Turntable recommendations

[Steve1956]

Been rooting about in the roof space this afternoon and stumbled on my vinyl collection,just handling a LP trumps a CD everytime,sadly i looked at what i had to play them on and my heart sunk,i want to play my blue vinyl version of Pink Floyd's The Division Bell on something decent,can anyone recomend a decent turntable looked at a few today on ebay but not sure about them,the arms on a lot of them look very plasticky.

[aggi]

A project primary e is good at the lower end of the market. Bear in mind you may also need a phono stage depending on your amp.

[HunterST_BFC]

Budget?

What are you putting it through? Amp etc Phono Stage?

[Steve1956]

Budget?

What are you putting it through? Amp etc Phono Stage?

You tell me mate,i havnt got a clue,the last time i played a vinyl record i think it was a Dansette at my Dad's

[Steve1956]

Up to about £300 notes

[HunterST_BFC]

Up to about £300 notes

Just for the deck?

or for a system?

[Steve1956]

Just for the deck?

or for a system?

Something i put Pink Floyd on and the sound emanates ...as you can tell im not very clued up

[HunterST_BFC]

Something i put Pink Floyd on and the sound emanates ...as you can tell im not very clued up

OK - here is a reasonable starter system - decent brand - quite compact and does not look to bad either.

https://www.richersounds.com/hi-fi/turn ... akers.html

Also from above post by aggi..
I've had Project dect in the past and still use one (an old one) - All been great for the money.

Hope this helps.

[Steve1956]

OK - here is a reasonable starter system - decent brand - quite compact and does not look to bad either.

https://www.richersounds.com/hi-fi/turn ... akers.html

Also from above post by aggi..
I've had Project dect in the past and still use one (an old one) - All been great for the money.

Hope this helps.

Cheers buddy

[conyoviejo]

East Lancs railway .

[KateR]

my husband got a TEAC deck for Christmas 2018, the choice was really made because of not having wires around and the TV/Soundbar show no wires inside cabinets. It is Bluetooth, which he linked to the Bose soundbar and he has said it is great and meets all his needs for his record collection, it did not need an amp or anything etc. so was quick plug and play according to him. It is a very plain black look and it is on show in the room and looks fine with me, as that was part of the deal for him getting one outside of the cupboards.

Can't remember price but don't think above your budget but prices may have changed.

[dermotdermot]

Intrigued as to where the view through the turntable lid is?

[KateR]

Intrigued as to where the view through the turntable lid is?

Downtown Houston, Texas is beyond the strip mall/parking but some will try to tell you it's not

[California Colner]

Anywhere Westheimer

[Spijed]

Do Linn turntables make a big difference to the sound?

I presume you've have to get comparable speakers, stylus, amp etc. to get the moist of your system.

[Corky]

With all due respect to Hunter I can see why he has recommended the Teac system but if Steve1956 values his vinyl then DO NOT repeat DO NOT go for this. The inbuilt deck on top of the amp is practically worthless. I have a Teac LP-R500 CD recorder which has the same deck on top of it so you can record your vinyl onto blank CDs and it is very poor. So much so that I do not use it but have plugged in an old Rega deck into the Aux lead to bypass it. It will ruin your records.

I'm guessing you haven't got an amp or speakers so something like a Project Jukebox E Plug and Play may be what you are looking for.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Have a look at the pro-ject range at richer sounds

[upanatem]

You could do something quickly about this or you could take your time. Ask around family/friends to find someone knowledgeable about hi-fi, do research on the net, and with some good info you should be able to source a good-sounding system for a decent price.

Many moons ago I purchased a relatively inexpensive, but decent, separates system, and over time I have upgraded it slowly and methodically to what I have now, which I believe is superb-sounding. Most of my purchases have been second-hand, bought from eBay or mates who are also into hi-fi. I came across a guy on a hi-fi forum and we became great friends over time. Fortunately for me, he has forgotten more about hi-fi than I will ever know, and he has been tremendous in helping me improve my system over the years. He happens also to have a Phd in electronics.

But you'll need patience for this, and be prepared to do some research. You could try this site for starters: https://www.hifiwigwam.com/forum/

Remember that not everyone who posts on hi-fi forums knows what they are on about. The have their own biased opinions (as we all do). But many are very helpful. If you post on a hi-fi site, fully explain your circumstances – budget, what it is you want, expectations, what you already have, etc.

Good luck!

[DCWat]

Do Linn turntables make a big difference to the sound?

I presume you've have to get comparable speakers, stylus, amp etc. to get the moist of your system.

Ive heard music through an old Linn Sondek and the sound was brilliant. Not sure what amp / sound was used but it was very obviously an amazingly well put together bit of kit, but to alternate between speeds was a right farce.

It shows the quality of them, that a 1970’s bit of kit is still usable and can even be upgraded (at huge cost) to bring it fully up to date.

I looked on line and the latest one is around the 17k mark and that’s likely without adding improvements to it! God only knows how much an amp and speakers to make the most of the quality turntable would be.

I’m not an audiophile but the one thing that I always ensured when using trusty 1210’s was that the cartridge and styli were top quality - it makes a difference.

[Spijed]

Ive heard music through an old Linn Sondek and the sound was brilliant. Not sure what amp / sound was used but it was very obviously an amazingly well put together bit of kit, but to alternate between speeds was a right farce.

It shows the quality of them, that a 1970’s bit of kit is still usable and can even be upgraded (at huge cost) to bring it fully up to date.

I looked on line and the latest one is around the 17k mark and that’s likely without adding improvements to it! God only knows how much an amp and speakers to make the most of the quality turntable would be.

I’m not an audiophile but the one thing that I always ensured when using trusty 1210’s was that the cartridge and styli were top quality - it makes a difference.

I've still got a 3020e NAD amp which I still use

[Hipper]

As some have said, the big question is what you want to play it through.

If you have some sort of Hi-Fi system already, or perhaps a Home Audio Receiver (AVR) you should be able to play it through them. Some of these have a phono amp so you can plug a turntable directly into it. Others won't have and you need a separate box called a phono amp/stage, or buy a turntable with one. These methods will give you an analogue output without any digital conversions which something proponents of vinyl say they prefer (others argue there's no difference or in fact it is worse!).

If you have none of these you can get USB turntables that plug direct into a PC. The USB method will mean you end up with a digital conversion on the way to the analogue output. Then the sound quality will depend on the quality of your PC's sound card.

For the average person I would say the analogue/digital argument is not important.

You can put together a complete turntable Hi-Fi system with just a turntable, integrated amplifier (which should include a phono input) and speakers plus appropriate cables.

In the end you've got to decide if this tactile love of vinyl is just a passing fad or if the music on them is really enjoyable to you. If the former, why not just look at the albums while playing the CD. If you insist on playing the vinyl, how much are you willing to spend to do this? If you like the music you can copy it to digital via your PC and it can sound remarkably good (you need a turntable for this of course). There is software that can clean the sound up (remove scratches etc.). I did this for my vinyl albums I had which weren't on CD before I got rid of them.

Project turntables are generally well thought of. Some of the older makes like Dual, Technics, Pioneer etc. can still be good. Buying used though has a few pitfalls. Obviously needle damage is one; belt driven turntables can have a belt that's damaged:

https://worldofturntables.com/used-turn ... d-players/

[IanMcL]

If you want to spend dosh, there is an excellent company in Salisbury, who have a worldwide reputation. As good as any, British and world renowned is a good mix.

NAIM AUDIO

John Lewis stocks some gear from them.

[Paul Waine]

Been rooting about in the roof space this afternoon and stumbled on my vinyl collection,just handling a LP trumps a CD everytime,sadly i looked at what i had to play them on and my heart sunk,i want to play my blue vinyl version of Pink Floyd's The Division Bell on something decent,can anyone recomend a decent turntable looked at a few today on ebay but not sure about them,the arms on a lot of them look very plasticky.

I've promised my wife I'll get my vinyl LPs out of 2 boxes (I think) in our roof space. She's already passed me a box of cassettes - I didn't know I still had any cassettes! Most of my music collection has been CD for a long time (most still have to pass my test of first recording in the 60s...) and copied to iPod for travelling.

Advice I need is simple kit to digitalise any of the LPs/cassettes that I haven't already duplicated with CD versions (and sometimes I've found I've bought a new CD and when I've got home found I already had the same version).

I've got a 1990s mini component system - been gathering dust for getting on 20 years and I've promised to "recycle" sometime soon. CDs are played thru Marantz - when I'm not using iPod.

So, recommendations on simple way to digitalise (50) LPs and (16) cassettes (counted without allowing for duplicates, so possibly smaller number).

EDIT: I should add, lockdown is a great time for doing all those tidying jobs - and, sometime in the future we will be "downsizing....).

[Paul Waine]

Downtown Houston, Texas is beyond the strip mall/parking but some will try to tell you it's not

I've worked in some of those offices, over the years. First visited Houston 1990. Always gave me a "lift" when heading in from "George Bush Intercontinental" and Downtown skyline came into view.

[DCWat]

I've still got a 3020e NAD amp which I still use

Things were definitely built to last back then.

Build quality only comes at a huge price these days, sadly.

[Bertiebeehead]

Rega Planar 3, not cheap but very good.

[aggi]

I've promised my wife I'll get my vinyl LPs out of 2 boxes (I think) in our roof space. She's already passed me a box of cassettes - I didn't know I still had any cassettes! Most of my music collection has been CD for a long time (most still have to pass my test of first recording in the 60s...) and copied to iPod for travelling.

Advice I need is simple kit to digitalise any of the LPs/cassettes that I haven't already duplicated with CD versions (and sometimes I've found I've bought a new CD and when I've got home found I already had the same version).

I've got a 1990s mini component system - been gathering dust for getting on 20 years and I've promised to "recycle" sometime soon. CDs are played thru Marantz - when I'm not using iPod.

So, recommendations on simple way to digitalise (50) LPs and (16) cassettes (counted without allowing for duplicates, so possibly smaller number).

EDIT: I should add, lockdown is a great time for doing all those tidying jobs - and, sometime in the future we will be "downsizing....).

One thing I would say not to do is just buy one of those cheapo turntables with a USB output. They're not very good and it makes the procedure a bit pointless. You can get decent ones (Sony do one I think) but you're looking at £300+.

If it were me I'd get a decent turntable and a USB phono stage like this https://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co. ... ifier.aspx (I'd probably try and get them secondhand for price reasons).

Although actually, if it were me, I'd probably start off by just trying to download copies of them rather than go to the hassle of ripping them. This is the easy option unless you have some obscure stuff.

[Paul Waine]

One thing I would say not to do is just buy one of those cheapo turntables with a USB output. They're not very good and it makes the procedure a bit pointless. You can get decent ones (Sony do one I think) but you're looking at £300+.

If it were me I'd get a decent turntable and a USB phono stage like this https://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co. ... ifier.aspx (I'd probably try and get them secondhand for price reasons).

Although actually, if it were me, I'd probably start off by just trying to download copies of them rather than go to the hassle of ripping them. This is the easy option unless you have some obscure stuff.

Thanks, aggi. That sounds (see what I did there!) like good advice. There's a chance there are a few LPs that are "obscure" - though I think I ditched Ivor Cutler a long time ago.

Hm, scratch that; I've just googled Cutler and his stuff is still available, though he died in 2006. Yes, lowest cost is very likely just to buy those few CDs (duplicating LPs) that I haven't already got - assuming everything in the boxes are LPs I wanted to keep when I put them away. Ivor was my "buy something very different" stage. Sorry, Ivor, but you don't make my "forever music" collection.

So, next question...…. what's a good place to sell old LPs, now that vinyl is back in demand? (No need for answers to this question, just yet).

EDIT: Seven Oaks Sound and Vision looks to have some good stuff. Thanks for the link.

[DCWat]

If some are rare, it may be worth having a look online to get an idea of their value, before attempting to sell them.

There’s a decent market for vinyl, new shops popping up in towns and cities (or there were before the **** hit the fan) which may be good placed to sell, but as I say, best to try and establish a rough worth to ensure you don’t get ripped off.

Edit: this may be a good place to start, alongside various online specialist stores (some of which are on eBay)...

https://blog.discogs.com/en/vinyl-record-price-guide/

[Dyched]

I sold quite a few vinyl on ebay a few years back. Very easy to do and made decent money (more than what I’d get in a shop anyway).

If you go this route, be very honest about the condition of the vinyl and sleeve. Photograph any marks on both. Most importantly buy record stiffeners (or make your own, easy to do). Buy plastic sleeves and proper envelopes. All can be found on ebay and cost very little. Always take the record out of the sleeve too!!

[The Enclosure]

If you live locally go to Wikinsons in Nelson.they are the experts and will advise you on the best to suit your budget.They also sell second hand and they have a well equipped sound studio where you can listen before you buy.The guys are very clued up on hi fi.

[ashtonlongsider]

I have a Rega Planar turntable, had it for years. Never any problems and the only change I've made to it in 30 years or so is upgrade the cartridge. Now have a Nagaoka MP110. Not cheap but you get what you pay for. I can highly recommend, but depends on your budget, and what sort of use you'll get out of it. Also important to check your amp has a phono stage as a lot of modern equipment doesn't.

[KateR]

Just to update on previous, turntable is a:

Teac - TN-280BT - Stereo Turntable with Bluetooth - Black

This is Bluetooth only he says so you need Bluetooth speakers/headphone, no USB, no Amp required so it plays through the TV Soundbar speaker, sound is very good since I play my records also, both 33 & 45's Yet clearly not the type of thing if you have an all singing & dancing high end HiFi set up which we used to do decades ago. Someone mentioned Marantz and he matched those speakers to a system around the time of the Sony Walkman coming out, last weekend was spent loading lot's of CD's to the I-Pod, how times have changed

I used to go up Broadway Market virtually every Saturday and there was a stall selling numerous vinyl albums, our eldest bought a deck a few years ago, so getting used albums for him & her at birthdays and Christmas was very easy. Nearly every album we bought they had never heard of and some got rave reviews so it's fun in my opinion.

[dermotdermot]

For an entry turntable, I would go for the Rega against the Project. It may be a small matter to some but I never like the way the platter on the Project is smaller in diameter to that of the LP. If you really want to splash out though, you could spend around £5000 on a top of the range Michell turntable, around £32,000 on a SME Model 30/12 or a wacking great £460,000 on an AV Designhaus Derenville VPM 2010-1.

[KateR]

Anywhere Westheimer

I am on West Gray if you know the area but relatively easy stroll to Westheimer, probably right in the middle of Westheimer and Buffalo Bayou Park and walk to both.

[cricketfield73]

So, next question...…. what's a good place to sell old LPs, now that vinyl is back in demand? (No need for answers to this question, just yet). ;

If you're happy to spend a lot of time detailing and photographing your records, there's nowhere better than eBay for the volume of views. If you're looking for an easy option and to sell them as a lot then I'd certainly be interested in taking a look and I'm always happy to pay a very good price.
As for digitising, I'm doing 7 albums for a mate when I can find time to get round to it, I've bought a piece of kit to connect to my hifi set up, I'll let you know how I get on.

[California Colner]

I am on West Gray if you know the area but relatively easy stroll to Westheimer, probably right in the middle of Westheimer and Buffalo Bayou Park and walk to both.

I used to live near Richmond ave and Chimney Rock many years ago
Enjoyed my time there in Houston

[dermotdermot]

IMG_1714.JPG (28.37 KiB) Viewed 1973 times

After having great difficulty in doing so, I finally managed upload a picture of my turntable. It's a Michell Focus One fitted with an SME 3009 arm. The mat is made of suede. Lovely colour, eh?