Vinyl Set Up

[agnosticpipe]

Yeah, needle in the groove. Whenever I think of record grooves, I think of this record. Do you think your cartridge could track this record? It's the infamous 1812 Overture on the Telarc label from 1979, one of the earliest digital recordings released. I had a Thorens TD 160 with a Shure cartridge at the time, and I had to put the tracking force to the maximum to keep in the groove, and even then it would skip right out of the groove sometimes. I think you can see some damage to the grooves I probably did doing that. Those cannon shots!! I'll bet it messed up some amps and speakers over the course of time too.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I believe that's an extreme close-up of the needle in the groove!

Thanks! I see it now plainly.

 

[bangzoom]

What is the image of?

Yes, magnified image of needle in the groove.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Got me thinking. The original masters- were some rubber before they switched to metal? And about when did they start to use metal masters?

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I started my Monday by spinning Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever and as I was putting the album away I heard a 2-3 second sizzle. I hope it’s not terminal!

View attachment 336633

Come on now, looks like you were just getting in the mood!

Seriously, hope nothing was damaged.

 

[cshubhra]

I don’t know whether it’s this thread, but I got to listening to Vinyl last April.

Our family had a Vinyl set up back in may be 1980, so I am listening to Vinyl after 44 years, since I was a toddler.

I got the following setup

1. Fluance RT83 TT with Ortofon Red Cartridge
2. Fluance PA10 pre Amp
3. Instead of a receiver I have been using the AUX input of my LG 2.1 2000W RMS Music System

 

[cshubhra]

I don’t know whether it’s this thread, but I got to listening to Vinyl last April.

Our family had a Vinyl set up back in may be 1980, so I am listening to Vinyl after 44 years, since I was a toddler.

I got the following setup

1. Fluance RT83 TT with Ortofon Red Cartridge
2. Fluance PA10 pre Amp
3. Instead of a receiver I have been using the AUX input of my LG 2.1 2000W RMS Music System

View attachment 336887

A closer look at the TT. Also the no of vinyls have increased considerably since April

 

[Humblepipe]

A closer look at the TT. Also the no of vinyls have increased considerably since View attachment 336897View attachment 336898April

Glad your enjoying the vinyl. It's brought much joy to our household over the years.

 

[cshubhra]

Glad your enjoying the vinyl. It's brought much joy to our household over the years.

Surely it has been fun! I listen to music mostly as a background while I am doing something else. This has made the act of listening to music much more deliberate, which I like.

The vinyls sounds better. I am assuming that is what most people call warmth:

Finally the act of hunting and buying Vinyl is fun.

 

[AreBee]

Come on now, looks like you were just getting in the mood!

Seriously, hope nothing was damaged.

From what I've gathered, it's most likely a cheap capacitor. Labor is not usually cheap, but I'll take it back where I bought it this weekend.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

From what I've gathered, it's most likely a cheap capacitor. Labor is not usually cheap, but I'll take it back where I bought it this weekend.

If it's a flux capacitor watch out!

 

[AreBee]

If it's a flux capacitor watch out!

My wife who thinks she's a comedienne, threw that joke at me and also asked if I was playing Smoke on the Water when it happened!

 

[Searock Fan]

I kind of forgot about this thread, but am glad to see it bumped up again. I've been listening to a lot more music lately, and also thinking about my audio journey over the years. I don't even want to think about all the money I've spent on that journey. But here's where it started for me in 1966. My parents always had some kind of large furniture type of stereo, but while at Michigan State I came across a guy with this little portable stereo in his room. It looked different than anything I'd ever seen but the sound was amazing for what it was. So I had to get one, it was a KLH model 11 portable stereo that was a turntable and amplifier plus two detachable speakers, and cost $199.00 back then. This was the beginning of my journey... These pictures are ones I found online and is not my actual stereo. As the years passed, I bought two more KLH stereos that were similar but not portable. Great sound for the bucks!
View attachment 336692
View attachment 336693

I remember when you could buy these new... i never did.

 

[Searock Fan]

Back in the early 80s I had a pair of these monsters (magnepan tympani) in my living room. I was single and didn't care that they were kind of an eyesore. At the time they were the best thing I ever heard. System had a Linn Sondek turntable, pair of Levinson ML3 amps, and Levinson ML1 preamp with all wires and connector cables of 99.9% pure silver. Finally upgraded to a more up to date and better speakers. You guessed it, Magnepans again. Boy, do I miss the days I could afford to spend money of stuff like that.



The above image is off the net, not mine.

 

[Searock Fan]

Another thought: If you don't know about it already, you might want to take a look at this site. It's a good source of vintage gear.

US Audio Mart America's Newest Online Hifi, Audio & Home Theater Classifieds

America's Largest FREE Audio/Hifi and Home Theater classifieds site. Buy, sell, and trade high end audio and Home Theater equipment. For enthusiasts, hobbyists, and casual listeners.

www.usaudiomart.com

 

[AreBee]

Surely it has been fun! I listen to music mostly as a background while I am doing something else. This has made the act of listening to music much more deliberate, which I like.

The vinyls sounds better. I am assuming that is what most people call warmth:

Finally the act of hunting and buying Vinyl is fun.

The fact that listening to vinyl is deliberate is exactly why it appeals to me at this stage of my life. Spotify is usually playing in the background at any given time in our house or when we are in the cars. It's easy and convenient and the selection is practically infinite.

Much like pipe smoking or cigar smoking, selecting and listening to vinyl is a commitment for me. First the selection process and then I sit on my couch in between all of the speakers and the event begins. Half way through, you flip the record and commit to the second side.

As far as the hunt goes, it has been an incredible bonding event for our family. Trips to record stores and antique shops typically happen once or twice a month and Record Store Day is an annual event. My daughters are 20 and 24 and working on their own LP collections and my wife will even pick something out every now and then.

 

[Uguccione]

Back in the early 80s I had a pair of these monsters (magnepan tympani)

I didn't know them.
I would also really like the Wilson ones that can be seen on the far right.

 

[agnosticpipe]

Back in the early 80s I had a pair of these monsters (magnepan tympani) in my living room. I was single and didn't care that they were kind of an eyesore. At the time they were the best thing I ever heard. System had a Linn Sondek turntable, pair of Levinson ML3 amps, and Levinson ML1 preamp with all wires and connector cables of 99.9% pure silver. Finally upgraded to a more up to date and better speakers. You guessed it, Magnepans again. Boy, do I miss the days I could afford to spend money of stuff like that.

View attachment 337158

The above image is off the net, not mine.

Wow, I had a pair of Tympani 1D speakers too, only black. The guy I bought them from had Levinson amps too. (did I buy them from you?) Them white fabric was beat up so he paid for new covers (black is what I wanted) but I had to install them. I was using Conrad Johnson electronics and an AR turntable that had been customized with an Infinity Black Widow tone arm. You really needed to have the right room for those speakers to sound the best. I did not, so after about a year I sold them and bought some Thiel speakers.

 

[Searock Fan]

Wow, I had a pair of Tympani 1D speakers too, only black. The guy I bought them from had Levinson amps too. (did I buy them from you?) Them white fabric was beat up so he paid for new covers (black is what I wanted) but I had to install them. I was using Conrad Johnson electronics and an AR turntable that had been customized with an Infinity Black Widow tone arm. You really needed to have the right room for those speakers to sound the best. I did not, so after about a year I sold them and bought some Thiel speakers.

It is a small world after all.... Wilson makes great speakers, but the price is a back breaker. Maggies however are a great value for the price. The only thing is that with Maggies you need a "lot of power", not just watts but voltge too. So you can't cheap out on the amp. In many setups I've heard with them, they were underpowered and therefore did not reveal their full potential.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I was in 2 minds as to whether I should ditch my vinyl and vintage Kenwood KD5066 turntable and stick to CD/SACD for my tunes after buying a Yamaha 3060 AVR last year but only setting it up this summer.

I gave it much thought and caved in and just bought a lovely new Yamaha A-S1200 integrated amp so I shall be dusting off the old Kenwood after all and who knows, I might even start buying vinyl again.




Kenwood pic is borrowed but mine is identical.

The amp is sitting in its box in my hallway as I'm waiting on a neighbour to bring it into the sitting room for me as I can't lift the bugger....it weighs a ton!

All I need now is a new cart/stylus then I'm away to go, not played vinyl in some years so quite looking forward to it.

Jay.