Vinyl - Audiophiles
Leo
01-24-2016, 11:09 PM
So this is going to my attempt at writing a thread about vinyl... Collecting, playing...well audio is a big hobby of mine and something I feel that I know a little bit about. It can be a fun hobby and it doesn't have to be expensive at all...
I think the one thing a lot of people assume about vinyl is that it's full of pops and clicks and doesn't sound as good as digital audio...firstly, no vinyl doesn't always have pops and clicks although it does require care and you really need to maintain your equipment. If you allow dust to get on your records you will hear the dust when you play the record, or if you use a worn out stylus (needle).
Here's a little snippet I did of Vinyl vs CD...I bought "Some Nights" by Fun a few years ago which also came with the CD version...
Of course now YouTube applies compression (of both types)...one the analog audio is digital compressed to AAC format and then compressed to make the audio louder so it's not really a fair comparison, but the point is that it is often very difficult to notice the differences between the two formats...
New records are often a bit more expensive than their digital counterparts, that is usually true but it can often be the opposite case when you buy used. Buying a used record doesn't mean you're getting a scratched up record that belongs in the trash. I have bought many, many records off of eBay, or have been given a large number of records that have been sitting in the attic for 20 years and after cleaning have been very happy with the results. On the cheap, some people give the stuff away, so if you're into older stuff then this is a cheap, cheap way to get into some good music.
If you're just getting into vinyl, well you're going to need a record player. I honestly recommend just getting a hold of a used turntable. I personally have a preference for Technics turntables...I have bought, used several of their 80's SL-DB2x series turntables, they're a dime a dozen, easy to operate, built well and very common to come by. DO NOT buy those Crosley turntables...they're very cheap, poor sound quality and will damage and wear out your records. Now if you want to, you can skip buying used and get something more substantial... Depending on how serious you want to get you can spend a few hundred to thousands on turntables...I suggest saving your money for something else which I will bring up when I get to talking about sound quality and while there are big improvements that can be made with the turntable, the stylus, cartridge, etc, often enough improvements can be made with other things, like speaker which I'll dive into later on.
So first things first, some terminology. So we probably all know what the needle is, but needle is wrong...it is a stylus. The stylus is actually a diamond that has been anchored to what we call the cantilever. The cantilever is fixed to the cartridge. Inside the cartridge are a combination of coils and magnets which pick up the grooves of the record. From the cartridge there are small wires the lead to the audio jacks on the back of the turntable. Some turntables have built-in pre-amps, most do not. This means your stereo receiver must have a phono pre-amp or you need to use a stand alone pre-amp. Pre-amps are also another topic of discussion and does impact the sound to a degree, we'll also talk about that later on.
Here's a diagram...
![[Image: turntable-parts-record-player-technics-s...dZ5sSgM%3D]](http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/274901/2148533/1226848735420/turntable-parts-record-player-technics-sl1200-sl-1200.jpg?token=Hct6GecU%2BBCPoZ1P6267dZ5sSgM%3D)
Shopping for a Turntable
If you're totally new to vinyl and don't want to go through the hassle of setting up a new turntable I recommend buying a used Technics turntable. They use a P-mount cartridge which is essentially a plug and play type, requires no alignment, or any setup for tracking force or anti-skate. If you like a challenge, by all means go for a standard mount, you will have a lot more room for upgrades and customization. However, for a beginner, these are rock solid turntables that perform quite well.
Some Technics P-mount turntable models...
SL-BD27
SL-QD33
SL-BD20
All of these were made in the 80's and I have owned or operated these models and all are available for well under $100. Worst case you have to buy a needle or comes without a dust cover. Make sure you get a dust cover.
So now you bought a turntable what do you do now? Well make sure everything works, make sure the speed selector work, cueing, tonearm moves freely, etc.
Shopping for Vinyl
Well there are many places to buy vinyl... I often do find pretty good deals on eBay. However, I find some of the neatest stuff in record stores. When I visit some family out on the coast there's a record store I often go to and splurge on records (sometimes way way too much)... If you buy on eBay, read the listing...some people do sell junk...never buy anything warped or from anyone who can't comment on the condition of the record...unless you're doing to stick it on the wall or something, don't bother...you can always save searches for stuff if it is a rare album.
Should you be buying really old music (i.e. 78 RPM shellac records), I suggest not buying those off the internet as they're very fragile and can crack and break easily in shipping.
That being said, flea markets and estate sales can land you some interesting finds.
Ok, so you want to buy new stuff on Vinyl. eBay can also be a good source for new stuff, there are also catalogs such as Music Direct. You will often pay a premium, but sometimes you can pick up a new record for $10 new, which isn't bad...I have seen plenty of records for $40...$50...or even $100 new...and if it is something rare and still factory sealed, such as Dave Mathews Band - Before These Crowded Streets where there were only 1,000 copies pressed on vinyl they can go for $1,000. So now, doesn't look like that one will ever be in my collection. That being said, just because it is rare doesn't mean you should pay through the nose for it. A good example is Baz Luhrmann's Sunscreen Song. I found that on vinyl...one was $300 and the other listing I found was $10... Why? Well one person knew the Sunscreen Song and the other didn't know what the deal was...Well I bought the $10 one and was perfectly happy with it. I have a pretty rare single (I think there were only 1,000 made from what I remember reading) and paid $10 for it. So do your research if you come across something expensive and you really want it. So it is a matter of how much it is worth to you and being patient to wait for a good listing.
The other thing that often happens, once your friends know you're into vinyl is that someone will eventually clean out their attic and couldn't be happier to have it out of their hair. You can come across great finds, but also a bunch of crap you'll never play. My advice, cherry pick if you can, worst case take them all and give away the rest later on. I gave away about 80 records I was given but didn't want to keep to a thrift store.
Cleaning Records
This is another subject of debate. You can spend hundreds on automatic record cleaners but not everyone has the liberty of doing that. So here's a cheap solutions.
First, dirty is the record. Well in my case when I came back from the flea market all the records were covered in dirt, silt and dust...not about to wipe them. Some will strongly disagree with what I did, but to me labels aren't the end of the world... I put the records in the sink with warm water using a microfiber cloth, washed off the majority of the crap.
However, for casual cleaning, a solution (alcohol free) for cleaning records and a felt brush is sufficient for cleaning.
Also invest in a anti-static brush. Use it before playing records. Records easily become statically charged... The brush attracts the dust and debris. Simply turn on the turntable and allow it to spin several time and work the brush into the center...once you have the brush in the center touch the spindle in the center to discharge. You can take it a step further and use an anti-static gun which shoots ions on the record which gets rid of the charge, but the first method is cheaper and from what I and others have seen is plenty effective.
NEVER use alcohol or household cleaners to clean records...Alcohol dries out the vinyl and will reduce sound quality.
NEVER wet play your records.. This gets dirt, grime and other crap deep into the grooves and can also damage the stylus and cantilever... The stylus is often glued to the cantilever, water, alcohol can weaken the bond or worse can cause the stylus to come apart...
Turntable Maintenance
If you have a P-mount cartridge, there's not a whole lot to worry about. However, you should clean the stylus using the stylus brush. Keep the turntable free from dust.
Then comes the question, how long does a stylus last?
Generally speaking a stylus will last about 1,000 hours of playback so this might be a year, may be longer depending on how often you play vinyl. The condition of the records you play...dirty and scratched LP's will wear the stylus out faster.
For those who collect and play 78's. The stylus is different and doesn't last as long. The stylus on those is made from sapphire. You can expect about 300 hours of playback with those styli. For those who are using gramophone record players the needles use a steel or fiber stylus which should be replaced after each use (although I hear people would often keep using them...although I'd say that playing your 78's on a modern turntable is a bit easier on the shellac).
Resources
Even a nerd like me hasn't done everything. So if you need to know more about aligning a cartridge, setting tracking force, anti-skate or more information check these videos out.
A little lengthy, but good explanation about anti-skate and how to set up...
Feel free to ask questions...
I think the one thing a lot of people assume about vinyl is that it's full of pops and clicks and doesn't sound as good as digital audio...firstly, no vinyl doesn't always have pops and clicks although it does require care and you really need to maintain your equipment. If you allow dust to get on your records you will hear the dust when you play the record, or if you use a worn out stylus (needle).
Here's a little snippet I did of Vinyl vs CD...I bought "Some Nights" by Fun a few years ago which also came with the CD version...
Of course now YouTube applies compression (of both types)...one the analog audio is digital compressed to AAC format and then compressed to make the audio louder so it's not really a fair comparison, but the point is that it is often very difficult to notice the differences between the two formats...
New records are often a bit more expensive than their digital counterparts, that is usually true but it can often be the opposite case when you buy used. Buying a used record doesn't mean you're getting a scratched up record that belongs in the trash. I have bought many, many records off of eBay, or have been given a large number of records that have been sitting in the attic for 20 years and after cleaning have been very happy with the results. On the cheap, some people give the stuff away, so if you're into older stuff then this is a cheap, cheap way to get into some good music.
If you're just getting into vinyl, well you're going to need a record player. I honestly recommend just getting a hold of a used turntable. I personally have a preference for Technics turntables...I have bought, used several of their 80's SL-DB2x series turntables, they're a dime a dozen, easy to operate, built well and very common to come by. DO NOT buy those Crosley turntables...they're very cheap, poor sound quality and will damage and wear out your records. Now if you want to, you can skip buying used and get something more substantial... Depending on how serious you want to get you can spend a few hundred to thousands on turntables...I suggest saving your money for something else which I will bring up when I get to talking about sound quality and while there are big improvements that can be made with the turntable, the stylus, cartridge, etc, often enough improvements can be made with other things, like speaker which I'll dive into later on.
So first things first, some terminology. So we probably all know what the needle is, but needle is wrong...it is a stylus. The stylus is actually a diamond that has been anchored to what we call the cantilever. The cantilever is fixed to the cartridge. Inside the cartridge are a combination of coils and magnets which pick up the grooves of the record. From the cartridge there are small wires the lead to the audio jacks on the back of the turntable. Some turntables have built-in pre-amps, most do not. This means your stereo receiver must have a phono pre-amp or you need to use a stand alone pre-amp. Pre-amps are also another topic of discussion and does impact the sound to a degree, we'll also talk about that later on.
Here's a diagram...
Shopping for a Turntable
If you're totally new to vinyl and don't want to go through the hassle of setting up a new turntable I recommend buying a used Technics turntable. They use a P-mount cartridge which is essentially a plug and play type, requires no alignment, or any setup for tracking force or anti-skate. If you like a challenge, by all means go for a standard mount, you will have a lot more room for upgrades and customization. However, for a beginner, these are rock solid turntables that perform quite well.
Some Technics P-mount turntable models...
SL-BD27
SL-QD33
SL-BD20
All of these were made in the 80's and I have owned or operated these models and all are available for well under $100. Worst case you have to buy a needle or comes without a dust cover. Make sure you get a dust cover.
So now you bought a turntable what do you do now? Well make sure everything works, make sure the speed selector work, cueing, tonearm moves freely, etc.
Shopping for Vinyl
Well there are many places to buy vinyl... I often do find pretty good deals on eBay. However, I find some of the neatest stuff in record stores. When I visit some family out on the coast there's a record store I often go to and splurge on records (sometimes way way too much)... If you buy on eBay, read the listing...some people do sell junk...never buy anything warped or from anyone who can't comment on the condition of the record...unless you're doing to stick it on the wall or something, don't bother...you can always save searches for stuff if it is a rare album.
Should you be buying really old music (i.e. 78 RPM shellac records), I suggest not buying those off the internet as they're very fragile and can crack and break easily in shipping.
That being said, flea markets and estate sales can land you some interesting finds.
Ok, so you want to buy new stuff on Vinyl. eBay can also be a good source for new stuff, there are also catalogs such as Music Direct. You will often pay a premium, but sometimes you can pick up a new record for $10 new, which isn't bad...I have seen plenty of records for $40...$50...or even $100 new...and if it is something rare and still factory sealed, such as Dave Mathews Band - Before These Crowded Streets where there were only 1,000 copies pressed on vinyl they can go for $1,000. So now, doesn't look like that one will ever be in my collection. That being said, just because it is rare doesn't mean you should pay through the nose for it. A good example is Baz Luhrmann's Sunscreen Song. I found that on vinyl...one was $300 and the other listing I found was $10... Why? Well one person knew the Sunscreen Song and the other didn't know what the deal was...Well I bought the $10 one and was perfectly happy with it. I have a pretty rare single (I think there were only 1,000 made from what I remember reading) and paid $10 for it. So do your research if you come across something expensive and you really want it. So it is a matter of how much it is worth to you and being patient to wait for a good listing.
The other thing that often happens, once your friends know you're into vinyl is that someone will eventually clean out their attic and couldn't be happier to have it out of their hair. You can come across great finds, but also a bunch of crap you'll never play. My advice, cherry pick if you can, worst case take them all and give away the rest later on. I gave away about 80 records I was given but didn't want to keep to a thrift store.
Cleaning Records
This is another subject of debate. You can spend hundreds on automatic record cleaners but not everyone has the liberty of doing that. So here's a cheap solutions.
First, dirty is the record. Well in my case when I came back from the flea market all the records were covered in dirt, silt and dust...not about to wipe them. Some will strongly disagree with what I did, but to me labels aren't the end of the world... I put the records in the sink with warm water using a microfiber cloth, washed off the majority of the crap.
However, for casual cleaning, a solution (alcohol free) for cleaning records and a felt brush is sufficient for cleaning.
Also invest in a anti-static brush. Use it before playing records. Records easily become statically charged... The brush attracts the dust and debris. Simply turn on the turntable and allow it to spin several time and work the brush into the center...once you have the brush in the center touch the spindle in the center to discharge. You can take it a step further and use an anti-static gun which shoots ions on the record which gets rid of the charge, but the first method is cheaper and from what I and others have seen is plenty effective.
NEVER use alcohol or household cleaners to clean records...Alcohol dries out the vinyl and will reduce sound quality.
NEVER wet play your records.. This gets dirt, grime and other crap deep into the grooves and can also damage the stylus and cantilever... The stylus is often glued to the cantilever, water, alcohol can weaken the bond or worse can cause the stylus to come apart...
Turntable Maintenance
If you have a P-mount cartridge, there's not a whole lot to worry about. However, you should clean the stylus using the stylus brush. Keep the turntable free from dust.
Then comes the question, how long does a stylus last?
Generally speaking a stylus will last about 1,000 hours of playback so this might be a year, may be longer depending on how often you play vinyl. The condition of the records you play...dirty and scratched LP's will wear the stylus out faster.
For those who collect and play 78's. The stylus is different and doesn't last as long. The stylus on those is made from sapphire. You can expect about 300 hours of playback with those styli. For those who are using gramophone record players the needles use a steel or fiber stylus which should be replaced after each use (although I hear people would often keep using them...although I'd say that playing your 78's on a modern turntable is a bit easier on the shellac).
Resources
Even a nerd like me hasn't done everything. So if you need to know more about aligning a cartridge, setting tracking force, anti-skate or more information check these videos out.
A little lengthy, but good explanation about anti-skate and how to set up...
Feel free to ask questions...
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