How does a beginner turntable compare to digital ?

After growing up on my older brothers' records and 8 tracks (Kiss, Bob Seger, Zappa, Black Sabbath, Doors, Sgt Peppers, all the good stuff), I went all digital when I got one of the first CD players available in the US in 1983--the original Sony Discman CD1. No looking back either. I just set up a good digital server system using a Squeezebox, streaming FLAC files when I don't play CDs directly (I can't tell the difference and it's a lot easier to find my music). I thought this was the end for me. No muss, no fuss. But I was missing something.

Yes you read all about how much different analog vinyl sounds here in these forums. Over the summer at a local garage sale, I found a box of records from the 70s and 80s. Some good stuff, pretty beat up, but some in great shape. It sure brought back memories.

A month ago I got a Marantz TT15 demo for 1200 bucks at MusicDirect. There's plenty written about it in the forums. It's a rebadged Clearaudio with a great cartridge. Coupled with a PS Audio GCPH phono stage and some Cardas balanced cables I already had, this setup gives me a lot of bang for the buck. I got a Spin Clean too, and it works OK, it's a lot of labor but fun. My investment in all the equipment (above plus brushes, stylus cleaner, stylus VTA gauge) is around $2K. Doesn't include records.

In short, I haven't had so much fun in years! It has brought back a lot of fun to this hobby. I love holding music in my hands. I love the old stuff. I love finding records that never made it to vinyl. I love the hunt. I love the smell. I love the record stores. I love the fiddling, the setup, the tweaking. I love getting it just right, listening late at night, sinking into the music, hearing it all without the digital fatigue that no matter how great your setup IS there. I love the magic of how a turntable physically translates the sound from the grooves to your ears. I love showing my kids how it all works. I love how my wife shakes her head at me. And she likes listening with me too.....

I don't love the snaps, the pops, the background noise. I don't love the occasional rumble when I turn it up too loud. I don't love the scratches I don't think matter when I look at the record but it disturbs the recording. I don't love how perfect albums in the store sound noisy when I play them at home, and others you don't think are so great really are. I realize how much it takes to throw off the chain, how fragile a stylus can be, how it wears every time you use it. How you have to keep adjusting everything but when you get it right it's really pretty easy to keep right, at least with my setup.

Other posters are spot on about costs. The records are all over the map. I at first was just buying whatever I could find to build a collection--yard sales, Half Price books, etc. THose dollar records are priced at a dollar for a reason! They really sound like crap no matter what you do and I worry about my equipment with those records playing. Also, I have been fooled by what I thought were early pressings but were really 80s reissues that don't sound as good. Now I am more selective. I find that going to a good shop and paying the price is worth it. I have found some really good early pressings that are clean and noise free and it really makes a difference. I even have found some that are really mint, never played, original pressings. How fun is that?? Some shops are more proud than others, so check around. The newer reissues are pretty good too, but not all. I just picked up Guns and Roses Appetite for Destruction and Nirvana Nevermind in 180g vinyl and they sound amazingly good--quiet, tight bass, great soundstage. Vinyl costs more than CDs now, but hey, if you really want the hands on experience and take care of your stuff, it's all worth it.

If you want the hands on, like to fiddle, want to enjoy the music, then yes, go vinyl. I haven't had so much fun in years and I have a lot of fun with this hobby. I do think you need to spend a sufficient amt to get the most out of your setup. I probably will upgrade some day, but am pretty darn happy now.

PS: Vqlong2000: also thinking of buying bulk here in Audiogon or Ebay for a starter. How bad is that idea ? What is the chance of getting some respectable LPs in cheap that way ?

I think as you begin you should avoid this method until you have more experience with the "hands on" and get to know what a good record looks like and how they play when you play them. What an early pressing really is, what a label means, there is a lot of education and learning to go thru. Grading is all over the map. I see VGPlus records at a good store near me that I would call Good minus. So I dont' buy them. So what do you know about a bulk collection online? It's hard enough when you are at a yard sale.

Check Craigslist and shop local if you can. There are lots of collections that price out at buck a record or so. I keep going after them but usually am late to the party.

Buy the new Rega RP-1 (around $450, including a good "starter" cartridge), and have a ball ! This should match up perfectly with your Brio and Harbeths, and you'll have a really wonderful entrance into the great world of analog. Don't worry about comparing vinyl to CD's.... trust us all.... you will enjoy LP's. They sound really good. Happy Listening.

I agree with many if the previous posts. Unless you have a good-sized record collection. This is not a great starting price point. The Apollo is a very decent player and cannot easily be beaten by a P1 with a cheap cartridge in your present system. I would wait until the budget allows for a P3 with an entry level Clearaudio cartridge. Your phono stage that came with the amp is pretty decent as is, and your speakers are quite good. I just wouldn't get into the turntable market on the cheap. A good table takes time, patience and careful set up.

I agree with Samuelg. I agonized. I almost bought the project debut on clearance for 299. But I realized I needed to be in the 1k range with what I have been used to with my digital setup. There are a lot of really good options. Check musicdirect or audio advisor for clearance deals and there are deals used here. Remember that cartridges make a big difference and you want a good one to get the mids you crave.