Anyone Else Enjoy Spinning LP's?

[houndstooth]

Hobie, if I get out to NC on location work I will look you up!
Ghost, sorry I can't be of more help. I know there are a lot of commercial products out there that are crazy expensive, but I don't know ideas people have done on the DIY level. Maybe hang some carpets, or even furniture pads/moving blankets?
As an aside, the most "dead" room acoustically I have ever been in is a room at a company in Munich called Arriflex. They make motion picture cameras, and the room I am talking about was used to test each and every individual camera they built with film running through it, to see the sound level emitted by the camera when shooting film.
I walked into the room, and it was an otherworldly experience. It felt about as close to being deaf as I can imagine that must feel like. Very odd and unnatural sensation!

 

[voorhees]

I have a question for you guys, I have an 1959 Admiral Console unit, with a turntable and radio. My question is should I try and bring back the old unit or upgrading the turntable and stereo to modern electronics. Basically gutting the old and making it new in the old cabinet? It does work, but not great. I'd think having a new turntable, speakers and a CD player/MP3 installed would make me want to use it more.

 

[houndstooth]

voorhees, I don't know much about those older cabinet systems, but here's my 2 cents for all its value...
Unless the cabinet system is in very good condition, or otherwise has something that gives it intrinsic value (like it's a rare model or something), I would not spend much money to restore it as it was originally. Having said that, I am not sure I would gut it and retrofit it with a newer, more modern turntable and CD player or MP3 player, etc., either.
I'm not saying that might not be cool in a certain way, but acoustically, the speakers being integral to the cabinet are going to limit the stereo imaging you are able to get out of the system.
If you love the look of the cabinet, and really want to do something like that, go for it, but I would be tempted to leave it as is, kind of like a curio or antique, and start building a modest stereo system with good quality components that fit your budget. If you really get bitten by the bug, you will be upgrading stuff down the line, most likely.
I read a good book many years ago when I was on the quest to start building up a decent stereo system on a seriously limited budget. It may or may not still be relevant, but it seems as if it has been revised to keep up with changing technologies. The book is: "The Complete Guide to High End Audio" by Robert Harley. In fact I am tempted to get the revised (4th edition) myself.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Guide-High-End-Audio/dp/0978649311
A very good buddy of mine turned me onto it in the late '90's, and I then, in turn, gave a copy to my brother. All three of us agree that it was very helpful in getting us going in the right direction.
YMMV, so if this advice doesn't resonate with you, no worries. I'm just trying to offer one perspective.

 

[voorhees]

Thanks for the ideas houndstooth. I like the cabinet, I have relegated it to the spare bedroom due to lack of use. I really would like to use it again in my man den. I still think retrofitting the components would be doable, even if I just had new speakers hidden behind the fabric speaker locations. And adding a modern turntable and cd player.

 

[hobie1dog]

Voorhees: That has been done before....replacing the electronics with a receiver that will fit in place of the factory AM/FM section, then gutting the speakers and putting great sounding speakers that will fill up your original space nicely.
These are the last set of speakers I built, also 8 foot tall with 16 drivers in each cabinet.

 

[hobie1dog]

Houndstooth, this is an unreal MacIntosh collection


And this one too

 

[deithial]

Wow, lots of pictures of great gear. I too am a vinyl player, not exclussivly by any means but over the years the pile has grown and grown.
Still drooling over that Thorens that agnosticpipe posted, damn sexy machine.

 

[anglesey]

That looks like a control bank off the death star. I want.
I spin the lp's too, but my kit's 42nd rate in comparison to that, and probably 42 years older too...

 

[hobie1dog]

More great tables

 

[houndstooth]

Hobie... Wow! I am speechless at those Mac collections! Keep the great pics coming!

 

[hobie1dog]

How about a McIntosh turntable?

 

[hobie1dog]

More McIntosh porn

 

[hobie1dog]

 

[houndstooth]

I love that Thorens! The Mac TT is pretty cool too, I have to say.

 

[hobie1dog]

I thought you vacated us ....nice avatar picture now.

 

[houndstooth]

Thanks, Hobie. Nah, I didn't vacate. I've just been working on a few projects, and devoting more time to archery than spinning LP's the past week or so. I plan on listening quite a bit this coming weekend, however!

 

[hobie1dog]

More eye candy

 

[drmrgood]

Great photos!

I own Audio Technica AT LP-120 and everything I know about turntables I learned on this website here: Record Player Reviews . Great website with very detailed tutorials for turntables and all audio equipment.