+1 on the Technics + Nag combo^ |
+++ for the Nakagoka
also I believe Freediver is Seattle area, might I suggest a visit w Eric at Gig Harbor Audio a Nak, Rega, Denon, Hana, Well Tempered dealer, record shop... one stop Musical drug dealer....
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For a bit over a grand you may also find a SOTA Sapphire w Jelco or other tonearm that will w right cartridge knock your socks off !!!!
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All of us old timers are comfy with vinyl so a long journey with turns and tweaks, plus a library handy gives many of us satisfaction. You may not, with an entry level setup achieve an improvement over your digital, but there may be something you hear that gives you some encouragement.
I hope so, it can be really great.
There are many on here that know more about gear so there will be no end to suggestions.
The key is to be as specific as possible with your questions.
I actually read topics on this site for about a year before purchasing anything. |
To the OP - Here’s the my view on this...
- you have no legacy vinyl, so no real need to invest in a vinyl rig
- you are not "inclined" to invest time and effort involved in setting up, maintaining and eveolving a vinyl based system
- any "low end" vinyl setup will not compete from a sound quality perspective to todays digital front end streamers like a $599 Bluesound Node 2
- you’ve probably read in many places (Including here) how wonderful vinyl can be and how much more "organic" it sounds - so perhaps that is the reason for your initial post?
Now consider...
- There is only one "playlist" on a given side of a vinyl album - i.e. the order of the tracks on each side
- The album almost always ends at an inoportune moment.
- you have to get up at least every 20-30 minutes to play another album/side/track
- The stylus wears out every 600-1200 hours (depending on cartridge/stylus type) and replacing it can be expensive
- Turntable placement/support can be fraught with vibration issues
- todays vinyl seems to have pressing issues that I had not encountered 30 years ago, so returns can become an issue
- keeping vinyl clean can be a chore
- A Vinyl album is more expensive than its digital version
If I had not already had an investment in albums and a turntable, I would have given up on vinyl long ago.
As it is, I have spent lots on upgrades, cartridges, phono stages and other tweaks to get my vinyl rig to the level of performance where it is now.
I probably buy more vinyl than digital music at present, but that tends to go in cycles.
So I have to ask - why start now?
The learning curve is steep and time consuming and the outlay can be significant and if you do not "evolve" with with the many aspects of a vinyl rig, you may simply lose interest after a very short while.
OR, the alure of vinyl will grab you and you too will spend lots of time/effort/$$$
From a convenience perspective digital is the way to go, but when I want to relax with a glass of my favourite scotch, for some reason - vinyl is generally my choice.
However, I also have some stunning digital tracks that stir up the same emotions.
Just another opinion I mostly agree with all of this. I grew up in the digital age though my first albums were on cassette. I got into vinyl after reading endless claims of its superiority to digital. Is it? Well, I find it can be, but it takes a darn good analog system to get there - not gonna happen for under $3K with new gear. Even then, it’s still highly dependant on the mastering and pressing quality. The biggest advantage of analog over Redbook CD or hi-res downloads is the lack of digital "glare." I’ve discovered that much of that digital "glare," "glassiness," "hash" (choose your term) can be well mitigated with a Non-oversampling, filterless DAC - and it doesn’t have to be an expensive one either. Almost forgot... YMMV |
