Was your first cartridge relatively expensive?

Erratum: most analog music comes from record GROOVES, comparatively little from groves.

Here is my opinion based on my experiences over the last several years.

I remember a few years back that a similar question was asked. "should a vinyl newbie start with a simpler/cheaper table or not?" I also remember a response from TWL that really changed my thinking on this. His reply was that this particular newbie should buy the best table/arm/cartridge combo that he could because this would give the greatest reward for the work in setting things up. The reasoning was that the basics of turntable/arm/cartridge setup are the same no matter what you start with. If you buy a rig that is really going to give you great performance you will be less likely to go round and round with upgrades latter. I didn't follow his advice but I have different goals than just listening to my LP's. I would also say that some of the lower-end analog components can hinder the process of learning how to set things up because they don't offer the ability to adjust certain parameters. I personally can't understand owning an analog rig without knowing how to set up every part of it, physical limitations aside here.

So that is my advice to Howie. Get the best table you can afford. Then get the best phono stage you can afford. Then get the best arm you can afford. Then, if you have any change left, get the best cartridge you can afford. It is easy to upgrade arms and cartridges latter.

Tables for the most part are straight forward to setup, just depends on if you want suspended or non-suspended. This is the foundation for analog playback. A modest arm and cartridge will sound much better on a well implemented and sited table than on a lesser table.

The phono stage can be the bottle neck that keeps the sound from getting to your speakers. A good one will let you hear the changes in adjustments and also let you hear where you need to focus on changes. Make sure you can play both MM and MC cartridges.

You could start with a fairly inexpensive arm. There are many out there but you'll have to wade through mounting compatability and ease of adjustments. For example, a Rega based arm won't have VTA adjustment but there are some good products that can provide that capability. If you go with a lesser arm I would recommend checking out it's resale value.

While I do like the Denon 103R, I'm not sure if it is a good cartridge to start with depending on your goals. If you just want to set things up and listen then this is a good choice. The issue I have with this cartridge is that it is pretty forgiving as far as setup goes so it can actually block you from learning what small changes in VTA and azimuth make.

Don't forget that good, effective cleaning equipment and techniques is also essential to get the most from your LP's.

Well said, Dan_ed! I like your summary.
.

Anyone who says that it doesn't take a lot of time and work (not to mention money) to get a vinyl playback system optimally set up is kidding themselves and others. But so what? The work itself can be technically interesting and enjoyable. There is more to life than listening to music.

I am reminded of the story of two technicians who retired from the National Bureau of Standards where they had maintained the very complex mechanical clocks that were used to keep time before atomic decay clocks were adopted. Of course the atomic clocks were much better than the mechanical ones, but these two guys decided, as a hobby, to see how far they could go with the old obsolete technology. They succeded in making clocks that, without needing massive piers for a stable base, were about ten times better than the best clocks that the government ever had. In some respects the development and implementation of vinyl playback hardware is a challenge similar to the clock project, and can be enjoyable rather than a chore.

It is all about care as Eldartford illustrates. Warmth over coldness ... flipping a CD into a drawer is abrubt aka cold whereas brushing a record, carefully placing it on the table, etc, is physicall motion which feedsback ... treating the 'music' as a treasure. For me, it is relaxing to go thru these motions rather than tedious.

This may seems tedious to someone who just wants to 'hear some music' and wants to hear it without pops and clicks, but on second thought there is an urge for caring there as well ... cd stoplight pens, damping pads or rings.

for me, there is no argument that analog sounds better, so who cares about best environment, or dust, etc. these things can be overcome.