re: Audiophile/Vinyl Thread - Post Pics, Advice, Questions, Setups, etc.

Led Zeppelin "Presence", 2015 reissue. Starts off with one of my fav Zep songs, "Achilles Last Stand", with bad a$$ drumming from Master Bonzo.

Good for the morning... Might throw on some Atmosphere here in a second.

ETA: yep, "When life hands you Lemons... Paint that shite gold" won out for next played.

Marco.... seems as though you are the resident expert on here.... been going to a buddy's house and listening to his collection. lets just say i have the bug.

that being said he has a very basic setup. my wife asked me why didn't i have one and i assume that gives me the green light!
I assume you or someone else addressed what i'm about to ask, but 70 pgs is a lot to go through...

after researching a decent amount i'd like to start getting things together. but, i'm gonna be working on a budget that i set for myself b/c it looks like it could get ugly in a hurry with this stuff. i'd like to stay at $1500 total to start. I'd assume a TT, phono amp, receiver and shelf speakers to start... then possibly adding a sub at some point and time. I'd like a little play with regards to being able to upgrade the TT components and such.

I think I like the pro-ject line... either the Debut carbon DC or the RPM-1. from there i don't have enough expertise to determine what to go with. I've seen brands i've never heard of mentioned on here and the net. Any help would be greatly appreciated from you or any others

Now playing...



The Radiators "Zig-zaggin' Through Ghostland"
New Orleans fish head music!

quote:

---

HebertFest08

---

I'll try to answer your concerns in the next couple days...too tired to make an in depth post right now...but I will get to it.

HebertFest08,

You want new or used? What is the size of the room? Bedroom? Office? Den? Mancave?

Could you possibly stretch the budget to $2k?

Do you need a CD player to start off with?


There are some places like AudioAdvisor and MusicDirect that have pretty good sales on demo and open box items and others that just didn't sell very well for some reason or another--it doesn't mean they aren't good pieces of gear, they may not have sold because audiophiles are a fickle bunch when it comes to gear.


Speakers : I will always say to start off with something that is a floor stander if you can stretch the budget--you will thank me later for this. While a good bookshelf can reproduce music very accurately, the laws of physics come into play when it comes to the low end, meaning woofers and bass reproduction. Whenever I have folks over to my place that have bookshelf speakers, the first thing out of their mouths is "holy crap--what a low end...man I wish I could get that kind of bass".

Many times, people start off with bookshelf speakers only to move to floor standers within a year, and spending a good bit more taking a loss on the first pair when they sell (not to mention the hassle of selling them).

I will link some speakers for you to look at in some posts following this one.

Turntable : My go to for a beginner is usually the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. It is a really good table for the money ($350-400). You mentioned a table with upgrade paths--I really wouldn't spend the money on all the Pro-Ject upgrades because once you spend all the money to essentially replace all the vitals, you just bought an entry level VPI Traveller (or a used VPI Scout). Spend some time with the Pro-Ject and if you are still really into it in a year or two, then sell the Pro-Ject and invest in a VPI or Clearaudio table.

Doing it this way will also allow you to realize just how a jump from a $400 'table/cart combo to a $1500 'table/cart affects the sound. You will have created a "reference standard" by which to judge other tables. You may then have a better appreciation for the jump up when you make it.

Amp/Pre : I will recommend an integrated amplifier over a receiver. Read my Audio 101 post about 5-10 pages back on this. Many newer integrated amps have a built in DAC, which will allow for you to run a digital source directly into the pre-amp section of the integrated. This will allow you to run a computer into the system and decode the computer files and stream from Internet audio sites. Don't get too caught up on power for now--most budget speakers are fairly efficient and can sing with 40-50 watts of good power....again--read my Audio 101 posts about 10 pages back.


Phono Pre Amp : this piece is often referred to by many names--phono pre amp, phono section, phono stage--they are all the same, so don't get confused with the terminology.

If the integrated amplifier you decide to buy has one built in, then you are good to go. Many newer integrateds are putting phono sections back into their designs due to the resurgence of vinyl. This route will at least get you started. Will it be the best? No, but again, you may want to run with it this way to get started and as you get more money to throw at the system, you can then invest in an outboard phono pre amp.
And, the phono stages that are included in today's integrateds are pretty decent considering you are plugging in a $400-$1000 table/cartridge combo. Most folks aren't plugging in a $10k table into it, so it kinda goes hand in hand.

The entry level phono stage that I would recommend (if you must get an outboard one) is the Lehman Audio Black Cube--it runs around $400 or so and is dead quiet and extremely revealing. It also has numerous resistive settings for MC and MM cartridges. I used one for about 3 years when I got started. It is really a true bang for the buck piece of gear.

If you have to get a cheaper one, try Bellari (a little tube phono stage that does MM only). It isn't as quiet or dynamic or offer the number of settings or does MC like the Lehman Black Cube, but it is also about 1/3 the cost. For the price--a decent piece of gear.

Cartridges : the Pro-Ject Debut comes with the Ortofon 2M Red (2M for MM--Moving Magnet). MC cartridges--Moving Coil--usually begin around the $700 mark and go to $15k. So, starting out, you will be using an MM cart.



I will try to post some links to speakers and integrated amps that fit your needs/budget in the coming days. In the meantime, go surf Music Direct, Audio Advisor, Elusivedisc, and Acoustic Sounds websites to get an idea of what is out there.

I will also recommend perusing Stereophile magazine's website as well--they have a special section devoted to the beginner called "the entry level"--many components are reviewed every month. They are also reviewed by folks who are professional audio writers (many are musicians and electrical engineers) and have been die hards in this hobby for 40 years who all attend 12+ audio shows worldwide annually--not some schmuck on CNET who blogs from his parent's basement.


I will also recommend that you read this thread in its entirety--it won't take that long if you skip through all the pictures of what we are currently listening to (which is many of the posts in this thread), and just read the text. I have posted a good bit of useful information in some of the earlier posts in this thread for people like you with the very questions you are asking--that is why I spent the time and energy to do that--to help the folks getting started.


Hit me back with a little more info on what you are looking to achieve immediately and maybe in a couple years, as well as answers to the questions I asked above.

I will try my best to help you build a rig that will give you a good foundation that can be upgraded and expanded down the road.


Glad you got "the bug"--enjoy the ride!

Marco, your knowledge and willingness to help us newcomers is priceless and greatly appreciated...

"Meet me down in Birdland"

Late night Fish Fry...




The New Orleans Radiators--"Work Done on Premises" 2 LP...Croaker Records 1980.


Tight Like That...

Getting one in...



A classic, at that. Guns N' Roses "Appetite For Destruction", 2008 Back to Black reissue.