationship between you and the music. If it doesn't speak to you, it won't be worth the trouble. Nobody can answer whether analog will speak to you.

For many years I ignored analog because I didn't want to get sucked back into the fussy details. Once you invest some time and attention, for a good setup, it's not really a big deal. Now I can't imagine life without analog. Playing records is one of the things that gets me out of bed and makes me look forward to the day.
isochronism
2,893 posts
 
"Good things come to those who wait".... You obviously want one! Research your many options. Be patient, buy used, get the best you can afford, one that you even enjoy just looking at... let alone listening to. You'll have it for awhile! Don't spend much on any one record. Years ago I would spend 25-50 cents ea. Classical records would be given away. Just last week @ my local CD store, Among others, I got a few living stereo's & living presence's in excellent++ cond. 99 cents ea. My local good will type store, similar..but since I bought 15 records....75 cents ea. Now go get busy!!! Enjoy
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
If your gear and musical tastes aren't a recipe for analog, I don't know what is. Classic rock and especially acoustic or semi-acoustic music like jazz, folk, and blues just sing in the analog domain. For phono stages I'd start with the Musical Fidelity; it'll probably do, and may excel for your purposes. For $1500 I'd look at a Rega P5 with Rega Exact cartridge, the Marantz TT51 with supplied Clearaudio wood-bodied MM cart, or the Clearaudio Concept.

Cleaning isn't that big of a deal unless you're getting all your LPs from thrift shops or garages. I use a carbon fiber brush for a quick dust-off before each play, or a rolled up microfiber terry towel. Really, it's no big deal when you get used to it as part of your playing routine.
peterayer
1,382 posts
 
Go to your nearest dealer or a friend who spins vinyl and listen to Muddy Water's "Folk Singer" on LP. Then listen to it on CD. If you appreciate the difference, dip in your toes slowly and get educated as others have suggested. If you get hooked there will be no limit to how involved you decide to become.

And vinyl has only gotten better in the eight years since I returned to the format.
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