Post your turntable setup...can't get enough of those spinners!

Discussion in 'Vinyl Nutjob World: Turntable and Related Gear' started by shaizada, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. Pyruvate

    Pyruvate Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,425
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Here
    @MyPetSasquatch solid setup. How are you liking the Halo int? I have a couple of vintage parasound pieces and I love them.

    Also, can't help but notice the auralex isolation pad beneath your turntable. I've been eyeing that too and am wondering if you think it made a significant difference to your rig.
     
  2. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    848
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    CA
    Ditto. I'd like to know too!
     
  3. MyPetSasquatch

    MyPetSasquatch Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    347
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Sasquatch Country
    Thanks! It actually made a noticeable difference. Without it, the bass is noticeably boomy and the pad seemed to isolate the turntable itself enough that it tightened up the low end. I added a picture below to show why it might be particularly effective in my setup. The placement of my turntable is behind my speaker by about 18 inches, and while I have the top port of the PSBs plugged, the placement of the shelf for the turntable isn't ideal being both so close to a corner of the room AND the ports on my speakers. I used it have the turntable in a different corner and noticed the same results after getting the Auralex pad. YMMV, however, but it made a noticeable difference for me.

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    848
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    CA
    Nice looking PSBs. You might get room modes on the corner, though.
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2016
  5. MyPetSasquatch

    MyPetSasquatch Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    347
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Sasquatch Country
    Totally. You can't see from that picture but there is a ton of acoustic treatment in the room. There's a bass trap in the upper corner there. Helped tame the bass unevenness, which was significant because it's a small room.
     
  6. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,796
    Trophy Points:
    93
    I see that many people on this forum have started to take a turn for the best. I feel good...many of you cut the crap and went with some top notch rigs. Bravo! @drfindley , @brencho , @RKML0007 , @Marvey , @insidious meme , @Merrick , @abernardi , @bazelio, @JK47 , @Pyruvate, @Wfojas , @sphinxvc and others. Enjoy in good health and share the love. Guide others and feed the heart, never the ego. Cheers! I'm having a dram of Yamazaki 18 year whiskey and feeling happy for each and every one of you.

    [​IMG]

    Keep digging...always.
     
  7. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,200
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Northwest France
    Ok so I'm thinking about getting into vinyl now. Been doing a lot of research and I'm familiar with a lot of the pieces but don't know where to rank everything. Here is a list of things I more or less have control over:

    -turntable
    -tonearm
    -cartridge
    -phono preamp

    How would you guys ranks these factors in order of importance? Any additional commentary would be greatly appreciated. Also note importance doesn't necessarily match spending. For example, at the low end it makes sense to have $120 headphones with a $50 amp but for the high end you can have $1600 headphones(HD800S) with a $5000 amp. However in both cases I'd argue that headphones are the most important factor regardless of how you apportion spending.
     
  8. 13713

    13713 New

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2016
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Phoenix AZ
    Before you start planning this epic journey. Yes epic is the word I feel best describes vinyl as you are going to do a lot of research and read a lot about the chain and by the time you make a final decision you will find yourself a few years later still "fine tuning" and chasing that "sound". How comfortable are you with tracking down and building a vinyl collection. I ask this because it is not really worth dropping money into vinyl unless you are ready to jump into building a record collection. If you are still serious then this is what I would focus on...

    tonearm>turntable>cartridge>preamp. tonearm/turntable are your foundation and should not be changed out much. Cartridges are important but like headphones milage varies on what you are looking for and a preamp is important but honestly you need to have a foundation before you can go in and add improvements.

    How much are you willing to spend? Is your budget flexible? Do you have the ability to go to a local hi-fi store and audition equipment? This is not really a one and done deal. Best of luck. Vinyl is my hobby and passion but I will be the first person to point out it is truly madness.
     
  9. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,200
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Northwest France
    The album collecting is a chicken and egg problem. Can't play albums without a turntable but why buy an expensive turntable without the albums to justify it? The way I figure it is that I make an investment now and if I haven't built up a record collection to justify it I can sell the rig. But really the incentive is that I inherited a bunch of albums from my grandfather.

    Initially I'd like to keep things cheap but not super cheap. So something like a Pro-Ject Essential with a TC-750 phono.

    However I'm trying not to make this about me. Just trying to see if a $1000 cartridge makes sense on a $200 table or if you need to have a table that can pick up on the details of a cartridge like that first.

    It's like the camera world. Are you better off with a $500 body and $2000 lens or $2000 body and $500 lens?
     
  10. k3oxkjo

    k3oxkjo Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2015
    Likes Received:
    64
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    N. J.
    Home Page:
    IMG_0256.JPG

    Current TT's in use here at this time. Odd looking but good sounding Garrard 401. I obtained the 401 motor unit with only the black plinth shown, which at the time was just nude MDF that I painted to make SOME concession to looks :confused:. I added the wood feet and later the bottom plate (an IKEA cutting board (!), they actually make nice equipment supports) and mounted a Fidelity Research FR-54 tonearm, one of the least expensive FR tonearms on the used market. Many people think that, despite its Fidelity Research provenance, it's not a very good tonearm. Many people be wrong. There is a JVC/Victor X-1 cartridge mounted, a somewhat rare MM of quite high quality with its Beryllium cantilever and Shibata tip.

    IMG_0255.JPG

    (In) Famous Goldmund Studio turntable, probably one of the first audiophile "super decks", mid-80's. It has the T3 tonearm and controller (not shown). It's an early unit with the Papst motor (either better or worse that the later JVC motor, depending on who you believe). Right now, there is a Pioneer PC-400 cart mounted, but eventually this will have either the Clearaudio "Goldmund" cartridge (made specifically for the Goldmund TT) or a Vintage re-tipped Koetsu Black.

    IMG_0254.JPG IMG_0252.JPG



    Gates CB-500 with Micro-Trak tonearm and Shure M-44C cartridge. Broadcast Idler rig from mid-60's. The tonearm had broken pins in the headshell/tonearm junction, so I hard wired everything, one piece of cable from the cartridge pins to the RCA connection junction box. Do NOT underestimate the sound of these massive broadcast tables. I am even surprised how good the M-44C cartridge sounds in the context of this set-up...

    Just got this back running and am still evaluating things. There seems to be quite good isolation between the motor and the cartridge, don't really hear much breakthrough. And, in a suspended-floor room where most TT's require a light foot around them, the Gates runs steady as she goes with normal footfalls. I may have to get the idler wheel re done, I hear a bit of pitch stability problems and I am unfortunately sensitive to this. Nothing serious, mind you.

    I am not "married" to vintage, eventually I will get a modern TT when I feel I have a handle on a high cost/performance ratio unit. In the meantime, I am quite happy with my current stable of TT's.

    Best, Kevin
     
  11. Dino

    Dino Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Likes Received:
    3,332
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I found that the Delrin screw down clamp with the rubber washer can lift the edges of the record on my HW-19 Mk. III, as well. I found out pretty pretty quickly, the clamp can be screwed too tightly. No harm done and I learnt from my mistake. :)
     
  12. numbersixx

    numbersixx Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2015
    Likes Received:
    230
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    London, England
    I've been married and divorced to vintage at least three times.

    I feel like the Richard Burton of vintage gear:rolleyes:
     
  13. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    848
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    CA
    Going through my second Elizabeth right now. As always, you hope its the last time.
     
  14. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    12,569
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I don't think it's a chicken and egg problem at all. Vinyl media is a pittance compared to the cost of a good rig. You say you have a collection of records from your grandfather, so even less need to focus on getting more records right now.

    As far as your question of how to allocate resources, others may disagree with me but I suggest getting the best table you can first. If you can get one you don't feel the need to upgrade for a long time or ever that in and of itself will go a long way. Then you can always upgrade the tonearm and cartridge later. I do think it's a waste to put a $1K cart on a $200 table. Any table at that level is going to have serious compromises.
     
  15. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    848
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    CA
    There was a discussion years ago I had with a bunch of folks, and I think we ended up like @Merrick noted. Everything has an effect (heck, your floor has an effect), but the biggest will be the table, and everything else follows. Even more than phones, dacs and amps, the synergy aspect of it is extremely important. Years ago I had a close relationship with a retailer, so I could experiment with what we had, and audition it at home. In turn, I bought a load of stuff from him. Days of being able to audition a Lyra Helicon at home are long past, part of the unintended impact of the internet.

    Current album releases are in the $14-26 range for non audiophile pressings. Stolen flac files are, kinda, free. Its a lifestyle, but deeply rewarding, if you take pleasure in listening to music. I almost always skip through digital tracks, but lately have listened straight through every album side i've put on.
     
  16. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    12,569
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    IMO a cart can have a greater effect than the table, but higher end tables can handle low and high end carts. Low end tables generally aren't going to give you the most you can get out of a high end cart, so it's sort of like putting lipstick on a pig. And in that respect, I think it's better to get a proper table first and then build everything up around that. Otherwise if you get hit with the upgrade bug you'll find that stuff that sounded decent with the old table may now also need to be replaced now that you have a better, more revealing table. If you start with the best table you can get, upgrading your cart or tonearm isn't going to have as much of a domino effect later.
     
  17. Rumblestrip

    Rumblestrip New

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2016
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Royal Oak, MI
    I don't know if this qualifies as "vintage" but it's my current setup. Dual 1019 w/AT95e cart with a Sherwood 7200 receiver and AT ATH AD700 headphones
    [​IMG]
     
  18. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    848
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    CA
    Totally agree, get a good foundation you can scale up from. And if you decide it wasn't for you, you didnt have to batlle with a ton of other listings to move from.

    As to what mattered most with vinyl, the argument can be endless. The cart you can identify across different arms and tables, and a table with different carts and arms will still identifiably be the same table sound. Both can occur. Synergy is always the final goal, I agree.
     
  19. Dino

    Dino Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Likes Received:
    3,332
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I don't know what condition your Grandfather's records are in. You may or may not. If you have listened with your Grandfather and he had, at least, an okay system you would have an idea. If not, looking at the condition of the records would give you some idea as far as scratches go. Groove damage would still be an unknown. Also, I don't know if you have a collection of 50 or 5000 records.

    It seems wise to start off with something rather inexpensive yet good enough to get a good taste of what LP sound is all about. That would be a tricky balancing act and you would probably get many opinions. I don't have first hand experience with budget turntables/tonearms/record cleaning machines. When I read experiences from many sources that I find credible and who actually own a product, I think that is about as good as I am going to do as far as making an informed decision without personal experience.

    Trying to put myself in your position, here is what I might get:

    Orbit Plus Turntable $289 (comes with a pre-installed Ortofon OM5E cartridge) I have been surprised how many people have reported being happy with this turntable. I have not read of anyone being unhappy with it. (That means a lot to me.) I am not familiar with the Ortofon OM5E cartridge, nor have I read much about it. I have used an Ortofon M15E Super MM cartridge from the late 1970s to 1990. It sounded good and I have listened to cassettes I made on it to refresh my memory. Totally different cartridges but I did have a satisfying run with an Ortofon product. Looks like you can upgrade this cartridge when you change the stylus (source).

    From what I've read here, the TCC TC-750 Phono Preamp that you are thinking about is well liked. Looks like it has modding potential, as well, should you decide to do that down the road.

    You are going to need some method of cleaning your records and stylus. I am a fan of vacuum record cleaning. The least expensive that I know of is the Record Doctor V Record Cleaning Machine for $199. A lot of people like the Spin Clean (it is not a vacuum RCM) for $79. If your Grandfather's records are not too dirty, you may be able to get by with an original Discwasher. (I did for over a decade before I got a VPI 16.5 RCM.) Do not buy a new version of the Discwasher (identified by the brown brush - RCA bought the name and put out a handle with something like corduroy where a brush should go) and be careful choosing a used original Discwasher. If the black brush looks something like it is wearing "corn rows" it is worn out. The Discwasher System would be really nice. This one is on ebay - buy it now for $90 shipped. (pic) There are several on ebay now, some probably nicer. I just picked the first decent looking one that I saw. Or you could just go with the brush. I see several that look good for $20 - $30, on ebay at the moment.

    For cleaning the stylus, I started out with a fine camel's hair artist brush and 91% (purest I could find back then) isopropyl alcohol. You need to take care and have a steady hand, but I got away with this fine for about the first decade. Or, you might be better off buying a stylus brush.

    Adding this up:
    Orbit Plus Turntable $290
    TCC TC-750 Phono Preamp $55
    Original Discwasher brush - $25 (You could use purified water or find some D4 fluid, I guess.)
    Clearaudio Diamond Stylus Brush - $15
    Total $385

    I would live with something like this and then decide how far I wanted to go with this hobby.

    Edit: These other members are giving great advise, but I don't know if they are taking your budget into account.

    I am not familiar with cameras. I don't think there is an easy $ formula. A $1000 cartridge on a $200 table is a very bad idea, though.

    I bought my current phono stuff back in 1990. List prices in 1990 dollars:
    Turntable - $1200
    Tonearm - $350
    Cartridge - $300

    I don't know what to tell you as far as dollar allocation. This is only one example and it has worked for me.

    Edit: We should probably be posting over here:
    http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/turntable-advice.194/
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2016
  20. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,200
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Northwest France
    Thanks, for the advice peoples. Although Orbit is not an option for me since I live in Europe. Both for importing and electrical reasons. But yeah, I'll continue this on another thread.
     

Share This Page