Any audiophiles around here?
Printed From: denimbro
Category: Denimbro
Forum Name: Life aside from denim
Forum Description: incidental
URL: http://www.denimbro.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=485
Printed Date: 26 Mar 2026 at 3:55pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Any audiophiles around here?
Posted By: Shorty Long
Subject: Any audiophiles around here?
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 7:19am
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My crappy Sony turntable finally passed away and I'm looking to upgrade. However, money IS an object, and I'm not a full-fledged audiophile myself. I just want something quality. Also, aside from a turntable, what else do I need? Speakers obviously, but what's all this stuff about tuners, amps, preamps, etc? |
Replies:
Posted By: Bob Dale
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 7:44am
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(I am not an audiophile)
Best buy sells (I believe) Pioneer and Sony direct drive (no belt) turntables for about 100$. You'll need a receiver and speakers though. -or-
you could pick one up at an estate/garage/junk sale and pay a guy to fix for 30-100$ (depending on how nice a needle/belts you want) this is the experience I've had, but I am sure there are many here who know a lot more than I do on the matter. |
Posted By: Mr Black
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 7:49am
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Im also no audiophile but all you'll need, other than the turntable is a basic integrated amplifier & speakers. As bob suggests, you can probably pick up something decent enough at a boot sale or local 2nd hand music store (if you have one) ------------- www.sidewinderapparel.co.uk |
Posted By: Happy Hooligan
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 8:41am
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I'd suggest you pick up some used equipment. It's better made in my opion and more "Audiophile" than something new. I personally use an old Techniques Stereo Amp and a Techniques turntable. Both used. You're main issue is the needle you use. The better the needle the better the sound. ------------- http://www.MachineCollector.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.MachineCollector.com http://www.DAEdenim.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.DAEdenim.com |
Posted By: Shorty Long
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 9:08am
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thanks for the insight. any online sources for used stuff? i'm in the sticks...not many local sources for equipment or repair
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Posted By: Happy Hooligan
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 10:24am
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always try ebay, but buying electronics on there is a 50/50 thing. ------------- http://www.MachineCollector.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.MachineCollector.com http://www.DAEdenim.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.DAEdenim.com |
Posted By: killer b
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 10:31am
| you don't want to be an audiophile. all the audiophiles i've ever met have wasted thousands of pounds on worthless equipment, and loved phil collins. |
Posted By: Rivet Head
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 10:39am
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Does that mean you like to have sex with records? ------------- www.rivet-head.blogspot.com |
Posted By: Lordofward8
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 11:22am
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I own the TDK Life of Record turntable and very, very happy with it. Belt drive, great response, with a built in pre-amp (so you don't need amplifier.) and it usb vinyl to mp3 capabilities. All you need to hook it up is a "Y" left and right to 3.5 (headphone jack). AND looks amazing.
http://www.tdkperformance.com/en-us/Home-Audio/Turntables/Belt-Drive-Turntable/ |
Posted By: Joseph Hill
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 12:46pm
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An audiophile will tell you it's a stylus and not a needle. Needles were clamped onto the acoustic reproducer head i.e. Victrola, Edison Talking Machine, Gramaphone (though they may also technically be referred to as a stylus). Electronic reproducers utilize a burr (either steel or preferably synthetic sapphire) on the flank of a reaction arm attached to a transducer (mono), or both a horizontal and vertical transducer (stereo), hence not a needle. I am not an audiophile. Merely a flaming dork.
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Posted By: Happy Hooligan
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 12:56pm
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I also refer to the remote control as, "The Clicker" I am not an audiophile, but I do enjoy my records. ------------- http://www.MachineCollector.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.MachineCollector.com http://www.DAEdenim.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.DAEdenim.com |
Posted By: rustbucket
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 1:44pm
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Look for a vintage turntable ('70s / '80s) in good shape, possibly one that has been reserviced or rebuild by someone knowledgeable, with a quality element, f.i. Ortofon. German made Thorens are legendary, but some other brands that made quality tuntables are Technics, Dual, CEC. |
Posted By: Bob Dale
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 2:39pm
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A friend gave me his Technics which he bought for 20$ from our high school music department. A number of friends have found theirs the same way -- you might call around to some of the local districts and see if they don't have any which aren't being used. I know that the elementary school I attended in 1st grade had at least 2-3 in each class room and the PE department had a TON (like 100s) of line dance calls on vinyl. I am sure they got thrown away or sold at auction for pennies on the dollar. I would imagine smaller colleges/universities would have great stuff as well. (side note : anytime there is a school auction in your area , GO! ) |
Posted By: Ishmael
Date Posted: 19 Dec 2013 at 3:55pm
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Certainly not an audiophile, but I used the opportunity of purchasing a home to try and set up my first system. Zu Omen speakers Triode Japan 300B SET tube amp Denon DP 300F turntable...all acquired second hand As you can tell by the sparseness of the apt and the sound of "Wagon Wheels", we're still in the process of moving in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e3qtV1zWFA" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e3qtV1zWFA |
Posted By: rotten03
Date Posted: 25 Dec 2013 at 11:53pm
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I'd go with this one. Looks good. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57614778-47/u-turn-orbit-an-audiophile-quality-turntable-for-$179/" rel="nofollow - Orbit |
Posted By: Shorty Long
Date Posted: 26 Dec 2013 at 4:21am
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Funny you mention orbit. I placed my order back in Aug...still waiting for my turntable
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rotten03 wrote:Posted By: Denimetc
Date Posted: 26 Dec 2013 at 12:30pm
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In my experience two things are worth investing in: 1) good quality stylus 2) a preamplifier I got back into listening my vinyls couple of years ago and bought a CambridgeAudio preamplifier (it goes between your turnatable and regular amp) and it made a huge difference in sound quality. It was well worth the 110€ investment. I've bought maybe 8-10 new vinyls this year - mostly from concerts. ------------- Too much Denim - too little time... |
Posted By: Lucky7
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2014 at 2:18am
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Hi, I still had all my my vinyl from when I got into music in the 70s and 80s so while I had a brief spell without a turntable I soon bought another. Funds allowed me to purchase a Nottingham Anologue Space deck and it's not a purchase I have ever regretted. It's teamed up with an Arcam amp, power amp and some mission floorstanding speakers. If budget is tight I'd suggest looking at Pro-ject or Raga for a turntable and definitely consider second hand. The amp I have is an Arcam Alpha 8 it has a phono stage and is more than capable, again these come up on the bay quite often and are a sound buy. I mostly listen to new wave, punk etc and seek out vinyl on 180g maybe buying a couple of albums a year. |
Posted By: Cinch
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2014 at 6:08pm
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I've always looked for a detailed warm acoustic sound and "value" in what I spend. Most audiophiles I meet get so caught up in specs that "should" make music sound better, but doesn't always deliver. I've probably received more enjoyment from a basic Jolida tube amp and Magnaplaner speakers than most guys with systems costing 10X as much. I'm a firm believer that spending more doesn't mean sounding better. That being said, if you want to get into vinyl, follow the advice of many here and get a nice, clean used Technics turntable. Be prepared to invest another $50 or so in a brand new cartridge. You will get better sound and it will keep your records in much better condition. If you can afford it, go for a Rega 1. New or used. It is probably the best entry level audiophile TT in the world. And you can purchase upgrades if your ear and wallet allow.
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Posted By: Cinch
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2014 at 7:32pm
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Funny that Orbit was mentioned. I just heard about it from my used record shop. The owner, who also ownes several turntables, said he got one through their Kickstarter and really likes it. If your amp does not have a dedicated PHONO input then you will need to buy a phono preamp. Most basic amps have inexpensive phone stages or preamps built in. A quality preamp can add a lot of sonic quality and enjoyment. Cambridge Audio offers one for $139. If you are on a budget Radio Shack has a basic for $35 but in this case you get what you pay for. The good news is that quality components can be resold. If you buy them right you should be able to recover a lot of your investment if you decide to sell and upgrade. |
Posted By: ranonranonarat
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 8:12am
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im looking to pick up a set of speakers for a good friend of mine who hasn't bought a turntable yet but eventually has plans on getting one. i'm looking to kickstart it so that she eventually gets around to it. i'm no audiophile so i was just wondering if there is anything i should be looking out for when picking up speakers? the whole audiophile scene seems very technical and a bit daunting for someone with not much experience in the field. ------------- faithless, the wonderboy |
Posted By: Cinch
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 9:53am
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This retailer has a good beginners overview of Turntables, phono preamps, etc. It will get you up to speed on the lingo. http://turntablelab.com/pages/beginners-guide-to-turntables
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Posted By: ranonranonarat
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 7:04pm
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appreciate the resource! thanks! ------------- faithless, the wonderboy |
Posted By: Ishmael
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 7:17pm
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Check out the Zu Omen Dirty Weekend speakers. |
Posted By: ranonranonarat
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2014 at 9:04pm
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thanks for the recommendation Ishmael, although i didn't pick those up i managed to grab a pair of cheap mordaunt short's ms10i for a steal.
i was so impressed with things that i got into this myself. picked up a used toshiba sb420 amp and some made in usa vintage JBL's locally. at the same time, i picked up a brand new music hall mmf 2.2 to start off even though there are possibly better used options around at the same price. i just didn't want to get my fingers burnt picking up a dud since im not experienced enough to know what to look out for.
been trawling discogs and ebay a lot for used records. any other recommendations on where i can pick up used stuff online?
------------- faithless, the wonderboy |
Posted By: Cinch
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2014 at 9:50pm
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I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so there are a lot of used record stores around as well as flea markets and record swap events. I've been having a blast going through bins and finding old Blue Note jazz albums from the 50's and early 60's. I'm also finding very cool European issues of 50's music by Jimmy Write and Roy Milton from the 40's. I also go for quirky genres like Marimbas Mexicanas, perfect for drinking Margaritas. Right now I have Albert King playing Born Under a Bad Sign. Quality 50's and early 60's blues is probably the hardest to find.
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Posted By: Double 0 Soul
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2014 at 1:39am
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When i moved out from my folks house at 18 into a rented flat i was dirt
poor, 2 years into a 6 year apprenticeship my earnings were pitiful to
say the least after paying my rent and bills i had less than £20 for the
week. I used to live on a diet of tinned new potatoes or toast so at an age when
you live for music buying a CD was way down the list of my necessities.
Next door to the toast and potato shop was a charity shop with cases full of vinyl that nobody wanted from the 40,s and 50,s Louis Jordan, Fats Waller, Blue Note ect most for 10p so for £1 i could get 10 (a CD was £10 back then and i didn't even own a CD player.) I still listen to those records today and thanks to killerb hooking me up with Offliberty i now have all the discontinued records in itunes. |
Posted By: Duke
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 2:46am
I’m not an audiophile but these are supposed to be audiophile quality - and regardless of how little I know about this field I do know they are the best sounding ‘headphones’ (apparently they are IEMs) I have ever tried or used ------------- I don't swim. I can swim. I just don't have much cause to do so in the normal run of things. |