Who's still diggin' vinyl?

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 5:35 pm

Nice tables. If I ever replace the Marantz I'll go tube McIntosh, maybe an MC275 or a couple of mono MC75's.
The Marantz does really sound nice for a SS receiver and can go really loud and clear. Not as nice a tube Mac though.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 6:18 pm

Though tube Macs have never been cheap, they have been a sort of ultimate for me. Back in the mid-'70s I had a tube Mac/AR-Xa/AR-3a setup in my 5,000 square foot live/work loft in Chicago. It was spectacular.

The beat cops used to stop by late at night to listen to it and have a cup of coffee...there are advantages to living in an industrial area. Not too many, but this was one...

prog_rockin_metal_man · Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:56 pm

I like rockin' the vinyl...I don't have a fancy player or anything just some hand me down that I got from my grand-parents. I raided my parents record collection and took what was good and started buying my own stuff. Wierd thing is I'm just a 20 year old...vinyl was before my time but I love it! I swear I should have been living in the 70's...I always prefer vintage stuff.

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 7:14 am

Sorry, I don't get this love of vinyl thing. Some people say the sound is more realistic than CDs. Come on.

Do you think when LPs came out, people said "Oh, I much prefer the sound on my gramophone. And Edison's tin foil cylinder was even better!"

I still remember the first time I heard a CD on the radio. It was a CSN&Y record (can't remember which) and I could hear all the voices!

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:43 pm

Don't knock it until you've tried it with modern good equipment Mark, a good record blows away any CD in the reality department. Records are just like CD's some are made well and some aren't. If you took a record and a CD from the same source, the record would sound better. Tin cylinders, gramaphones and records are all analog, they are just vastly improved over the preceding medium, I doubt very much anyone would prefer a tin cylinder over a modern LP, but an LP and a CD are totally different ways of reproducing music, the CD reproduces a composite waveform and the record reproduces the real waveform. If you have a good record on a good turntable with good amps, speakers, etc, the record will sound more realistic which is why more and more audiophiles are turning back to records.
There are some obvious superior aspects to CDs, like greater dynamic range, no surface noise at all even when they are old, ease of play, but most also sound harsh compared to a good record.
Many records were remixed when they were remastered for CD which is probably why you are hearing the voices so much louder on many CD's I think The Stones did this especially on their old albums, their new LP's sound even better than their CD's. Abko released them several years ago

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 4:08 pm

I was an early adopter of CDs (1982), so early, in fact, that my first CD player came packaged with six CDs, because they were hard to get. "Rock, Jazz or Classical?" the salesman asked me. The CD players had 3 different SKUs...

I sold all my friends on them, too.

When I set up my "new" old Transcriptors Skeleton table/Clearaudio Wood cartridge rig in May, and finally got it going, I was skeptical that I would hear any difference.

I was mighty surprised. From the first time the needle went down on the first cut, it was like a new world again!

To verify if my impression was real, I simply A-B'd the same album on CD and vinyl, through the same system (just by flicking the SOURCE knob back and forth).

The album was Brian Wilson's "Smile" on CD and heavy vinyl.

The CD sounded fine; then I flipped to the record which was playing simultaneously. No contest. The vinyl had a soundstage so wide and deep that the CD sounded like it was recorded against a backwall on a 12 foot wide stage.

How to explain?

I'd simply say that there's an infinite number of shadings between 0 and 1, no matter how many times a second you sample.

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 3:34 am

Hey Bob, I've noticed some of those big old Marantz boxes sell for serious dollars on ebay.

I jus have a little 2226. But its loud enough to annoy the neighbors.

Matthew, I'm sure you're not the only one born in the post vinyl age to have discovered its merits. I'm sure many music fans your age are into it because used vinyl is less expensive than used CDs.

A friend of mine was left several McIntosh tube amps by his parents. One stereo and two mono, I think. They're down in his basement and we fire one of them up during his annual Christmas party. I think that's the only time of year it gets a workout.

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 5:08 am

I picked up a Marantz 2216B last year at a neighbors garage sale for $10! A little spray cleaner in all the pots and switches and this thing is running (and looks) like new.

I am sure it won't hold a candle to my current separates, AGI (Audio General Inc.) preamp and VSP Labs power amp. But for $10 what the heck.

To me a key element to a good turntable, arm, & cartridge is to have a excellent phono preamp section. That was always the reason for separates. It takes alot of shielding to keep RF out, something most receiver manufacturers did not do well.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 5:23 am

Just found this thread... I got into vinyl (and music itself) around age 14 and found I could buy records for 10 cents to $2.00 a piece, or cassette tapes for $10.00 a piece. Since I had a lot of catching up to do, vinyl was clearly the way to go. I moved the family record player (which was only used at Christmas time) into my bedroom and got schooled in classic rock all through the rest of high school. Finally got a CD player in college but not before I had amassed about 500 records, mostly under $1 each.

alexrocks · Post by **alexrocks** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 6:15 am

CDs are great. Some of my best friends are CDs, but the 12 inch black vinyl is just a thing of beauty. And one should mention the pure awesomeness of the 45 single. I love the 45.

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:33 am

virgin vinyl rocks out like motorhead!

rob · Post by **rob** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am

I bought this only because it was the only one I found that has all three speeds on it. Yes, I still listen to 78RPM's! This one also has some DJ features, like a slider to make it go a bit faster or slower, and a button to play it either forwards or backwards! No, I have not heard any subliminal messages yet.

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:08 pm

So what you're saying is the superior qualities of LP vs. CD sound is the same as the difference between LP vs. CD artwork?

My current system still includes cassettes, which are even cheaper in thrifts (when you see them) than vinyl. At 50 cents a pop I have amassed a decent collection.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 2:28 pm

I didn't know GC was selling vinyl records. Starting bid: 500.00

rob · Post by **rob** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 3:57 pm

I just remembered this story about a guy I know. His 7 year old son and him went garage sale shopping a couple of months ago. His son came back with a few LP's and told his dad, "Hey, check out these really large CD's I bought!" His dad laughed his a-- off. Of course, he told him what they were. It's a shame today, as I am sure there are people who don't know what LP's are.