Totally clueless.... any help?

[hiimbored]

Hey guys, so I've been wanting to get into vinyl for a few years now (I actually own a few records, but have nothing to play them on, heh). I've looked through a few of the posts on this board, but I'm still kinda lost. I'd really like a good setup and, while I'm on a pretty tight budget, I don't want to skimp on the good stuff. So, if the goal is to a have a nice-sounding setup to listen to in my living room, what all will I need? Listing the specific model that I should buy for each component would be awesome; like I said, I'm pretty clueless about this. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

[G-money]

Do you have speakers you want to use? A home theater reciever? What is your budget for the whole shabang?

[hiimbored]

Originally Posted by G-money

Do you have speakers you want to use? A home theater reciever? What is your budget for the whole shabang?

Nope, I have absolutely nothing right now. My entertainment center consists of a HDTV, a Blu-ray player, and an Xbox 360. As far as a budget, I really don't know. What's a realistic figure for what all of this might cost me?

[leeving]

for a turntable you need:

A Turntable
receiver with phono capabilities
speakers


Price-wise, this could be anywhere from free to thousands.

I wouldn't recommend playing through a preamp to your TV.

Being that this forum is more geared towards Home Theater, you should read the forums over at Audiokarma.org, they can probably help a bit better as they are more audio gear oriented.

[hiimbored]

Originally Posted by leeving

for a turntable you need:

A Turntable
receiver with phono capabilities
speakers


Price-wise, this could be anywhere from free to thousands.

I wouldn't recommend playing through a preamp to your TV.

Being that this forum is more geared towards Home Theater, you should read the forums over at Audiokarma.org, they can probably help a bit better as they are more audio gear oriented.

Is there a benefit to either using a home theatre setup or a standalone setup? I tried browsing through audiokarma.org, but I couldn't find much beginner-level stuff.

[leeving]

Most newer HDMI Home Theater amps don't have a Phono input. which only means you'd need a stand-alone phono pre-amp that would plug into an AUX input on the HT amp.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by hiimbored

Is there a benefit to either using a home theatre setup or a standalone setup? I tried browsing through audiokarma.org, but I couldn't find much beginner-level stuff.

It depends on what you're looking for. If you want a system that can do surround sound for you movies AND play vinyl, a receiver + a phono stage will do the job. OTOH, if surround sound for movies isn't a priority, an integrated amp with a built-in phono stage might be a better bet.

Check my thread about turntables (sticky in this forum) for some background info that's useful to know.

[hiimbored]

Originally Posted by richteer

It depends on what you're looking for. If you want a system that can do surround sound for you movies AND play vinyl, a receiver + a phono stage will do the job. OTOH, if surround sound for movies isn't a priority, an integrated amp with a built-in phono stage might be a better bet.

Check my thread about turntables (sticky in this forum) for some background info that's useful to know.

Surround sound for my movies isn't really important to me, so I guess I'd go with a separate setup. If I could get a list of everything I'll need, maybe with some brand/model suggestions, that would be awesome. As you guys can tell, I really know nothing about all this stuff and most of what I've read about it just confuses me more, heh.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by hiimbored

Surround sound for my movies isn't really important to me, so I guess I'd go with a separate setup. If I could get a list of everything I'll need, maybe with some brand/model suggestions, that would be awesome. As you guys can tell, I really know nothing about all this stuff and most of what I've read about it just confuses me more, heh.

Here's a list of what you'll need:

* A turntable and arm
* A cartridge (probably bundled with the TT)
* A phono stage (may be part of your amplifier)
* An amplifier or receiver (preferably the former)
* A pair of speakers!
* Cables and other accessories to string it all together.

It's hard to make more specific recommendations without knowing your budget, but if you're starting from nothing, I'd say that $1,000 to $1,500 is a realistic starting figure for everything. Beyond that, the sky is the limit!

[hiimbored]

Originally Posted by richteer

Here's a list of what you'll need:

* A turntable and arm
* A cartridge (probably bundled with the TT)
* A phono stage (may be part of your amplifier)
* An amplifier or receiver (preferably the former)
* A pair of speakers!
* Cables and other accessories to string it all together.

It's hard to make more specific recommendations without knowing your budget, but if you're starting from nothing, I'd say that $1,000 to $1,500 is a realistic starting figure for everything. Beyond that, the sky is the limit!

Thank you for that list! Ok, I'm looking at the Pro-ject Debut III (based on the 'Entry-level Turntable suggestions' thread on here); is that a good choice? Apparently that comes with an "Ortofon OM-5E moving magnet phono cartridge." Is that a good cartridge or should I buy one separately? Finally, can you suggest a good amplifier (preferably one that has a phono input so I don't have to buy the aforementioned phono stage)? Thanks again for all your help!

[richteer]

Originally Posted by hiimbored

Thank you for that list! Ok, I'm looking at the Pro-ject Debut III (based on the 'Entry-level Turntable suggestions' thread on here); is that a good choice? Apparently that comes with an "Ortofon OM-5E moving magnet phono cartridge." Is that a good cartridge or should I buy one separately? Finally, can you suggest a good amplifier (preferably one that has a phono input so I don't have to buy the aforementioned phono stage)? Thanks again for all your help!

I think the Debut III has been superseded by a newer model, but yes, that would be a great choice for a starter turntable! I'm not a huge fan of the entry level Ortofons so I would suggest an upgrade at some point. The good news is that you can do that later, once you paid off your initial investment. :-)

I haven't listened closely to entry level amps in a while, but Cambridge Audio would be a fairly safe bet (their separate phono stages are GREAT for the money), but there are other brands worth considering. Avoid amps with lots of useless features and go for those that concentrate on sound quality.

[hiimbored]

Originally Posted by richteer

I think the Debut III has been superseded by a newer model, but yes, that would be a great choice for a starter turntable! I'm not a huge fan of the entry level Ortofons so I would suggest an upgrade at some point. The good news is that you can do that later, once you paid off your initial investment. :-)

I haven't listened closely to entry level amps in a while, but Cambridge Audio would be a fairly safe bet (their separate phono stages are GREAT for the money), but there are other brands worth considering. Avoid amps with lots of useless features and go for those that concentrate on sound quality.

Would you recommend this one?

http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Audi...ge+audio+topaz

[richteer]

Originally Posted by hiimbored

Would you recommend this one?

http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Audi...ge+audio+topaz

I haven't heard it so I really recommend it (or otherwise). That said, I was thinking more like something from their Azur range, like this one: http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/produc...ated-amplifier Not sure how much that one lists for (and I should add that I've not heard this one either).

The best thing to do is go to local audio specialist (if you can find one), and have a listen for yourself. The dealer should also be able to help you by making recommendations.

[hiimbored]

Originally Posted by richteer

I haven't heard it so I really recommend it (or otherwise). That said, I was thinking more like something from their Azur range, like this one: http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/produc...ated-amplifier Not sure how much that one lists for (and I should add that I've not heard this one either).

The best thing to do is go to local audio specialist (if you can find one), and have a listen for yourself. The dealer should also be able to help you by making recommendations.

That one is a bit out of my price range; I'm trying to keep this all under $1,000.

[hiimbored]

Also, do you have any suggestions for speakers? Sorry for all the questions, but I appreciate all the advice!

[hiimbored]

I think I've decided on this amp:

http://www.amazon.com/Marantz-PM5004...ated+amplifier

Good choice? I've seen quite a few positive reviews for it and it's not SUPER expensive, which is a plus. I'm still stumped on what kind of speakers I should get though. Right now I'm at $750 with just the turntable and the amp, so I'd like to keep it around $1,000 if possible. Any advice?

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by hiimbored

I think I've decided on this amp:

http://www.amazon.com/Marantz-PM5004...ated+amplifier

Good choice? I've seen quite a few positive reviews for it and it's not SUPER expensive, which is a plus. I'm still stumped on what kind of speakers I should get though. Right now I'm at $750 with just the turntable and the amp, so I'd like to keep it around $1,000 if possible. Any advice?

What TT did you end up getting? And yes, that Marantz wil work fine and should get you started.

With $250 left in your budget for speakers I would recommend buying used. You can easily pick up a pair of $500-$600 speakers used for the $250 you have available.