For the Hi-Fi enthusiasts among us...

rob#1 · Sep 25, 2021

There are some great LPs with excellent sonics (it amazes me that some great bands, singers, etc. put out music that is just recorded really badly, but that’s a different story)

Sometimes people would bring in an LP because it had good sonics - it wasn’t music that they necessarily enjoyed. In these cases it appeared that they were listening to the hi fi system and not the music 😵‍💫

slavedata · Sep 25, 2021

The demo music that I always hated is Jazz at the Pawnshop. That awful plonky Xylophone always reminded me of Sooty and Sweep.

Archer · Sep 25, 2021

rob#1
There are some great LPs with excellent sonics (it amazes me that some great bands, singers, etc. put out music that is just recorded really badly, but that’s a different story)

Sometimes people would bring in an LP because it had good sonics - it wasn’t music that they necessarily enjoyed. In these cases it appeared that they were listening to the hi fi system and not the music 😵‍💫

To me, you need to hear a system with good and bad recordings, unless you are only going to limit your listening to only very good recordings. There's a lot of music I like, that wasn't recorded particularly well, and I'm not about to stop listening to it.

I always brought along recordings that were things I listened to, because listening to something I wasn't familiar with wasn't going to give me a lot of real insight, other than it sounds okay. I had a list of things I would bring that challenged the systems in different ways, so that I could get the fullest picture of what I was going to get as possible. Learning how to listen is a skill, and sometimes people neglect that one.

sxl2004 · Sep 25, 2021

S slavedata
The demo music that I always hated is Jazz at the Pawnshop. That awful plonky Xylophone always reminded me of Sooty and Sweep.

It is a classic Jazz record for people not listening to jazz. But I always like the energy.

Evitzee · Sep 25, 2021

S slavedata
The demo music that I always hated is Jazz at the Pawnshop. That awful plonky Xylophone always reminded me of Sooty and Sweep.

Getting a good, accurate recording on a vibraphone is difficult, often the sound comes across as if it was played on a bunch of milk bottles. One of the best recordings of a vibraphone is one from 1953/4, "The Lionel Hampton Quartet" with Lionel Hampton, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown and the inimitable Buddy Rich on drums. It is a mono recording made in New York City but the dynamics and sound are tremendous. It shows what was possible many decades ago with skill and care of the recording process. The LP has been reissued and is worth getting if you like classic jazz like this. Top stuff.

slavedata · Sep 25, 2021

But who wants to listen to a Vibraphone? Personal taste I suppose. I don't go a bundle on Bagpipes and Brass Bands either

vibe · Sep 26, 2021

Bags and Trane is a. great sounding record, actually one of my best.

Larry S · Sep 26, 2021

Engee
OK, so although this is a watch collectors' forum I hope to get some help from the Hi-Fi enthusiasts here.

I'm thinking about upgrading my turntable. I like the Linn Sondek LP12 - it's a classic, but buying used is a minefield because as a modular system you need to know what's under the hood. Prices appear to range from +/- £800 for complete set up to several £k.

So my question is, what are the questions I need to ask in order to assess whether a turntable I see is an acceptable price? The motor, tonearm and cartridge are as far as I've got. Are there other components that will have an impact on the price?

Thanks for any help.

There are so many out now you really can’t go wrong. My dearly departed dealer, Audio Conultants, set me up with a mid line Pro-Ject years ago. I’ve added a speed box and upgraded to Ortophon Bronze …sounds amazing through my Rotel and B&W gear. I’ve recommended Pro-Ject to friends and family, IMO you don’t need to go nuts price wise. $600-1200 gets you a dammed fine turntable these days.

SkunkPrince · Sep 26, 2021

My favorite cartridge I owned was the Decca C4E. The London Jubilee is the modern version, designed by John Wright, who designed the originals.

https://nirvanasound.com/london/

sxl2004 · Sep 26, 2021

Larry S
There are so many out now you really can’t go wrong. My dearly departed dealer, Audio Conultants, set me up with a mid line Pro-Ject years ago. I’ve added a speed box and upgraded to Ortophon Bronze …sounds amazing through my Rotel and B&W gear. I’ve recommended Pro-Ject to friends and family, IMO you don’t need to go nuts price wise. $600-1200 gets you a dammed fine turntable these days.

But how does it go with your UG’s???
😁😉

vibe · Sep 27, 2021

I am a big fan of rega tables, they are a great value and are easy to set up. The sprung tables like the Linn Sondek are more fussy. Here is my modded rega with grace f-14 (very rare) and origin live silver arm.

Evitzee · Sep 27, 2021

Unless you are just turned on by a vintage, classic turntable there are tremendous tables available today for not a lot of money, and which will be fuss free. Clearaudio, Pro-ject, Mobile Fidelity and others all make good stuff for not a lot of money.

rob#1 · Sep 27, 2021

+1 for Rega turntables. Sound great, look great, and are simple to set up and use. Pro-ject are good also (even if they did slightly copy Rega’s design originally).

30t1 · Sep 27, 2021

Evitzee
Unless you are just turned on by a vintage, classic turntable there are tremendous tables available today for not a lot of money, and which will be fuss free. Clearaudio, Pro-ject, Mobile Fidelity and others all make good stuff for not a lot of money.

Turn on, says you like this one.

tmw57 · Sep 27, 2021

S slavedata
The demo music that I always hated is Jazz at the Pawnshop. That awful plonky Xylophone always reminded me of Sooty and Sweep.

Exactly! It was everyone's favorite demo record in the 80's.

tmw57 · Sep 27, 2021

I spent a few decades as an "audiophile". Went through my electrostatic phase, my single ended triode horn speaker phase, etc etc. Still have a lot of my older stuff and may just set it up again. A Marantz 8B and some Quad 57's--keep it simple. And it was always vinyl and a decent turntable...an old SME20 and an ancient Linn are what I have left.

SkunkPrince · Sep 27, 2021

Some decades ago, I had a Decca unipivot arm mounted on my Thorens 125 Mk II. I had heard that there was a crazy mechanical engineer about who would set up my table and do a common mod to the Decca arm, fill it with "Great Stuff" foam insulation.

I left my table at the audio store and then I got a call to come see.

When I got to the store, I was shown my turntable, I did not recognize it.

Gene Zanow was the crazy engineer. My tonearm couldn't be upgraded to his standards, so he tossed it.

He built me a new tonearm to the "optimum pivot" design and made two counterweights... one for my Decca C4E cartridge, and a lighter counterweight in case I ever changed my mind.

Built me a new arm-board for the optimimum pivot arm. Supplied a tonearm lifter. Machined the the platter flat. Balanced it for my AudioQuest Sorbothane matt, of which he approved. Set the springs so they would move vertically. Added adjustable feet.

Yes, it was a vast improvement! After I crashed the Decca cart for the second time (alcohol was involved), I used a Sony moving coil from the 60s, the VC-8E, that sounded a lot like the Decca. Once I could no longer get elliptical styli, I sold it, and used Ortophon, with a detour or two into moving coils that just didn't work with that arm, high mass.

I traded the table and all the albums to a friend for a guitar amp. He wanted me to rewire the tonearm of his Oracle Alexandra. Haven't gotten to it yet... and huh he's not complaining!

I sure miss that Decca.

ckhaing · Sep 28, 2021

her also Rega belt drive fan! (planer 3 old version)
with Grado of course

vibe · Sep 28, 2021

@SkunkPrince those decca carts sure are interesting, they are still making them. My buddy has one of the higher end ones. the way they present the music is a bit different and it seems to be less dynamic; more in your face. Not really a good match for his horns.

SkunkPrince · Sep 28, 2021

vibe
@SkunkPrince those decca carts sure are interesting, they are still making them. My buddy has one of the higher end ones. the way they present the music is a bit different and it seems to be less dynamic; more in your face. Not really a good match for his horns.

You really have to match the tonearm to the cartridge. When you do that and listen through electrostatics or very good dynamic speakers like mine, the detail is astonishing.

Those Mk IV cartridges were massive and worked well with high mass tonearms.

For the Hi-Fi enthusiasts among us...

rob#1

slavedata

Archer

sxl2004

Evitzee

slavedata

vibe

Larry S

SkunkPrince

sxl2004

vibe

Evitzee

rob#1

30t1

tmw57

tmw57

SkunkPrince

ckhaing

vibe

SkunkPrince

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