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Is it worth expanding into Vinyl???

I've been kicking around the idea of going vinyl for awhile so I figured I'd post some questions. I understand the difference between Vinyl and Digital from a sound recording and reproduction standpoint and the pros/cons of it, but I guess real world opinion specific to my situation is what I seek.

I was born in '79 so by the time I got into music, Digital had already taken over. As such, I was never exposed to Vinyl as a child and have been raised on the digital "sound". At this point, I have a fairly substantial collection of SACD and DVD-Audio which serve as my primary listening material. Genre's are very dispersed including just about everything.

If I decided to venture into Vinyl, I would want to do so with a minimal investment up front (for the hardware)...perhaps around $500-$600. I also see that one can spend over $30k on a turntable with tonearm and cartridge, so that's a little intimidating to me. I don't want to waste even my measly $500 on getting into vinyl if I need to spend substantially more to get sound that exceeds that of my current all-digital setup.

Here is my current setup, so the only addition would be that of the turntable itself, played through these components. I suppose I'm just looking for opinions from anyone who has one regarding whether a ~$500 turntable on this system can yield sonic results that equal or exceed my current capabilities (realizing that the recording itself plays a tremendous role in the reproduction).

SACD/CD Player: Music Hall Maverick (stock)
DVD-A Player: Denon 3910 (stock)
PreAmp: Outlaw Audio 950
Amplifier: Outlaw Audio 750
Fronts: Axiom M80 v2 (Bi-Wired)
Center: Axiom VP150 v2
Rears: Axiom QS8 v2
Sub: Axiom EP500 v2
Interconnects: Outlaw Audio
Speaker Wire: Monster M1.4s BiWire

I should also mention that a nice, wide and open soundstage is the most important characteristic I look for in listening. The more "real" it all sounds, the happier I am.

Any opinions or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Turntable recommendations would also be greatly appreciated!
fatgh0st
tvad
9,467 posts
 
If you're bitten by the analog bug, you are not gonna stop at a $2k rig. You'll also find that your record collection will begin to represent a huge outlay of money.
Buscis2 (System | Threads | Answers)
This is the heart of the matter, IMO, considering the OP mentions a budget of $500-$600.

It's important to offer advice within the parameters of the OP, rather than simply stating personal opinion based on equipment well beyond the scope of the question.

"Entry" level analog will quickly reach $4k before you can say "vinyl". Add the cost of cleaning supplies and related accessories, and the cost and time of obtaining clean vinyl, and the OP will soon be at a cost many thousands of dollars over his stated budget.

Vinyl is terrific...

...but so is digital.

Essentially, the quality of the listening experience is related more to the quality of the source material, whether digital or vinyl, than it is to the machinery playing it back.
pacific_island_audio
49 posts
 
Vinyl's been getting lots of attention lately, with lots of strong emotions surrounding it. There have been a good number of posts with clear, levelheaded wisdom. Take note and heed the cautionary advise—keep kicking it around—soon you'll know whether or not this is just a following-the-fad-flash-in-the-pan, or if it's a real interest that's worth putting more into than a half hearted effort.
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
1,368 posts
 
There was a thread here recently where a vinyl lover complained about the poor sound quality of classic rock lps. He said he couldn't listen to most of them. IIRC, it was concluded that they were poorly recorded and manufactured.

I'm in the save your money for high-res digital downloads camp. Vinyl is not only expensive in $ terms but requires much more time and effort than digital.
ponnie
233 posts
 
You got alot of advice and good advice. Is vinyl worth it yes. If you like the convenience of compact disc you may have a problem getting up and changing the record over. You may have occasional pops and ticks. No vinyl is perfect for ever. And neither is CD! But vinyl has a sound that is different than Compact Disk.
I would go to a friends house and listen to some of the CD's you have on vinyl before getting into vinyl. See if you think the medium is worth it.

If you want a real nice turntable that has been respected for many years look at a Rega turntable with a RB300 tonearm. The table with the RB250 will be fine to. I think Rega has the RB301 out now oops!

See if you appreicate the sound first then ask us the question of really good table that will compare to your current digital setup. I'm sure there are some that will trounce your current CD Player but digital has come a long way and something as simple as a tube Dac could improve your digital front end even more. It all depends on how critical your listening is and your preferences a well.

Good Luck
rlwainwright
1,901 posts
 
Save your time and money. You'd be better served by investing in improving the sound quality of your listening room. In any case, IIRC, the Outlaw does not have a phono preamp, so you'd need to budget for that.

Frankly, you already have a very nice digital source and adequate preamp and amp sections, I used to own a Denon 3910 and loved it. The Outlaw 950 and 750 combo is a good one. Not stellar, but good enough, nonetheless.

Unless you are willing to replace ALL of your speakers and your preamp/amp, upgrading your *room* is your wisest move - by far. Have an acoustician come in and give you an audit of your room. And then implement the changes he suggests. The cool part about this is that ALL of your sources (CD, DVD, FM, etc.) will instantly sound better.

You CAN achieve better sound than what you currently have, but adding a turntable is NOT going to do that for you...

(Feel free to contact me offlist if you have any other questions.)

-RW-
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