Pros and cons of turntables?
 

It's been a while since I visited the lounge. This time I'm looking for some thoughts on "going back" to LPs. I often find LP versions of the music I prefer that are relatively cheap when compared to the CD variations.

In addition to the pro and cons of turntables, I'd appreciate some thoughts on which brands/models give one good bang for the buck. :scratch2:

Thank you kindly for your time ~ Bill

Pros and cons of turntables?
 

If it’s just to be able to pick up a few deals vs the cost of CDs, then I’d say it’s not worth it. If the cheaper vinyl is new, then the quality probably won’t be great - good new pressings aren’t usually cheap. If you’re shopping used, some real gems are out there, but the good used stuff isn’t usually cheap either, the waters can be treacherous, and you’ll want a record cleaning machine to get the most out of used purchases. In either case, a streaming service subscription or buying used CDs on eBay might be better, cheaper options.

If, on the other hand, you already have a preexisting vinyl collection you haven’t played in a while, or if you want to be serious about playing vinyl because you enjoy the sound and like to collect great vinyl, then of course it’s worth it. There are some very nice turntables to be had for $3-5k from brands like Rega, Pro-Ject, VPI, and several others. What’s your budget?

Solid advice

+1, from another digital only audiophile.

I have maintained my vinyl collection since I bought my first LP in 1967. I have upgraded the analog end with the rest of my system, the digital end getting more and more play during the ‘90s. Over the last ten years I have had competing digital and analog ends, I’d upgrade one... then the other would sound better, back and forth. Although less expensive by about $10K my current analog end is a bit better than my digital end... more detailed and a bigger sound stage... but both are equally satisfying to listen to... equally. I really enjoy vinyl and picking up used recorded or new audiophile vinyl once in a while. I listen to vinyl about 15% of the time. It is an enjoyable pursuit.
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The pros is dollar for dollar generally better sound. A good system virtually eliminates surface noise and maximizes soundstage and musicality. This is still the way to maximum fidelity. Great fun finding special recordings that have never been released digitally. Used records cleaned with a record cleaner can usually sound perfect.

Cons: Less convenient than digital (my streamer is equal or better than all my CDs, but also less convenient than CD). probably need a cleaning machine to clean incoming disks and used finds. Turn over disk every 20 minutes. Takes up space.


It is a question of how much can you afford. If possible I would recommend something like a Linn LP12 Majik (or similarly priced VPI)... you get the table, arm, and cartridge, and it is highly upgradable if you get the urge. Then you would need a good Phonostage... i would recommend something in the $3.5k range to match the capability of the LP12. You seem to like McIntosh... so maybe their Phonostage.


There are lots of approaches that are less expensive... Rega... but if you want solid performance, something like above... or there are a number of solid brands.

I too have vinyl I bought as a teenager. I never stopped playing records after CD’s came on the scene.

I’m not sure I’d get into vinyl now if I didn’t already have a large vinyl collection.

I'll post a slightly different viewpoint.

I started with CD's, not vinyl, as I bought my first system just after college. We have a reasonably extensive digital collection but have not had a CD player in 10 years now.

And, in 2020, in the midst of COVID, bought a turntable set-up. EAT C-major, Ortofon Black MM, using on-board Bryston phono stage - so a decent but by no means exorbitant system.

Why? it is enjoyable to play, to collect, and the sound quality can be astonishingly good, even in a modest set-up. So, we will curate a smallish, carefully selected vinyl collection. An evening treat, not a mainstay. Well worth it.

Pro's & con's are often the same, but different for different people.

With a vinyl rig you are 'involved' with what is going on at the start & finish of the music. That is, for the best sound you must have a clean LP & stylus. The cartridge & TA must be set/aligned correctly. But, the alignment is only needed when changing cartridges. Vinyl also takes a small bit of effort at the start of play with an anti-static brush/cleaner and stylus brush to insure all is clean. All of this is a con for some folks, but for most people who are "into vinyl" it is like putting on a seat-belt when you get in your car. Something you do and you pretty much do not even notice......... Not a big deal and many enjoy same.

For me, the biggest vinyl con is cleaning records. I have a high-end RCM (record cleaning machine), of which there are any number, but the biggest drawback is that all make noise so one cannot enjoy listening (in detail, anyway) while cleaning records. The upside, given reasonable care, it is a 'once & done' deal and LPs stay clean if handled & stored correctly.

The biggest pro for me is how much better a well set-up vinyl rig sounds compared to the same digital rig. To my ears, vinyl sounds 'real', while even the best digital rig always ends up sounding 'electronic'. I can & do listen to vinyl for hours, but can never get past about two CDs before they start to sound grating.

Another con for me is all the effort needed with other than a standard CDP where one drops in the CD and hits play. Various filters, software that must be futz'd with, downloads, looking for the streaming source, getting things to work together/interfacing, etc., etc. Many talk about the 'hassle' of cleaning LPs and then starting & stopping same. That is nothing compared to the hours one often pours into setting up and getting various bits of software driven hardware to work well together. Something I have never enjoyed and like even less these days.

A pro for digital/streaming is space. My ~1000 LPs take up about twice the space as my ~1000 CDs. With streaming the space needed for digital is much less. However, with a dedicated listening area I do not find the storage of either physical media to be a problem. And, for me, handling of same is not a problem. Plus, it would (god forbid) take a fire to do serious harm my physical media while one dead drive can wipe out thousands of files (of course, I know you have everything backed-up so that could never happen :no:).

For me, the cons/hassles of digital far surpass those of vinyl in getting everything to work together. Plus, with digital there is always the "next greatest thing of all time". CD, SACD, MQA, better DACs, clocks, whatever. With vinyl you may want a 'better' TT or TA or cartridge or phono-preamp, but vinyl is pretty much "set & forget" after a proper set-up and alignment.

Some state they cannot deal with the "noise" from vinyl. A properly cleaned LP & stylus are very quiet. Plus, I've yet to attend a live music event where it was truly quiet (we breath, sneeze, move, rustle papers, etc.) , so I don't expect perfectly quiet backgrounds with my recorded music. Perhaps that lack of background noise is the 'electronic' sound of digital I mentioned above.

Another pro for me with vinyl is all the excellent cartridges that are available. Both MC & MM. Excellent sound can be gotten for as little as $300 and it only gets better from there. With $10K+ cartridges available, the sky is the limit. For me, $300, $800 & $2K are pretty much the big steps in cartridge performance.

To the specifics of what vinyl rig I would suggest......... depends on your budget. I'm a DD (direct drive) TT fan, so if wishing to stay under $6K I would go with the excellent Technics SL-1200G which includes a very decent tonearm. Add in something like an Ortofon Quintet Black or Sumiko Blackbird and a Musical Surroundings Nova III. If your budget can stand the hit, the VPI HW-40 or AMG direct-drive TT/TA rigs are sublime. Then step up to something like the Ortofon Winfeld or Lyra Kleos and Parasound JC3+ phono-preamp. In either case, don't skimp on phono IC's.

Obviously, with all this, YMMV. Whatever you go with, enjoy the music. :thumbsup:

Same here. I have no plans to give up on LPs, but only because I've been into them for so long. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't bother with LP if I were starting from scratch today.

But I'm old school. I still don't think of LPs as "vinyls" any more than I think of CDs as "polycarbonates."

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And the plural of vinyl is vinyl.