A machine to play Vinyl

[TGMC421]

So...as a long time music lover and listener, but one who didn't grow up in the age of vinyl, what's so good/so much better about listening to music on vinyl.

I think I'm bought in just because it seems to be what people who like music as much as I do listen to...but can anyone educate me?

I feel like I will buy vinyl going forward, but I will probably only do that for bands/albums that I LOVE as opposed to all the music I consume.

people romanticize, talk about a warmth, a richness of sound, how album artwork was better with a larger canvas, whatever...i don't really get it, etiher.   vinyl to me means scratches, hisses, pops, and the sound of a needle passing through a groove.

having said that, in my computer room i still have my trusty 30 year old technics direct drive slq-200 turntable with a fairly new cartridge hooked up to my 33 year old pioneer sx-650 receiver with 33 year old (twice refurbished) pioneer hpm-40 speakers, so as soon as it arrives i'm ready to spin the black circle.    

It's hard to pinpoint one thing that makes vinyl so attractive to me.  It all started for me when I became a jazz junkie back in undergrad and I started collecting jazz on vinyl.  I became hooked.  The joy of spending hours in used record stores, enjoying the artwork on a much larger scale, and having something so physically impressive were all drawing points.  It is also the 'romanticism' involved with appreciating an album as a whole instead of making playlists and skipping tracks.

There's something about dropping a needle on the record, having a few drinks and reading the liner notes and admiring the album cover lying on the couch that popping an mp3 player into a bose speaker dock can never replicate.

With that all said, if you plan on moving a lot in your near future, vinyl can become rather cumbersome just by the space it consumes and the weight of your ever growing collection.

EDIT:  I should also add that it is the only medium that continues to see annual increases in sales providing revenue for artists (particularly smaller ones) and a means of sustenance for small record stores everywhere.  I know big box stores are eying this trend closely where they may delve into the market when the profit incentive makes sense to them.  I'd like to think that those that prefer their vinyl would continue to avoid that option when it becomes available.

One of my favorite album covers from one of my favorite albums of all time 8)

Yes!  LOVE Endtroducing   

[littleacorn]

Even with a cheap setup the only clicks or pops you should hear are the lead in groove. Otherwise you probably just have some dust in the grooves nothing a good record brush can't fix. I love my vinyl. I got into vinyl after seeing Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous.  I found a copy of Led Zeppelin III at a yard sale that summer for a nickel and from there on I have been hooked.  Vinyl is about having something tangible, something you can appreciate and actually experience.

[Penny Lane]

So...as a long time music lover and listener, but one who didn't grow up in the age of vinyl, what's so good/so much better about listening to music on vinyl.

I think I'm bought in just because it seems to be what people who like music as much as I do listen to...but can anyone educate me?

I feel like I will buy vinyl going forward, but I will probably only do that for bands/albums that I LOVE as opposed to all the music I consume.

people romanticize, talk about a warmth, a richness of sound, how album artwork was better with a larger canvas, whatever...i don't really get it, etiher.   vinyl to me means scratches, hisses, pops, and the sound of a needle passing through a groove.

having said that, in my computer room i still have my trusty 30 year old technics direct drive slq-200 turntable with a fairly new cartridge hooked up to my 33 year old pioneer sx-650 receiver with 33 year old (twice refurbished) pioneer hpm-40 speakers, so as soon as it arrives i'm ready to spin the black circle.    

It's hard to pinpoint one thing that makes vinyl so attractive to me.  It all started for me when I became a jazz junkie back in undergrad and I started collecting jazz on vinyl.  I became hooked.  The joy of spending hours in used record stores, enjoying the artwork on a much larger scale, and having something so physically impressive were all drawing points.  It is also the 'romanticism' involved with appreciating an album as a whole instead of making playlists and skipping tracks.

There's something about dropping a needle on the record, having a few drinks and reading the liner notes and admiring the album cover lying on the couch that popping an mp3 player into a bose speaker dock can never replicate.

With that all said, if you plan on moving a lot in your near future, vinyl can become rather cumbersome just by the space it consumes and the weight of your ever growing collection.

EDIT:  I should also add that it is the only medium that continues to see annual increases in sales providing revenue for artists (particularly smaller ones) and a means of sustenance for small record stores everywhere.  I know big box stores are eying this trend closely where they may delve into the market when the profit incentive makes sense to them.  I'd like to think that those that prefer their vinyl would continue to avoid that option when it becomes available.

One of my favorite album covers from one of my favorite albums of all time 8)

Yes!  LOVE Endtroducing   

that's one of my favorite albums! one of the very few of that genre (?) that i have..

[kotchishm]

I also need to make a purchase.  It will be fun enough explaining the $120 purchase for the albums and fan clubto my wife , but then also explaining it means I also need a player, now that will be a conversation.

that one i posted earlier from amazon that i have is onlt 100-120 and its decent enough with the right speakers, i like it and run Bose 301's through it

[Ruckus]

i have a technics 1200 from the days when i really wanted to be the next dj q-bert.

I love me some Qbert.  I had a fungus infused chocolate bar experience seeing Qbert about 9 years ago that just blew my mind! :o

hahaha was that the skratch: the movie tour? i went to one of those shows.

Nice!  I think it was.  Man it was so long ago but I know I saw the Executioners and Qbert but I don't recall anyone else who opened.  It was at Sonar.  Skratch is a GREAT movie

[Caseydog]

I also need to make a purchase.  It will be fun enough explaining the $120 purchase for the albums and fan clubto my wife , but then also explaining it means I also need a player, now that will be a conversation.

Ditto.  I don't want to buy a crappy USB turntable.  I've heard nothing good about them. 

[Caseydog]

I'm all over this one.

http://www.needledoctor.com/EAR-Disc-Master-Turntable?sc=2&category=45

[classicrocker623]

After my inherited Technics turntable kicked the bucket last year, I went for the Sony USB one (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-PS-LX300USB-Stereo-Turntable-Black/dp/B0015HOFZI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1302887487&sr=1-1).  Despite good reviews on Amazon, this turntable crapped out after only a year (although to be fair tt may have had something to do with the chaos of moving apartments).

I'm in the market for a new table and I'm thinking about stepping up to the next level.  Is the audio quality that much better on more expensive models?  How much of the sound has to do with other aspects of the setup (receiver, speakers, etc.)?

[slappymoe]

So...as a long time music lover and listener, but one who didn't grow up in the age of vinyl, what's so good/so much better about listening to music on vinyl.

I think I'm bought in just because it seems to be what people who like music as much as I do listen to...but can anyone educate me?

I feel like I will buy vinyl going forward, but I will probably only do that for bands/albums that I LOVE as opposed to all the music I consume.

people romanticize, talk about a warmth, a richness of sound, how album artwork was better with a larger canvas, whatever...i don't really get it, etiher.   vinyl to me means scratches, hisses, pops, and the sound of a needle passing through a groove.

having said that, in my computer room i still have my trusty 30 year old technics direct drive slq-200 turntable with a fairly new cartridge hooked up to my 33 year old pioneer sx-650 receiver with 33 year old (twice refurbished) pioneer hpm-40 speakers, so as soon as it arrives i'm ready to spin the black circle.    

I get what you're saying about the noise, slappy, and I can sympathize having used a  similar setup to your Pioneer system in the 80s and 90s (same Technics TT!). However, the difference to me can be heard at VOLUME, and especially with higher quality equipment (not that I have anything special now). When I play digital music, even from CDs, I hear distortion at high levels that I do not hear when listening to records, but of course that could go back to the quality of my digital equipment. That said, the romanticism and nostalgia and art factor in a big way for me too.               

so, what i'm hearing is that i need to turn it all the way up to 11.  well, hope my neighbors enjoy the new album.                        

[markcel]

I'm all over this one.

http://www.needledoctor.com/EAR-Disc-Master-Turntable?sc=2&category=45

I wonder if we order 2 or more at the same time if we get a discount?