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Vinyl is better than any form of digitised music. Everything that was on the original master tape is on the vinyl. When a CD is made the peaks of the soundwave are lost. MP3 is even worse.  The same a

I suspect that might be Garrard Red...   Nice vid here:  All is revealed..    

#29   I've still got hundreds of classical vinyl LPs. Keep em well away from the Anchor butter!   yummy!

Anchor Butter 1/11....was/is a New Zealand product as was Fernleaf also 1/11.................hell of a job getting it off your Vinyl discs if it dripped on em...............lol.

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People obviously make their own choices when it comes to purchases and what to spend on them.

 

I personally do not choose to spend money on following, for example, a football team.  I have no interest in football.

 

When it comes to cars, clearly, any vehicle which can keep going for long enough at a reasonable speed, operating within the law, fulfills it's primary function of getting you from A to B.  Whether it fulfills secondary functions such as getting you admired, envied,'laid', or being first in the queue at the next red light, is another issue. :)

 

When it comes to the reproduction of music however, I take a different view.  I contend that music is either properly reproduced, or it isn't.  In other words, the primary function of any kit which is meant to reproduce music, is just that.  To reproduce music.  All of the music. 

 

There are some areas where compromise is inevitable.  Mostly this is about bass reproduction.  Few people have the space, or the cash, to accommodate loudspeakers which can properly reproduce the deep bass notes of a 27 foot organ pipe.. or the rumbles which exist in some large spaces and contribute to the 'recorded acoustic'.

 

However, within most people's budget, and certainly less costly than hundreds of LP's etc., is the capability to do the job properly. To play the music at the right speed, at the right pitch and with some semblance of tonal accuracy, so that the vocals are recognisably those of the singer, and a saxophone actually sounds like a sax.. not a clarinet.  Cheap nasty kit does not do this, and where vinyl is concerned, is likely to damage the most expensive part of your system....  Your vinyl records.

 

I recently changed the tonearm on my record player.  This cost me around £800.  I was frankly 'gobsmacked' at how much closer this change got me to the sound of the performance.  The reproduction was improved in all areas.  Bass depth, treble clarity, stereo imageing/depth, tonal accuracy and most of all just the 'naturalness and 'reality' of the music. And all for much less than a few family days out at 'the match'.

 

I don't suppose everybody can, or wants to, spend what I do on the reproduction of music.  It's my hobby, just like following a team.

 

But I see little point in buying loads of music, be it vinyl, CD or even downloads.. only to fail at the last hurdle and lose it all for the sake of a decent set of kit.

 

Just sayin'  :)

 

Col

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Col,  Your post shows how out of touch with English prices and inflation I am.

 

I know a good tonearm was never cheap even in my day.  SME arm or other such decent quality kit, but 800 quid.  ouch!  That was almost a third the cost of my first house!  Me wife would have throttled me. :rolleyes:  In the mid 60s that would have gotten you quite a nice set up including speakers, amp, and turntable.  Throw in a stereo FM tuner as well.

 

Don't misunderstand I am not criticizing you for your choice.  I'm just amazed at how out of touch I am.  LOL.

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Hi Loppy.

 

Yep, I can appreciate that it comes as a bit of a shock, but it is as you say mostly down just to inflation. And as I tried to point out in my post it's about choices.  I don't spend much on cars, holidays, meals out etc. Also, though I'll never be wealthy, I'm far better off now than I was when I started buying records etc., 50+ years ago.

Using your example of the SME tonearm.  The one you are probably thinking of would be something like the SME 3009 Series 2.  I believe these cost about £25-30 back in the 60's when they were pretty much 'state of the art'..  I have an old and scruffy one which I use on my 78 rpm player. There is still a production version of this arm made by SME.  It sells in the US for about $1800 (£1500..ish)

 

http://www.smetonearms.com/index.php?main_page=products_new&disp_order=6&page=2

 

Some interesting prices etc. here:  http://www.sixtiescity.net/Events/Events65.htm

 

Average weekly wage in UK in 60s was under £20.  The 'median' (which is supposed to exclude the distorting effect of very high and very low salaries) is now claimed as about £517.  IOW, wages have increased roughly 25 times. 

That said, the SME arm has increased by about 50 times. :Shock:

 

For what it's worth.  My first decent system in 1991 cost me around £700 for one of these: (Made in Southend)

 

Image result for rega planar 2

 

One of these: (Made in Wales)

 

ob110.jpg

 

And two of these:  (Royd 'The Seven' speakers. Also made in Wales)

 

Image result for Royd 'The Seven'

 

Plus some stands and bits of wire. 

It was a very fine system, but not in the same league as my current set up.

 

As far as I know, all of those components are still working well and making their current owners happy.

 

Col

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That is exactly the SME arm I meant.  As you said I was on just over 20 pounds a week back then.  Mortgage 20 pounds a month, with the rest left to pay utilities and eat.  So 25+ for a tone arm was hard to justify with the then Mrs. Loppy.  Don't know how we managed.  :rolleyes:

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TBI #36 

That was a classic combination and it still sounds very good today if well set up and the 401 put into a good plinth.  I could live with a 401.  And in many ways I think the earlier 301 is even better.

 

NNSC #37

 

The Linn Basik was a very nice deck and a worthy competitor to the Regas of the day.  I found it to have a nice tight and propulsive sort of sound.  Along with the more expensive 'Axis', it provided an alternative upgrade path (Instead of the Regas) to lure people toward the LP12.

 

I went from my Rega Planar 2 to a Linn LP12.  With a second hand 'Valhalla' Power Supply for fifty quid, my LP12 'mechanicals only' cost me £646 in 1993.

I soon added a s/h Lingo Power Supply for £300 and then replaced the Akito Mk1 arm with a s/h Ittok LVIII Mk 2 also for £300.

About 2 years ago I sold the LP12 and Lingo for £900.  £46 less than I paid after 20 years use. I sold the Ittok Arm for £800.  £500 more than I paid for it 20 year ealier and £200 more than it cost new.  :)

 

Prices for the LP12 have now gone totally loopy.  There are a number of chassis, power supply and tonearm options.  You can get a new 'mechanicals only' for about £1400, but you then need an arm, cartridge and power supply.  Options can then take the price to over £18000 :blink:

 

I prefer my Gyrodec with the new arm and my new amp.

 

 

I paid for a lot of my kit by doing extra work on the side on top of my full time job in careers.

 

Col

 

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RR, what a lot of washing up bubbles!  You could go and play with Jedward (or don't you watch Big Brother)

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A (well off) friend found that the stylus on his record player was broken.  He strongly suspects 'little hands and fingers' after a visit by grandchildren, but also accepts responsibility for not putting the stylus guard back, or indeed locking his music room.

 

Cost of replacement?

 

£3500.......  :Shock:

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Err.. did you read that right TBI?  :)

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  • 5 months later...

I ordered a new cartridge for my record player earlier this week.  For the uninitiated.. the cartridge is the bit that carries the stylus.  In this case they are one and the stylus cannot be replaced separately except by very specialist people who charge lots of money.

 

My new cartridge: https://cdn.filepicker.io/api/file/W5Jc2YOpTZmviLouKI0E[/IMG]

 

Being delivered and fitted by the dealer tomorrow.  Can't wait.  :)  (My eyesight and manual dexterity really aren't safe fitting £800+ worth of cartridge anymore..)

 

Col

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Looks like a nice piece of work, Col.  Hope you enjoy the sound.

 

I guess I'm just behind the times.  Inflation astounds me.  I remember when my wage was 22 pounds a week, my mortgage 20 pounds a month.  A decent basic good quality sound system was about + / -  a couple of hundred and we had a bit left over to buy some food, clothes, and a few Lps.  Happy days!  :)

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Loppy, as you will know.. even the best stylus will slowly and almost imperceptibly degrade over time.  So.. the sound of the new one always comes as a bit of a revelation.

 

My new Dynavector  isn't anywhere near 'run in' yet.. but is aready delivering more detail.. deeper and more tuneful bass, more clarity etc. It will just continue to get better.  All I need now is a bit of peace to get on with listening to all my new vinyl discs.. not to mention old favourites.

 

I am a Happy Bunny.  :)

 

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We missed out on Sunday. There was a car boot sale in a nearby village here in rural Brittany. My mate went and told me that there was a record collection for sale on one stall and all the LP's were going for ten Euros apiece. He didn't buy any! and stuff like Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon with good covers was on offer.

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There are still a few vinyl bargains to be had, but it is hard to find examples that have really been properly looked after, or not played with a rusty six inch nail.. I've recently seen Bowie's first album on Deram sell for several hundred pounds to a Japanese collector.  Also Alexis Korner's Blues Inc. 'R&B from the Marquee', which was originally a 'budget' release on the Decca 'Ace of Clubs' label selling for 23 shillings.  A mint copy of that from 1962 went for four or five hundred on eBay.  I still have my original copy but although it plays through it is showing it's age.. having seen rather too many Dansettes in it's 55year lifespan..  ;).  I wouldn't grade the record better than VG and the cover as Good, by virtue of there being no tears.

 

Some people's idea of 'mint' as applied to records, is way off... Esentially 'mint' means unpayed and perfect.  If it has been played. 'NM' or 'near mint' is about as good as it can be honestly described.

 

All above said, ever since the major companies stopped pressing vinyl in quantity, there has been a steady supply of re-pressings from specialist labels such as 'Mobile Fidelity' and many others.  Arguments rage among collectors and audiophiles as to which particular original pressing, re-mastering or re-press sounds best.  Even I can't be bothered with all of that nonsense.

 

This is how I put my thinking on another website  (  www.pinkfishmmedia.net  )

 

Quote
Resident Philistine
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 18,799
 
It strikes me that in a very real sense, much of the debate around how to hear the original recordings of the Beatles, or anyone else for that matter... is a bit redundant.

I heard all of the Beatles stuff on A.M radio and a lot, though not all of it, on vinyl. The vinyl was mostly played on Dansettes or similar. As I said above I never bought any of the Beatles stuff at the time as my very limited funds went on anything I liked but was unlikely to hear at a friend's house etc.

It follows that the only reference point I have is memories of imperfect replay/broadcast from a long time ago.

So, ISTM that it further follows that any quiet pressing which doesn't have obvious tonal or mixing issues, could be accurate, as far as I'm ever likely to know.

I've just spent a bit of time looking at assorted reviews of recent Beatles Box Sets and seen a lot of complaints about surface noise, skips, pressing quality in general and damage to packaging etc. These are not accusations I could honestly hurl at D'Agostini re: the Jazz at 33 series. I had one faulty pressing which was quickly replaced.

So, on balance it seems to me that the D'Agostini subscription is worth a 'punt'.

Mull

 

So.. I have subscribed to the 23 title Beatles re-issue vinyl series by DeAgostini.  ( The part work people)  So far they are excellent.  They have excellent facsimilies of the original labels, covers and artwork, plus additional information booklets and so on.  And they sound very good.

 

I also subscribed to the DeAgostini ''Jazz at 33 rpm' series on vinyl.  This focuses mainly of 1950s and 60s classic jazz albums on legendary labels such as Blue Note, Impulse, Emarcy, ( American) Columbia etc etc.  I'm not mad about some of the more 'out there' stuff by the likes of Eric Dolphy, but it is more than made up for by having beautiful, new gorgeously presented re-creations of original albums such as Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue', Dave Brubeck 'Time Out', 'Louis and Ella', John Coltrane's 'Blue Train' and lots more by Gerry Mulligan, Wayne Shorter, Charlie Parker, Gil Evans, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan etc., etc.

You could start a very respectable vinyl collection from scratch ( Noooo!!  no scratches...  ;)       ) just by subscribing to these two sets.

 

Finally.. if you go into the likes of Fopp these days.. it seems that vinyl is everywhere again.. but I have to wonder just how well pressed some of it is.

 

Col

 

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