Current Events > Any tips/equipment recommendations for going Vinyl?

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I'm in a neighborhood where there are quite a few record shops and was thinking about going vinyl, rebuying some classics in that format.

Anyone have a good recommendations for turntables? I briefly browsed Amazon for some, seeing good reviews for Audio-Technica (A brand I trust) and the classic Vitrola. My budget for a player is $100-$125.

Also, I've seen some combos that are bundled with Bluetooth speakers. Do they dilute the sound of the vinyl player? Should I go with hard-wired speaker sets instead?

Any and all feedback appreciated.

@Error1355 sorry for the mention, just figured you'd be a good help since IIRC you have a bunch of records
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EnterTheTekken posted...

Also, I've seen some combos that are bundled with Bluetooth speakers. Do they dilute the sound of the vinyl player? Should I go with hard-wired speaker sets instead?

short answers:

Not really and This is better but takes a lot more time and effort.

My recommendation:

Unless you're buying exclusively older music, such as early 80s or older, I would not be concerned with how you output the music.

Audio-Technica makes great turntables, I use one and I recommend it to others.
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I bought a AT LP120, I'm happy with it, came with some monitors that are pretty decent.
At your price range, the 60 is probably a good choice. Don't get a piece of shit Crosley.
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Good deal. I would check out all of that.

And yes, mostly my purchases are going to be older music like Deep Purple, Joplin, The Kinks, etc.

EnterTheTekken posted...

Good deal. I would check out all of that.

And yes, mostly my purchases are going to be older music like Deep Purple, Joplin, The Kinks, etc.

In that case I'd highly suggest checking out some speakers and amps.
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Amazon reviews don't mean shit. People ignorant enough to buy shit are the last people whose opinion you want to listen to.

All-in-one turntables that come with speakers and amplification built in are not worth the box they come in. They are poorly made, sound like shit, and worst of all, apply too much tracking force which ruins records.

If your budget is around $100, buy used. You will get a much better table that way. Anything new in that price range is a plastic toy with terrible tone at best. The AT LP120 will get the job done but it has its issues. They sometimes have uneven platters, and always have a lot of rumble. Styli pick up rumble so you want all the moving parts to be as quiet as possible. Technics is a good brand to look for when buying vintage and are very common.

Remember, in addition to the table you will need speakers, and three stages of amplification; a phono stage, a preamp, and a power amp. You can buy these stages in one, two, or three pieces. If you want them all together look for an integrated amplifier with a phono input. That is where you will plug your turntable into the amplifier. You can also buy an integrated amplifier with a preamp and power amp included and a separate phono stage. Or get three separate pieces. Older amps usually have a phono input, but may require refurbishing.

For research stereophile.com is a great website, and vinylengine.com has a forum with very helpful users.

Amazon reviews don't mean shit.

I disagree, they tend to be pretty spot on for most things.
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Had a audio technica 60 for a long time and it held up well. No complaints at all.
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Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

Amazon reviews don't mean shit.

I disagree, they tend to be pretty spot on for most things.

Not when it comes to turntables.

masterbarf posted...

Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

Amazon reviews don't mean shit.

I disagree, they tend to be pretty spot on for most things.

Not when it comes to turntables.

All the Amazon reviews for turntables are all terrible. You'll get people who rate things 1 star for stupid shit like "there's no pre amp"
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masterbarf posted...

If your budget is around $100, buy used.

^^^
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masterbarf posted...

Amazon reviews don't mean shit. People ignorant enough to buy shit are the last people whose opinion you want to listen to.

All-in-one turntables that come with speakers and amplification built in are not worth the box they come in. They are poorly made, sound like shit, and worst of all, apply too much tracking force which ruins records.

If your budget is around $100, buy used. You will get a much better table that way. Anything new in that price range is a plastic toy with terrible tone at best. The AT LP120 will get the job done but it has its issues. They sometimes have uneven platters, and always have a lot of rumble. Styli pick up rumble so you want all the moving parts to be as quiet as possible. Technics is a good brand to look for when buying vintage and are very common.

Remember, in addition to the table you will need speakers, and three stages of amplification; a phono stage, a preamp, and a power amp. You can buy these stages in one, two, or three pieces. If you want them all together look for an integrated amplifier with a phono input. That is where you will plug your turntable into the amplifier. You can also buy an integrated amplifier with a preamp and power amp included and a separate phono stage. Or get three separate pieces. Older amps usually have a phono input, but may require refurbishing.

For speakers, always listen to speakers before buying. Different speakers have different character. Different people like different sound. Check out a hi-fi shop or even a Best Buy with a Magnolia room and listen to different tweeter and woofer types and find what you like best.

For research, stereophile.com is a great website, and vinylengine.com has a forum with very helpful users.

Myself, I have a Clearaudio turntable, a Pro-Ject phono stage, an NAD integrated amplifier, and Bowers & Wilkins speakers.

If you have any questions I can respond tomorrow. Though vinylengine.com is a fantastic forum.

Awesome detail. I appreciate it.

So is your setup completely used/refurb or is any of it newly purchased? There's an old music equipment shop a few burbs over than I can check out.

EnterTheTekken posted...

So is your setup completely used/refurb or is any of it newly purchased? There's an old music equipment shop a few burbs over than I can check out.

I bought everything new except the integrated amplifier. The amp isn't vintage though, just used.

If I were you, I'd go to vinylengine.com. If you say you're looking for your first turntable, give your budget, and mention where you live, users will go to craigslist and find the best local options to for you to buy.

EnterTheTekken posted...

There's an old music equipment shop a few burbs over than I can check out.

You should definitely go there and at least see what amps they have to offer.

I just got into this scene about a week ago so I've been asking a lot of similar questions.

I tried an AT-LP60, but almost immediately experienced some skips. Wasn't the end of the world, but you know, I had the receipt and everything, so I went back and upgraded to the AT-LP120. Totally love it and my understanding from the community at r/vinyl and the like is that it's a pretty good table (not perfect, but good) unless you wanna start getting real advanced.
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