Turntables worth it?

[richteer]

Originally Posted by cam555

I was just wondering if i should get a turntable or not. do vinyls have superior audio quality over cd's....or not really? if so i would get one. please help.

A well-recorded vinyl record has better sound quality than a well recorded CD, especially when played on suitable gear.

Speaking as a vinyl-spinning turntable junkie, one question that comes to mind is: how much are you thinking of spending, and how many recordss do you have/intend to get?

[richteer]

Originally Posted by hanser

They sound NOT better than CDs if you use a high quality DAC. They sound DIFFERENT, yes: smoother, silkier, perhaps more pleasing to the ear. But they achieve this by altering the original sound. CDs represent a more accurate (albeit still slightly flawed due to the resolution limit fo 16bit, 44 kHz) representation of the original recording sound, vinyl sugarcoates the sound by adding harmonic distortion, limiting dynamic range, high frequency roll-off etc.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you here: LPs do sound better than CDs, even if you use a high quality DAC.

CDs are do NOT represent a more accurate representation of the original sound. Sound is analog, so you'd need VERY high sample and word sizes to accurately capture it.

Vinyl does not sugarcoat the sound of a recording. Listening to a well-recorded record on a high end system will demonstrate this more than adequately.

[rubberghost]

definitely buy one. most vinyl i've ever heard sounds better than cassettes. i'm sure there are exceptions. you can buy old vinyl and they still press some really good new stuff too. most definitely get one.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by zoon_ii

vinyl is better than cassette, but it is NOT better than CD.

vinyl still can't capture the entire frequency range of what a cd can, a cd just sounds cleaner is all.

Bull. A decent LP system will beat a decent CD system any day of the week.

what the "warmth" feeling comes from on a vinyl record playing session is the actual friction generated by the needle pressing against the groove, and the grooves themselves are not perfect either. the needle doesn't set perfect in the groove so there's always going to be some friction. however, it's because of this flaw that vinyl has a more organic sound to it, even with the nicks and pops.

WIth all respect, please get a clue about this stuff! For starters, it's a stylus, not a needle. Yes, there will always be some friction, but that has got nothing to do organic sound (whatever that is). And nicks and pops are symptoms of records that have been abused, not a fault with the technology per se.

however, vinyl is so much more than just audio quality:

1: there the cover art, which is much easier to appreciate due to it's large inherent nature.

2: the vinyl art. some record companies do some really unique pressings.

3: the actual feel of handling the music before you set it on the platter.

4: the visual of actually being able to see the needle progress to the next song and know where the music is, perhaps even where the trebles cut out.

etc.

listening to vinyl is definitely different than just popping in a cd, because people who listen to vinyl are (i'm betting) the type of people who will actually sit in a chair with a nice quaulity pair of headphones or in front of some good speakers, and actually listen to the music, rather than having the record on as background noise while one surfs the net or does house chores.

and yes. i do own 2 turntables, and have over 1000 LP's

I disagree about the sound quality statements, but apart from that, the above is pretty spot on. What turntables/arms/cartridges do you have? That might explain your sound quality opinion.

[Brandon B]

Originally Posted by richteer

A well-recorded vinyl record has better sound quality than a well recorded CD, especially when played on suitable gear.

. . .once.

[sydney]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Quote "There are hundreds of great things you can do with turntables apart from just listening to the songs."

Do they work for pottery stuff. I want to re-enact that scene from Ghost with Demi Moore but either way she hasn't called me back so it might not matter.

I would think turn tables are worth the trouble but not for me. If something can be worried about I tend to worry about it (working on reversing that) and I would always be concerned about damage to the records. When I listened to them ... I would be listening to try to detect any damage. So,.. it's not for me.

Plus I believe that slogan "If the PS3 can't do it, Maybe it shouldn't be done." So,.. when they make a USB turn-table for use with the PS3... I'll give it another chance.



-Brian

look at sony PS-LX300USB

[richteer]

Originally Posted by Brandon B

. . .once.

WTF are you on about?

Or are you asserting that playing a record damages it in some way?

If playing a record damages it (playing it over an dover again back to back notwithstanding), the stylus is either buggered, or the turntable's set up is very off (certainly, using a too light tracking force can damage records).

[zor]

Originally Posted by cam555

I was just wondering if i should get a turntable or not. do vinyls have superior audio quality over cd's....or not really? if so i would get one. please help.

In theory they are vastly inferior. In practice, they can be superior. This is cuz today's music is dynamically compressed to minimize variance between loud and softness in the music so that it gets maximum visibility on the radio and the like. This is very unfortunate. Instead of turning to obsolete tech, we should all be protesting and petitioning to change this practice. And there is no dynamic range decompressor AFAIK (for ripping or playing) -- which is a totally different thing from volume leveling (which does exist for ripping and playing)

[bhampton]

Hey,

Quote "look at sony PS-LX300USB"

That looks cool and it's USB. If the PS3 is updated to recognize it then I'm in.




(It even looks like it will go nicely with the PS3.)

(Of course,.. since it's USB it's clearly digitizing the output perhaps fully defeating the point but the price is nice and it would go so well with the PS3 that I would get it anyway,.. Certainly would be fun.)

[thelaserdisc2000]

Just like Laserdisc, and other analog formats the quality of the playback is dependent on the quality of the player. I have heard albums that sound beautiful, even better than my CD version, but on other players they sound like shit.

And Yes, since LPs are a contact medium, they do get damaged every time they are played.

[Beta Man]

Vinyl is still the prefered media by the vast majority of audiophiles for a reason.....

[richteer]

Originally Posted by thelaserdisc2000

Just like Laserdisc, and other analog formats the quality of the playback is dependent on the quality of the player. I have heard albums that sound beautiful, even better than my CD version, but on other players they sound like shit.

And Yes, since LPs are a contact medium, they do get damaged every time they are played.

The latter could've fooler me. I've got records 20+ years old that are as pristine as they day I bought them. And yes I do play them!

Granted, though, a cheap CD player will probably sound better than a cheap turntable. Being a mechanical device, truntable demand more precision engineering, and thats costs $$ to get right.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Vinyl is still the prefered media by the vast majority of audiophiles for a reason.....

Exactly.

[cam555]

for the speakers i have....what would be the best bang for the buck for a turntable. I'm a newbie at turntables. would appreciate everyones feedback. I'm really considering getting one!

[Psychonaut]

If you take one thing from this discussion, it's that crappy turntables produce crappy sound. I would hate for you to buy a cheap one and be upset by the sound.

[cam555]

i understand u get what you pay for....but i just wanna know the best bang for the buck.

[dialog_gvf]

How about the best of both worlds?

Laser Turntable

Starting at only $9900.

Gary

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

How about the best of both worlds?

Laser Turntable

Starting at only $9900.

Gary

very nice.... I haven't had the opportunity to listen to one of these in person..... I found a used record store with some very nice vintage gear.... but nothing I felt the need to jump on.

Believe it or not, Pawn Shops are a good way to get turn-tables.... it'll take some searching, but you'll find that many high-end turn-tables will be priced very low, simply because people don't know what they're worth!

[richteer]

Originally Posted by cam555

for the speakers i have....what would be the best bang for the buck for a turntable. I'm a newbie at turntables. would appreciate everyones feedback. I'm really considering getting one!

First question: what's your budget? IMHO, spending less than $300 to $500 (for a complete package, including turntable, arm, and cartridge) would be a waste.

The cheapest turntable I can bring myself to recommend is something like the Pro-Ject Debut III, which is (IIRC) $300. If your budget allows more freedom, there are many other alternatives. It just depends on how nuts you want to be (my turntable/arm/cartridge would cost $25K+ to replace!)

[richteer]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Believe it or not, Pawn Shops are a good way to get turn-tables.... it'll take some searching, but you'll find that many high-end turn-tables will be priced very low, simply because people don't know what they're worth!

Good point, though I'd personally be dubious about buying a used turntable. Who knows how much abuse the bearing has had (and replacing the cartridge would be a must!)?

For other, less sensitive stuff, used is a great way to buy beyond one's budget. I picked up my Audio Research SP9 Mk 2 used; at the time (a couple of years ago), there was no way I could have afforded something of comparable quality brand new.